2008 A somewhat different year!

Well I haven't blogged for some time, in fact about a year and a half. No I haven't emigrated. We had a busy 2007 with our eldest son and our daughter both deciding to marry. So, two weddings, no funerals, and a trip around the world just to blow the rest of our savings.


2008 got of to a busy start with lots of catching up at the allotment, and lots of organising as I was in charge of preparing our Allotment Associations 75th Anniversary celebrations.


It's difficult to catch up all that happened in just one blog, but I'll try and blog more often in 2009.

I suppose the highlights in chronological order would be; winning the plot judging competition on 13 July. It's nice to think that your plot is the best out of 120. Getting two 1sts, three 2nds and two 3rds at Driffield Show later in July was another success. I'll not say much about being disqualified with my entry for 10 pods of peas. I couldn't count. I only displayed 9 pods and got the dreaded NTS card (not to schedule).







August brought the Seaton and Sigglesthorne Horticultural Show and the Brandesburton and Leven Show and more tickets and the first of the silverware. A magnificent trophy from B&L for a pair of matching marrows; Table Dainty, grown suspended from wires in my 12' x 4' cold frame, and a cup for spray chrysanthemums. I also got 1st prize for my long carrots which was quite unexpected as it was the first time that I had grown them.


September was the 1st of the Driffield Chrysanthemum Society shows. From about February I had nurtured 25No. 10" pots checking them day and night for water, feed and side shoots, bagging the buds, changing to bloom bags and finally the day had come. Had it been worth it? It sure had. I won first prize in the both the novice cup and the amateur shield. But even more pleasing, I got an award of merit from the National Chrysanthemum Society. Photo to follow.


Disaster, my late blooms for the Driffield Chrysanthemum Society Late show were too late. Show date 15 November. My blooms ready for showing, two weeks later. Well, you can't win them all!


Vegetables that showed well for me in 2008:

Runner Bean - Stenna
Broad Bean - Medwyn Williams seed
Onion Large Exhibition - Kelsae
Onion under 250gm - Hi-tech
Carrot - Graeme Watson selected seed.
Parsnip - Javelin
Tomato - Shirley
Cucumber - Telegraph Improved
Courgette - Black Hawk
Marrow - Table Dainty
Cabbage - Brigadier
Sprout - Brilliant
Fennel - Orion
Peas - Show Perfection
Potatoes - Kestral & Lady Chrystl



I will publish a list of vegetables that I shall be growing for showing in 2009 in a new blog next month.