years' End Expo

Every year, sort of towards the end of the season, we have a day where folks make some sort of display from things out of their garden. This year there was "extra". By "extra", I mean that there was an eating aspect and an Art Route. A little more about those extras later.

My partner and I try to have something simple, but there are those who put a lot of time and effort into their displays...and achieve some quite nice results. It is easy to see that some of the women (I say "women" because the majority of entries are from women) have artistic abilities. It is common here for people to take all manner of "courses" in their free time, a natural opportunity to show their acquired talents is a show like this.

Right then--to begin with a couple of foto's of our own entry:


The above foto was taken at our lottie where we put it together. We then walked up to the clubhouse and added ours to the display table. We were one of the first members to bring ours in; but soon after, others began streaming in with their proud efforts.

Here is how ours looked between the others:


The overview of our little group of displays:


Three foto's of areas along the tables:






....and then there was this--a cute rag doll made of garden parts. I particularly liked this one. It turned out well, I thought.


The first day of the display went on all day long, and at about 17:00 the displays were eclipsed by what the organisers billed as "an American Pot Luck" eating feast. We all adjourned to the parking lot right outside the doorsd of the clubhouse.

Folks brought food prepared at home and their own drinks. They sat at clothed tables and chatted, ate and drank. It was a delightful time, but if it was true to the American idea, I do not know. I wonder.

If I see the folks at the table, I get the idea that they are enjoying themselves. I can tell you that they were all talking loudly and laughing more and more as the fluid levels in the wine bottles began to drop.


The next day of the Harvest Displays there was an "Art Route" planned out so that folks could walk along the route and see the displays of the participating gardeners. It was the first year for this initiative, and I can report that it wasn't too bad, considering that they are all amateurs.

 

Oh, that is so inspiring, and so lovely! I think our community garden needs to start something like this--perhaps just displays, and then build up to the art walk and potluck lunch.
I particularly liked your display of produce--simple, but lovely and so indicative of what a gardener can do.

 

I always love to see your photos of your Fall Harvest display. Very nice.

The little Rag Doll is very cite but someone should have given her a smile and maybe a few eyes.

 

Very nice little displays Sjoerd,..your produce looks very fresh and without blemish,..nicely tied onions as well,..reminds me of our Harvest Thanksgiving.

 

Those are some beautiful displays. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would have been Sjoerd's. Straight to the point... nice and simple... gorgeous harvest basket!
Looks like everyone had a great time. I wish there was something like that around here.

 

Very nice! I like the one with the frog. It all looks great though. Potlucks are really fun and it looks like everyone was having a good time.

dooley

 

What a lovely thing to do and yes,some have gone a bit overboard but what fun I do like the doll and agree that she could have had a smile and some eyes.

We belong to an allotment growers association(mainly to get discounted seeds ) and there is an Autumn show but I suspect it is a more serious undertaking than your society's.

 

Looks like a wonderful expo! It reminds me of the flower show at our fall fair - which happens to be this weekend

 

Sjoerd, that looks very friendly and fun. Your produce was a nice box, I liked it.
The potluck sounds about right for what we do here. We have a potluck group at church and every group has 4 or 5 families/couples in it, it is scheduled 4 times a year, we get together at someones house and each person is responsible for a portion of the meal, such as the dessert, the veg. the bread, etc. (whatever the host needs) and one person hosts it at their home. each potluck it is a different host and a different group of people. You get to know people you wouldn't normally see or interact with any other way. You get food you would not normally make/bake. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't be invited to a potluck any other way here. We just don't have "community" events that would host this type of "dinner".

 

Thanks TONI--I sure did enjoy the food at the Pot Luck. We took a huge Greek salad and a potato salad.

Thanks so much, MG--I hope that you guys can do something like this. It is fun and very social.

Thanks WARE--I agree that the "doll" could have had facial features...it would have been even cuter.

Thanks so much, PHILIP--What kind of harvest thanksgiving do you folks have there?

Ahhhh...CHERYL--you say the sweetest things. We wanted to do it simple this year, but it is also true that the majority of the harvestable veg was already gone (it was a weird season this year).

Thank you DOOLEY--Yes, that was a cute one, wasn't it.

Glad that you liked the posting, KM--Yes, it is most likely that your show will be much, much more serious. Everyone over this way who knows anything about gardening realizes that the serious and displays and 'contests" take place on your island. We have great respect for the level of interest, participation and available technique and materials which exist there.
Personally I like the concept of growing veg and flowers for show and have actually considered coming over there to earn judging credentials.
Those sorts of shows do not exist in my country as far as I know, so it would be pointless unless I could work there.

Thank you EILEEN--I enjoy the social aspects of gardening and this sort of get-together is really good for for just the reason that you mentioned.
Thanks for agreeing with Cheryl too.

Hey NETTY--could you take some foto's of that fall fair of yours this weekend? I would like seeing how it goes there.

Thanks CAROLYN--It was genuinely pleasureable.

Thank you FRANK--I was happy to see so many folks participating this year. It seems that interest is beginning to build again.

 

What a wonderful way to end the season. Your community is really interesting.

 

DOOLEY--I forgot to mention that your harvesting apron was featured in one of the pics. Have you seen it?

KK--Thanks for your nice words, mate.