Think the most I've paid was about a fiver for 10 giant onion seeds, wanted to grow some big beauties to impress certain family members. The five I planted last year didn't germinate, so I tried again this year with the last five, and guess what.... no germination as yet. Feeling a bit stupid now.
My local WI even gets in on the competitive bit - every member who wants to, is given 1 potato and then goes away to grow it. At harvest, the woman who grows the highest yield wins a prize. Not quite in the ball park of giant pumpkins….but some clubs are very competitive!
It really isn't much different to Olympians training in their respective sport on a daily basis to become the best, sacrificing a social life, eating outrageous diets and training their bodies to the point of exhaustion. Each to his own. But it certainly keeps a lot of people out of mischief which cannot be bad. I am happy just getting a few seeds to germinate and then eating the veg. which ultimately grows on the plants. I am easily made happy obviously. The prize for growing the biggest is rarely financially worth it. The prize is usually a silver plated "pot" on which the winner has their name inscribed, the money can in some cases be quite substantial but would never cover the cost of the special seed, feed, heating etc. As an ex Show Sec. to a small Horticultural group I had reported to me on one occasion, an exhibitor had been seen buying a couple of bunches of garden pinks from a local market stall to boost his own home grown somewhat sparse bunch of pinks. There was nothing I could do about it because I had not seen it happen myself. Prize, a red card and £1.00. What satisfaction could he have had, knowing he had cheated. Another member used to buy prize winning exhibits from the auction at the end of our show, take them home and exhibit them under his own name in other shows. Rather sad really.
Showing is showing - regardless of the 'item'. Clue's in the title. It's a separate process/endeavour from the real world that most of us inhabit the majority of the time
I spent enough years involved in it, and saw enough of the ins and outs and the hideous behaviour to last a lifetime. It can take over people's lives, and not always in a healthy way. In some ways it relates to sport, but sport is a great leveller, and a wonderful way of bringing people together, like music. I don't see showing as being like that at all - in fact, it's often the opposite.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Each to his own. But it certainly keeps a lot of people out of mischief which cannot be bad.
I am happy just getting a few seeds to germinate and then eating the veg. which ultimately grows on the plants. I am easily made happy obviously.
The prize for growing the biggest is rarely financially worth it. The prize is usually a silver plated "pot" on which the winner has their name inscribed, the money can in some cases be quite substantial but would never cover the cost of the special seed, feed, heating etc.
As an ex Show Sec. to a small Horticultural group I had reported to me on one occasion, an exhibitor had been seen buying a couple of bunches of garden pinks from a local market stall to boost his own home grown somewhat sparse bunch of pinks. There was nothing I could do about it because I had not seen it happen myself. Prize, a red card and £1.00. What satisfaction could he have had, knowing he had cheated. Another member used to buy prize winning exhibits from the auction at the end of our show, take them home and exhibit them under his own name in other shows.
Rather sad really.
It's a separate process/endeavour from the real world that most of us inhabit the majority of the time
I spent enough years involved in it, and saw enough of the ins and outs and the hideous behaviour to last a lifetime. It can take over people's lives, and not always in a healthy way.
In some ways it relates to sport, but sport is a great leveller, and a wonderful way of bringing people together, like music. I don't see showing as being like that at all - in fact, it's often the opposite.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...