An early showing?

I'm tempted to enter a small local show that is being held in early July as I just cannot wait until the end of August. It opens a whole new box load of logistical issues if you have a look at the schedule. There is one for 3 carrots for instance. Long carrots wouldn't be an option for me but I could show some stump carrots. I have an old dustbin that I could set up for some Sweet Candle but it would mean sowing these early next month at the latest so I would have to set something up in my greenhouse.

A class for 3 potatoes also means I would have to set some tubers in early March and I have a few ideas on how I might achieve this, so more on that in later postings. The onion class is worded '3 onions with tops' so I'm assuming that's an 'as grown' class which is easy enough to sort. The other classes are more interesting, 3 rhubarb for instance. I have shown forced rhubarb at Spring shows but never in summer shows. It's just a case of trying to select long straight stems and cutting back the foliage into a bit of an arrow shape. 5 broad beans should be relatively straight forward although achieving good uniformity is not as easy as you might think. Other classes are for a single lettuce, 3 beetroot and 5 pods of peas. I always seem to grow cracking peas in July and early August but mildew always stops me showing them into September. There is also an any other veg class so I could show marrows, courgettes, tomatoes (if ripe) and cucumbers. With other classes for various flowers and pot plants it all sounds like a nice gentle way to ease into the show season and offer the chance of some early practice.

So there you have it. All I have to do now is explain to my missus how I shall be showing instead of packing suitcases for our holiday but a few days later. She'll do that better without me. I only get in the way!