Entering a local produce show starts with the schedule, not with the seed packet. The schedule is the booklet or sheet that lists every class, the exact number of items each entry must contain, and the rules on staging, so read it before you sow anything you intend to exhibit. Entry conditions are usually simple: you pay a small fee per class, you live in the parish or within the stated radius, and you bring your exhibits to the hall during the stated staging window. If you garden on a small plot west of London, the local produce show entry conditions set out in one allotment notebook are worth reading alongside your own schedule, because the wording of classes varies from show to show.
What are the entry conditions for the local produce show?
Entry conditions are the rules printed at the front of the schedule, and they are almost always about eligibility, timing and quantity rather than about quality. A typical show asks that the exhibitor lives in the village or within a few miles, that entries are made on the form by a stated date, and that a small fee is paid per class. Some shows allow entries on the morning of the show, others do not. The number of items matters: three beans means three, not four, and a dish of five tomatoes means five of one variety unless the class says mixed. Novice classes exist at many shows and are open to anyone who has not won a first prize in that section before, which is a useful place to start. Read the definitions of terms such as collection, dish and vase, because they are not decorative words. If a class says grown by the exhibitor, you cannot buy the carrots on the way in. Keep the schedule with your seed tin so the rules are in front of you when you plan the plot.
How does the bench work in the hall at the local produce show?
The bench is the long trestle table, or row of tables, on which every class is staged in the hall. Each class has its own numbered space, marked with a card, and you place your entry on that space and nowhere else. Stewards check the entries against the schedule, then the judge walks the bench class by class. Judging usually happens in a closed hall, so exhibitors leave before the judge begins and return when the doors open to the public. Points are given for condition, uniformity, size for the variety, and presentation, and the judge may also look for freshness and freedom from blemish. Cards are placed beside the winning entries, first, second and third, and sometimes a card for highly commended. Nothing on the bench carries your name during judging, only your exhibitor number, which is why the entry form and the number card must match. After judging, the hall opens and the bench becomes the show itself, so stage your entry as if it will be seen from a walking distance, not from your kitchen table.
| Class type | Number staged | Usual staging |
|---|---|---|
| Beans, runner or French | 6 pods | On a plain plate, tails trimmed |
| Tomatoes | 5 fruits | On a plate, calyx left on |
| Onions | 3 bulbs | Dressed, tied at the neck |
| Sweet peas | 6 stems | In a vase, one variety |
| Potatoes | 5 tubers | Washed, on a plate |
How should I cut and prepare flowers for the local produce show?
Cut flowers in the early morning or late evening, when the plant is full of water and the air is cool. Take a clean bucket of water to the plot and stand the stems in it within a minute or two of cutting, because the cut end seals quickly in warm air. Cut on a slant with a sharp knife or snips, remove the lower leaves that would sit under water, and never strip the stem with your thumbnail. Choose stems that are just opening, not fully blown, since a bloom that is already wide will be past its best by the time the judge reaches the bench. For sweet peas, cut with a long stem and a pair of leaves, and stage six of one variety rather than a mixed bunch unless the class asks for mixed. For dahlias, cut when the centre is still tight, and for roses, cut in the cool of the day and remove the guard petals only if they are damaged. Carry the bucket, not a bundle, to the hall, and top up the water before you leave the house.
Staging flowers on the table
Staging is the last ten minutes of work and it decides more placings than most exhibitors expect. Wipe the outside of the vase so no water marks show, and check that the vase is the size the class allows, because some classes state a maximum height. Arrange the stems so the flowers face the judge and the public, with the tallest at the back and the shortest at the front, and turn the vase a quarter turn to check it from all sides. Remove any damaged petal, any leaf with a spot, and any stem that droops below the rim. If the class asks for a single bloom, choose the one with the cleanest colour and the firmest stem, and stage it in a vase that holds it upright without wire. Label nothing unless the schedule asks for a label, and keep your exhibitor card with the entry. When the hall opens, resist the urge to touch the arrangement; the judge has already seen it, and the public is looking at the whole bench.
Frequent mistakes to avoid
- Entering more items than the class allows, or mixing varieties in a class that asks for one.
- Cutting flowers at midday and carrying them dry to the hall, so the stems arrive limp.
- Leaving the entry form until the morning of the show, when the closing date has passed.
- Touching or rearranging an entry after judging, which can disqualify it.
A show is a small, local test of the same skills you use every week on the plot: reading a schedule, growing to a standard, and presenting what you have grown. The bench does not ask for perfection, only for care, and the schedule tells you exactly where that care should go.