Thanks to all those who attended the Annual Show on 2 September 2018.

Over a hundred people attended the show and many entered their best vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, jams, and creative endeavours for judging.

The BBQ boasted burgers, sausages, quiche, and a selection of amazing homemade salads.  After eating and socialising, it was time to announce the winners and prizes.

Prizes

View the full list of the BHAS Allotment Show Winners for 2018 as well as photos from the day.

Thanks to all those who entered and congrats to all the winners!

The raffle was a big attraction, and with prizes such as books about gardening, an original print from a local artist, and a bottle of homemade wine, it was no surprise.  The bake sale also showed off the amazing baking skills of the BHAS members, like these delicious Allotment Show 2018 cupcakes.

There was also a very popular plant sale where many attendees picked up a variety of plants grown by BHAS members and donated for sale.

 

Special thanks

Our thanks go out to the orchestrator of the event, Halina Kessler, along with the many volunteers who helped to set up and clean up on the day.  Our sincere gratitude go to the judges, Mary Thorp and David Bradshaw, for volunteering their time to judge the vegetable and baking show entries.

We’d also like to thank the Ginger Pig in Barnes, a local butcher, for their delicious sausages and burgers, which were a big hit for our BBQ, and local garden centre, Adrian Hall, for donating a plant for the day’s raffle.

Thanks to all who attended and we look forward to next year’s show!

SHOWTIME 2018

Mary Thorp, one of the judges, has notes from the day.

What a beautiful day for a late summer show on the allotments with warm sunshine and, miracles of miracles, not a breath of wind to blow away the entries!

The weather this year with the long cold winter and spring and dry, very hot summer probably explains why there were less entries. So:

• no carrots (they do not always germinate in high temperatures)
• runner beans become “stringy” without galleons of water
• potatoes have less slug damage this year but have not grown very big in the hot sunlight
• no garlic and few onions – both tend to go to flower in extreme weather conditions unless given protection (though there doesn’t seem to have been much allium mite around this year – probably the cold winter killed some of them off); and
• no sweetcorn on show but then I know many of you have given up the fight with the foxes and badgers!

Despite the difficult conditions, a fabulous collection of tomatoes were on display, some superb pumpkins (including John Pagett’s which was one of the biggest I have ever seen) and Mark’s fine, prize-winning cabbage with hardly a sign of a slug bite.

The single variety flower vases were lovely but no Dahlias and I know there are some beauties growing on many allotments; surprisingly, few entries of apples and other fruits when there are bumper crops of many “top fruits” on the plots.

The children’s entries were a joy to judge. Amazing “out-of-this-world” veggy monsters – especially Isla and Freddy Dawson’s turtle – and the miniature gardens were tiny works of art (some budding garden designers here?).  The pictures were lovely, particularly Lottie and Milly’s joint creation.

It was really good to see some new names entering!

-Mary