Veggie show in Holland.

[ina]

You are all cordially invited to view the veggie show. There was one participant, one judge and many gold awards. The participant was I, the judge was I and all the gold awards went to me. I also received the "best of show" award for most variety in size, shape and color.

Late this afternoon, there was nobody around in the allotments nearby so I decided to make a show for myself and to show off with here. I would have felt a little silly if others saw me arranging todays harvest and taking pictures hahaha.

[ina]

[budgiebreeder]

Gosh ! what a lovely selection Ina well done .

[Jesse]

Ina what a lovely show, you should be very proud.

I hope you don't mind me asking some questions about how you grow your lovely veg. Your soil is obviously very rich and full of nutrients to produce such healthing plants. How or what and when do you add to your soil to maintain it's quality. I have noticed from your photos that your soil looks almost black, it must be of super quality. Also, do you use pesticides or any chemicals to keep your veg nibble free, I don't see any bites or nibbles in any of your veg, or do you manage that level of perfection by being organic and chemical free.

Thanks again for showing your photos, it is lovely to have something like that to aspire to, you have really motivated me to grow even more next year.  :)

[ina]

Hi Jess. No chemicals or pesticides on our lottie (have used organic slug pellets occasionally). Nothing special really. If I can get it I put some manure on it, or dried cow manure pellets. Big compost heap so that goes on it too. Lately it has been very wet in Holland so the soil looks nice and black, in summer it is usually gray. The whole veggie plot gets dug over every winter.

Ofcourse, for the pictures I post here I use the best ones hahaha. Plenty of failures too, slugs and lice get bad at times. Against lice we use a soap/spirit mixture that works well. Five years ago I knew nothing about gardening and look at me now, mostly thanks to other allotmenteers and not least thanks to the people on this board (and before this, the beeb board). Mr. C. and I garden together, he does the flower plot and I do the veggies but we do help each other ofcourse. We go religiously twice a week to the allotment, otherwise we could never keep up with it. Every time we get there we do the "bucket" rounds, pulling/digging bindweed, couchgrass and other weeds (red bucket for the baddies and black one for the goodies) while we check the flowers and veggies out for progress. If we didn't have to work we'd spend a lot more time there tho'.

Thanks for your compliments.

[Mrs Ava]

Ina, I think you deserve a gold medal for best in show!  Those veggies are stunning, and so clean.  I was sitting here looking at the photos wondering out loud how your veggies are so clean and un-nibbled, and then Jesseveve asked what I was thinking!  Great gardening minds huh.  Excellent pics Ina - keep 'em coming!  ;D

[ina]

I washed the root veggies first hahaha.

[tim]

Don't tell me those are orange beet, Ina? No - of course not!!

You'll be inviting friends into supper, then? = Tim

[GardnerJ]

 :) Ina
As always a lovely show of veggie pics! You're a great role model for us all here i think!
We should crown you Queen Ina of Veg! I always look forward to your pictures and comments on this site!
Can't wait to start posting my little bits on here soon
Jemma x  ::)

[ina]

Blush blush  :-*

[simhop]

Love the picture Ina - am very jealous. In your reply you said you used two buckets for pulling weeds - i presume that was for weeds for the compost and others, but how do you know what you can put on the compost, is there a weed website or is it something you have just learnt over the years? I am scared of filling the compost with the wrong weeds and having double trouble next year.

[ina]

Hi Sim, I put everything on the compost except bindweed and couch grass, simple as that. I don't have any other weeds that can spread from minute pieces of roots, that's what you have to watch out for. So it's hard to say what you should be putting on your compost, not knowing what kind of baddies you have to deal with.