GIANT VEGETABLES

(Click on the title for a link to Robinsons mammoth seed website)

I was in Belfast last weekend visiting friends. These friends of mine are lucky enough to live very close to the Botanic gardens, and we thought it would a good idea to let the children get some exercise hunting for conkers (creating a small diversion as I tuck a few seed heads in my pocket from the herbaceous borders). When we got to the gardens though, we were surprised to see a very large marquee set up on the grass. The tent was set up to house three things, firstly a Dahlia competition; here people entered their choice specimens, usually in threes to, be judged. Secondly there was a competition for bonsai trees and cacti. Thirdly the grand competition to find the biggest and best vegetables.

There were parsnips measuring 8 feet long (including the fibrous roots) onions weighing in at a little over 5lbs (2.5kg) The marrows needed four people to help lift them onto a table and leeks that were as wide and tall as fence posts. I was in awe at the size and quality of all the vegetables from the celery to tomatoes and felt as though I was doing something wrong in my own veg patch, until I happened to spot a catalogue from a company called Robinson’s, this company specialise in mammoth vegetable seeds (Sunny Bank, Forton, Nr. Preston, Lancashire PR3OBN tel: 00441524 791210) Now I don’t know whether it’s classed as cheating buying these seeds, I’m sure it’s not, there is still a lot of work to do to grow these seeds into prize winners. There’s a wide range of seed available to fill the vegetable patch most of them range in price from £1.75 to 2.50 sterling per packet. For those people that want a head start though you can buy specially grown selected plants for the exhibitor.


There are individually potted onions and leeks for you to buy at £27 sterling for ten plants, they have elephant garlic as well, which costs £10 per head, which will make the chilli con carne pretty expensive to make but there’s sure to be plenty of it!

Horticultural.