Southport Flower Show UK

[newton]

Some more prize winning displays of locally grown vegetables, there is a company local to me that supplies the seeds for the oversized vegetables.

I can supply a link to website if any readers are interested. The prices are more expensive than the average but they are specially selected varieties, they would be good for a share between friends. It is the pleasure in growing something different from what is available in the market in Pakistan that counts.

Note the purple and green cauliflower, black and maroon potatoes that retain a deep colour throughout the flesh when cooked, golden yellow tomatoes, yellow courgettes (kyo thouri), they look beautiful when presented in a salad... Aloo Gobi with a difference.

[newton]

Some more floral displays from the show,, the Orchids were amazing

[newton]

The prize winning exhibit of the North Of England Cottage Garden Society and their subsequent visit to our house for Tea and a visit to the local allotments. This is where in the UK local people without gardens can rent a small plot from the town council in order to grow fruit flowers and vegetables. It is a practice continued from the second world war when food was rationed and in short supply. As a consequence towns people were encouraged to farm small plots and become self sufficient within cities.

[M Farooq]

Very nice display. I wish such activties were organized in Pakistan too ... I am sure we will have a comparable display of floral beauty!

[newton]

The reason for me including the photographs within the forum and information is to show what exhibitions and displays relating to gardening are available around the world and how they are presented. I will be adding some additional photographs in due course.

regards
Ifzal

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

wah wah ifzal sb dil khush ho gaya.very beautiful display of flowers and vegetables.

[Asim_Nawaz]

Great vegetables really deserve first prize

[Farhan Ahmed]

Are these veggies as tasty as they look ?.....

[M Farooq]

Are these veggies as tasty as they look :-)?.....

Good point!

In my humble opinion, the taste of Pakistan's fruits and vegetable is incomparable...no matter how attractive they look :-)

[newton]

Yes they are, I can guarantee that

When the displays are taken down they sell or give them away cheap... I tried the green and purple cauliflower and upon cooking found them to be a more creamy taste, the golden tomatoes were very sweet, the black tomatoes were full of a more concentrated flavour but the black/blue potatoes were not as nice but they looked good on the plate.

It is nice to grow different varieties of vegetables than those that are commonly available in the market place somehow it seems to make the effort more worthwhile without putting a price on them.

Very often I find the older heirloom varieties are more full of flavour than the newer hybridized ones which always look and keep better but at the expense of taste.

In respect of Pakistani fruit and vegetables yes you are right the older varieties of wheat that were grown as three types, one that survived rust, one that survived drought, one that survived locust attack and one that survived wet weather,,, that way a harvest was kind of guaranteed and that gave the flour a unique more substantial taste. even in Pakistan nowadays many many commercial crops are hybridised varieties from around the world. but this is a separate topic in its own right.

Small scale farmers and hobby gardeners are important at keeping the now rare and hard to get varieties alive. looking through one of the seed catalogues I found more that 11 different varieties of spinach, 24 of tomato and chillies.

Yes Farooq sahib you are right they will taste much better when grown in Pakistan however the health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible and the way that many farmers depend on chemical fertilisers and pesticides im afraid the "desi" taste in the marketplace is mostly unavailable. It is such a shame that people have forgotten the successful methods of growing that originated from the centuries old techniques of our forefathers.

Ifzal