Sunday, September 16, 2007


Saturday 15th September 2007
Danbury & Little Baddow Autumn Horticultural Show 2007

Finally show day arrived. The kids had worked very hard Friday night, daughter number one made a lovely fruit salad with peaches, kiwi, apples, melon, rapsberries, apples, blackberries, strawberries and alpine strawberries. She then made an edible necklace with a mix if little fruits and veggies. Son number one made a dinosaur from vegetables - a marrowsaurus.














We got up early to shoot to the allotment to decide what flowers to put into the annuals section and to try and pick some good apples. We decided that the 3 sunflowers were gorgeous and they would be winners, so we loaded the car and arrived at the school hall at around 10am. I showed:
5 culinary apples
3 beetroot
3 carrots
3 courgettes
1 outdoor grown cucumber
1 table top marrow
5 onions grown from sets
12 shallots
5 coloured potatoes
5 white potatoes
7 runner beans
3 beefsteak tomatoes
5 medium tomatoes
7 cherry tomatoes
any other root veg - turnips
any other veg - turks turban squash
top tray - collection of 3 types of veg
vase of annual flowers
recipe using plums (Mulled plum jelly)
jam made from soft fruit (Strawberry jam)
jam made from stone fruit (Greengage jam)
chutney (curried rhubarb chutney)

We left the hall and went off to do our chores, heading back there at around 3.30 for prize giving at 4.15. I wasn't expection to do great as I hadn't had lots of time over the summer to molycoddle my veggies, what with the hernia op and going away on our hols. Also the toms had some blight, and I had trouble matching veggies - for example, I had 2 smashing big beetroots, but the rest were all small like golfballs, same problem with the carrots. All the whoppers were slightly twisted or had green shoulders, so we went with the smaller ones that we could match.

I left the inlaws and hubby to look at my veggies whilst I went with the children to see how they did. They were very proud as son took a first for his Marrowsaurus and daughter took seconds for her fruit salad and necklace. By now the inlaws and hubby were very excited as I had managed to take a few firsts myself. In fact, I took 7 firsts, 7 seconds, 4 thirds and my greengage jam was highly commended. My top tray came second and I won a £5 gift voucher for DT Browns. I took the most points in the show to won the prestigious RHS Banksian Medal and the Dawson Challenge Cup. I was thrilled and the chairman of the society made a point of telling everyone how tough it is on our allotment because there is no water, we have to save what we can, or lug water from home. He went on to tell the audience that I work the plot on my own, as well as working, and being chief mum and head bottle washer. Gush Gush.












The next show is in the spring and is usually only flowers. Wonder if I have time to plant more daff bulbs as it is the daffodil society in the spring,

Now my photos of my winning entries.
Firsts:





























Seconds





























Thirds

6 comments:

Joanna said...

WELL DONE ... you put us all to shame ... REALLY well done!

Joanna
joannasfood.blogspot.com

Greenmantle said...

Outstanding all round performance EJ! Well done!

GM

Anonymous said...

Congratulations. You all did really well. I love the Marrowsaurus and especially the edible necklace, very handy when you get peckish on a night out!!!

Jo.

Emma Jane said...

Thanks folks. I was thrilled to bits with the awards, seems like you are fighting a loosing battle sometimes on the allotment with the weather and the wildlife, but somehow, things turn out okay. I am over the moon for the kids. They loved taking part and are already planning what to make for the next show, even though I have explained they will have to wait to see what is on the schedule.

Thanks again for your kind thoughts.

Melanie Rimmer said...

Congratulations! Sounds like you had a lot of fun, as well as gaining well-earned recognition for your talents and hard work. Just bask in the glow for a few days.

cambourne7 said...

Emma Jane,

Wow you have done amazingly well!! Congratulations.

Love the tomatos :)

Louise(camborune7)