Shelley, a new member of our show organisers team, has put together a selection of excellent and very useful show tips for just some of the classes this year. The words are hers and the photos are individually credited. Thanks Shelley!!!!!
Have you started planning your show entries this year? There are some new classes this year as well as some regulars. If you haven’t done so already, do check out all the classes and prizes on our website. We’re going to take a look at some of the classes over the next few weeks to give you some inspiration, hints and tips for those prize-winning entries!
Here’s a great example of ‘Class 21 – a small decorative basket of mixed vegetables and fruit’. There aren’t many rules here apart from the obvious – a selection of different fruit and vegetables! Your basket should be no larger than 30cm and your arrangement should be tempting for the belly as well as the eye. Wondering what that long green vegetable is? It’s a fabulous example of a tromboncino which is a type of squash similar in taste to courgettes, but with a much sweeter flavour. Image by Shelley
Us plant lovers are treated to millions of images of flowers, vegetables and fruits from all sorts of sources – from magazines to art works to seed packets and books. For ‘Class 57’ in the handicraft section you are asked to create ‘a collage with a gardening theme’. A collage is a piece of art made by selecting and sticking various different materials such as photographs, text and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing to create a new piece of art. This image shows the beginnings of a collage where images and text have been selected and it’s now time for the fun part – the arranging and the sticking! We recommend an A4 sized piece of card as the perfect backing for your collage.
Get your creative juices flowing – scour those gardening magazines and find out those seed packets and postcards you’ve kept for ages and nab yourself a gardening-themed entry into Class 57! Image by Shelley
It’s not only your outdoor plants that get to shine in the Rye Flower & Veg Show. ‘Class 38’ gives you a chance to show off your most favoured houseplant. The only rule is that you must have owned and cared for it for a minimum of 12 weeks prior to the show (19th August). Apparently, the UK’s most popular houseplant is the Bamboo Plant closely followed by the Aloe Vera, but we’ll be happy to see your favourite houseplant whatever the variety! Image by rawpixel.com
‘Class 55’ in the Rye Flower & Veg Show is a crafty one – ‘Something made of Wool’. Whether it’s knitting, crochet or felting we’d love to see your woollen creations. If you’ve not got anything that would fit into this class yet, don’t worry – you’ve still got time to knock up a fancy tea cosy or a colourful scarf before the big day!
Image by rawpixel.com
These beautiful apples would do well in ‘Class 22 – a dish of hard fruit’. Alternatively, you could enter pears into this class. You’d need to select five apples or three pears. They need to be similar in size, blemish free with their stalks intact. Also, whilst it’s tempting to give them a good shine it’s advised to keep them as natural as possible, so no over polishing! Image by Shelley
Ooh, the smell of Spiced Plum Chutney bubbling away on the stove – delicious! ‘Class 48 – A Jar of Chutney’ is a popular class with many varieties submitted into the show each year. Our wonderful judges have the lucky task of tasting them all! Your chutney should be presented in a plain glass jar and clearly labelled. Image by Shelley