Beginner’s Luck was truly mine this weekend. I entered my first horticultural show. And was awarded First Prize for a ‘truss of tomatoes’ . I’d intended to enter all three tomato classes, the other two being ‘cherry tomatoes’ and ‘standard’. But then the Tigerella‘s split and I wasn’t quite sure they counted as standard anyway. So it was down to the Yellow Balconi for the cherry class and Santorage for the truss.
In pre-showing polishing one of the tomatoes fell off – which I hoped wasn’t going to be cause for elimination – but with the understudy looking nowhere near as ‘tangoed’, it still seemed a better choice. A class costs 50p to enter – 1st prize money £2. Pleasure of taking part – priceless ! The Yellow Balconis were unplaced but it was still rewarding to see them sit in pow-wow on a paper plate, whilst being gazed and appraised from behind the yellow rope !
My tomato moment of glory came courtesy of the Chertsey Show, a wonderful 2 days of marquee and show ring activity. Below are winners and show champions, all beautifully presented and turned out and wearing their rosettes with appropriate pride.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well done, Sally. Those Santorange certainly look different to the other competitors’ fruits, and the Yellow Balconis stand out amongst all those reds. I’m surprised so many unripened trusses were entered. Entering something different is a great idea – I imagine many people think tomatoes only come in one colour and shape.
Congratulations!!!
Chertsey was the scene of a very boring payroll training course. Your horticultural show looks a lot more interesting! Nice coo!
J x
Thank you !
They looked great on the plant and so I hoped they would manage to still look good once transferred to a table. To be fair – it stipulated the truss could be ripe or unripe. Which I liked as I think it gave more people a chance to enter. I think some shows require at least 50% of the truss be ripe – but this was a little more forgiving ! There was no ‘colour’ requirement re varieties and I’d seen someone enter ‘ Yellow Banana’ at the RHS autumn show last year – and it did add a touch of something different so I thought I’d follow suit ! ( and I’ve just realised – another tomato ‘borrowing’ its name from another part of the ‘fruit’ bowl !
Thank you !
Do you know on reflection – I’m not sure ( no dispect to payrollers – as it never does to upset payroll !) that there is any other kind of of payroll training other than – boring !! But you are right – if you ever have to do it again – make sure you can schedule so you can do a runner at lunch time and go see the animals ! They were many more beauties – more cuddly cows who also came in chocolate shag pile as well as the caramel ( as pictured), cute pigs, goats being led around on fancy leads…