If, like me, you’ve been struggling to get your vegetables growing well this year, if you’ve lost seedlings to the slugs, cabbages to the caterpillars and tomatoes to blight, you might want to look away now. The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show started today, and from the fruit and veg on display there you’d think we’d just had a wonderful summer. There were displays of perfect vegetables – tomatoes and French beans.
Carrots and cauliflowers showing no signs of root fly or caterpillar damage.
There were the giant vegetables.
The winner in the giant marrow class weighed in at just under 120lb!
And there were beautifully arranged baskets and trugs of vegetables.
Having decided that my vegetable growing definitely wasn’t up to exhibition standards, I went looking for inspiration on the nursery stands. I started my seed shopping for next year at the Heirloom Tomatoes stand – who could resist these fabulous tomatoes?
And these squash and chillies on the Robinson’s Seeds stand had me planning which varieties to grow next year.
Maybe next year’s harvest will look something more like this!
Where do you look for inspiration for your vegetable patch?
The Garden Deli 
Wonderful! Those vegetables look unreal! I wonder if they taste as good as they look. 😉
I get tempted by the pictures on seed packets, but also refer to a regional gardening magazine we get.
The vegetables certainly were squeaky clean and without blemishes. Not sure about the taste – they’re judged on looks (or size) alone as far as I know.
I don’t know how these exhibition growers do it – I’m sure it takes a lot more work than I’m prepared to put into it. It really has been a battle to get anything this year – but considering everything I suppose I haven’t done too bad.
From the photos on your blog, I think you’ve done very well Elaine!
How do they get the leeks so big and fat – mine are always skinny little things.
I think there are secret ways of growing, known only to exhibition growers!
It really is an art form. I suppose it’s like comparing haute couture with high street fashion though!! The heirloom tomatoes look fabulous – and how amazing is the one shaped like a lemon? I want some!!
The tomato display was fantastic – I had to be really restrained and not buy seeds of all the varieties they had! But then they do mail order too…
Just beautiful! I wish we had something like that to attend…the Giant Pumpkin contests don’t *quite* do it…Although, an1800 lb. squash is pretty impressive 😉
I like the idea of a giant pumpkin contest! Can’t even imagine what an 1800lb squash would look like – size of a small house?
I was reading about the giant veggies the other day! I’ve always wanted to go to the show, it sounds fab
It’s a really nice show to visit – not too big, or too busy!
We would have visited the show but were on holiday so it’s good to get a second hand glimpse
Only a selective second hand glimpse I’m afraid – I was just fascinated by those giant veg, but there was a lot more at the show!
Thanks for showing my trug of vegetables( one with the handle ). Just to let you know the show veg actually tastes as good as it looks, promise!!!! The problem with growing for shows we seem to have it all at once. Happy Gardening
If your veg really taste as good as they look, then they must be absolutely delicious! I was just amazed by the quality of the veg on display, especially after the ‘challenging’ growing conditions we’ve had this year.
Most of the veg for show is grown in a tunnel, the most challenging issue is timings for the sowing. The veg we grow is selected for quality ie Potato Kestrel, and Maxine are reliable quality. They are then grown in bags of a peat mixture and watered weekly. By growing like this we are able to produce a quality product no matter the conditions.
One of the things I really like about veg growing is that there’s always so much to learn from other people – growing for show is a whole new world to me.
You will have to give it a go. Start with a local show, the bug will soon get you.
Any help you want just ask.
Thank you for your offer of help – I may well get back to you!