Gardeners and growers in the Cotswolds are gearing up for the annual battle of the beetroot, buns and begonias at this year’s Moreton Show on Saturday, September 1st.
The Moreton Show Home & Garden schedule is out and lists a host of vegetable, floral, craft and baking classes to inspire the green-fingered and fans of knitting, sewing and baking.
Show secretary, Sarah Taylor said: ‘There’s a new Renaissance in veg growing and baking and our Home & Garden section is expecting more entries than ever before.
‘There’s something for everyone and while the standard is always high, it is extremely easy to enter and great fun for newcomers. They can always challenge the experts.’
This year’s Home & Garden classes include floral art, where flower arrangers are being asked to produce displays based on titles including ‘Country Walking’, ‘The Cotswold Way’ and ‘Fancy Steps’.
Judges will also be sampling home-made wines and drinks. Classes include wine made from roots and a fruity spirit.
Bakers are being invited to mix up lemon drizzle cake, farmhouse fruit cake and chocolate brownies. There are also classes for jams, pickles and preserves.
Handicraft and Art classes are looking for skilful photographers, knitters and crafts people who can make wedding invitations.
As always, the vegetable classes are popular at Moreton Show, with some of the best growers showing their giant onions, tomatoes, pumpkins and other roots and fruits.
Sarah Taylor said: ‘We’re especially keen to see entries from the next generation of gardeners and cooks too. This year, we have some great children’s classes which are fun and easy to enter.’
For the under-fives, a painting of bonfire night is the competition for 2018. In the classes for eight-year-olds and under, judges are looking for a card for Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday and a tea light holder for Divali. While the nine-year-olds and over will have to craft a lantern for Chinese New Year and a miniature garden in a black seed tray. For all children under 16, there’s also the ever-popular potato in a pot competition.
Families can enter too. Adults and children can compete in the Family Class for the Sybil Limbrick Cup. Their display will be mounted on a three foot table, which is supplied by the show, and must include one of the following; fruit, cake, bread, biscuits, a piece of stitch work and a child’s (U16) painting or writing.
‘It’s a great way for the whole family to work together,’ added Sarah Taylor. ‘It’s always fun to see the family teamwork that goes into staging their display.’
