Allotment Judging!

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Guys!

We have our allotment judging at this time of year, so it can be a bit stressfull trying to get the plots looking really good, after 2 weeks of holiday we now have the plots looking great, but I wondered, when is your judging, and what things do you do to try and ensure you get a decent rating?

We actually followed the judges onto the site this morning, and watched whilst they were doing their thing, they took pictures of 6 of the 26 plots, including of ours, so it looks like for the first time ever, we may get at least a commended certificate!

I know we dont have our plots in order to try and impress some buerocrat, we have them for the fresh fruit and veg, with known providence, fab taste and a reduction in food miles, but I just wondered do you bother with doing anything special for the judging?

Lastly, for your edification and viewing pleasure, a few pictures from the plots this morning, I hope you like them!

[emilymup]

your plot looks lovely!

[Two_Sheds]

Very neat & beautiful Mrs D.

I wouldn't even enter, as my plot is a mish-mash of this-and-that, plonk-it-there and Make-Do

[Jeanied]

Our judges come round twice - and they have already 'done' our site for this year- their second visit was a fortnight after the first and I wondered what they thought they were going to find that was different. A month I could understand but a fortnight????
Anyhoo, as with last year, I was in the middle of things and did not realise they were coming so I didn't prepare. I had some of my timber edge beds just started and quite a lot of the plot bare. But I don't grow for them, anyway. The standards of our plots is going up and up as more of us get competetive with each other. I know my plot gets visited by other plotholders because they tell me they have been looking!
Last year all the rasps had finished and had just been dug out because I thought they had virus, so there was a great big scruffy patch where they had been. So although I am very proud of my plot I think I would never stand a chance when it comes to the judges!

[Mrs Dobby]

your plot looks lovely!

Thankyou very much..... the house on the other hand looks like a bombsite as we've been doing nothing but the plot for the last few days, mind you, tis a greeat way to spend your holidays!

Very neat & beautiful Mrs D.

I wouldn't even enter, as my plot is a mish-mash of this-and-that, plonk-it-there and Make-Do

Thanks TS, its appreciated! Persoanlly I think more marks should be given for recycling, make do and mend and generally bodging things on plots, as long as they lpot is weed free with healthy crops, thats what should matter the most!

Our judges come round twice - and they have already 'done' our site for this year- their second visit was a fortnight after the first and I wondered what they thought they were going to find that was different. A month I could understand but a fortnight????

Possibly they are looking to see whether the plots are actually maintained to that standard all the time, or whether a blitz was performed just for the judging? Good to hear that the standards throughout your site are improving tho, we're finding the same on a few of the newer plotholder, but some of the older boys, well, they vertainly dont worry about what anyone thinks of their plots! Lol!

[Alison]

The standards of our plots is going up and up as more of us get competetive with each other.

That statement made me really sad, I'd like to hope that plots are improving as people want to produce more and are intersted in growing not to be better than the one next door

but some of the older boys, well, they vertainly dont worry about what anyone thinks of their plots! Lol!

I don't worry about what anybody else thinks about my plot either, am pretty sure some people think I have strange ideas but I'm getting more fruit and veg already than we can eat so it looks like I'll have a good storage for winter

By the way, your plot looks lovely and from what you've said suits your needs right down to the ground.

[Nicos]

Suzanne-you've both done a superb job!!!

Fingers crossed you do get a certificate- it certainly deserves one!
..let us know how you get on gal!

[PAULW]

I'm with Alison on this, there are some plots on our site that look like something from Chelsea with pergola's and reed fencing slabs and gravel, but these people dont grow enough to make a decent meal and by August the plot is empty, I thought the idea was to grow a years supply of veg although some years are better than others, personally I like the jungley effect and do not have nightmares if there is an odd weed or a hundred about.

[Flummery]

That looks wonderful Mrs D.
We only have a small site so no competition but there's a village gardens competition. I don't enter this. Mine is a working garden with a hen run, wild flower patch and veg as well as pretty bits so it doesn't really fit any judging criteria. The competition is also at the same time as our village Britain in Bloom judging so many of the really keen gardeners are busy with village flower beds and tubs, leaving their own looking a bit of a pit!

Lovely to see yours though. Good luck.

[Mrs Dobby]

[aul and Alison, actually, I agree with you both, as long as you get a decent harvest from the plot, and enjoy yourself doing it, then it shouldnt matter at all what others think, and thats not the reason we've worked hard to get it to an acceptable level for the judging.

Our reasons for wanting to get some sort of certificate are for ourselves, to see whether we can maintain the plot at a high enough standard, to be able to do it in our own way (we havent spent much money on the plot at all, and certainly nothing to make it more acceptable to the judges), and certainly not to make it look like some sort of chelsea show garden, though there are some plots on our site that are along those lines!

Alison, I wasnt having a dig at the older boys their plots may not be neat and tidy, or totally weed free, but they grow some great fruit and veg, enjoy themselves doing so and are always good for a chat, I'd not want them to change in any way whatsoever personally!

Thanks all for the replies, and comments!

[Mrs Dobby]

PS, here's the before piccies, from when we first got each of the plots!

To further understand why we are soo proud of our plots, I thought I'd share the piccies of what they were like when we first got them, the full story is told on our blog and in the Grapevine archives at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ment_2681.html

Plot 2 - our first plot, in Ocrober 2006




Plot 1 - our second full plot, May 2008




Come on a bit, hasnt it!

[Flummery]

Blimey, it certainly has. Weill done you two!

[RobintheBobin]

Judging!?!? Does that happen on all sites? Gulp

I'm constantly thinking that my site looks like a hodge podge of things, it certainly isn't pretty but most things apart from my tatties have been very abundant so far and I suppose that is what matters

[di]

Wow!Looks great Suzanne!
Good Luck to you both.xxx

[SarzWix]

We aren't told when the judging for ours is, we just get told who won at the AGM. It's more of an ongoing thing - who has kept their plot in good nick all year and who has made best use of the space. Last AGM it went to a chap who'd only had the plot a year, but he'd done a decent job of clearing it and grown loads although it wasn't 'spotless'. There was another chap who done a great clearing job, and had the plot totally redesigned etc., but, because he'd grown practically nothing he missed out.

I'd never win it because it's very rare that mine doesn't have piles of pots lying around, the strimming a week overdue or rather too much horsetail popping up in the beds...


Well done on yours though Mrs D., it's all looking marvellous! I'd give yours a prize over a 'show garden' type any day!