It was a dream come true at the weekend for Slaithwaite’s Paul Bastow when he won first prize at one of the country’s top gardening shows.
The 55-year-old security consultant’s winning cabbage at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is so large that he has difficulty fitting it in the back of his car boot.
Paul has been growing veg from the age of 10 mainly for the table until seven years ago when his name finally reached the top of the list for a weed-infested council allotment.
Since then he has never looked back and has now won the giant vegetable competition at the show which regularly attracts growers from all over the country competing for the title of ‘heaviest and longest.’
Paul told how he took on the overgrown allotment and said: “I set about clearing it and building raised beds and a polytunnel. Then towards the end of August in my first year of growing a neighbour handed me a schedule and entry form to our local show run by Slaithwaite and District Horticultural and Allotments Society.
“He had a walk round the garden and gave me some pointers on what to put in the show and how to go about it.
“Come show day I won several prize cards and was hooked.
“I like a challenge and thought if I tried a bit harder I could win a trophy.
“The next year I achieved this and I then thought I may be able to win in bigger shows which I also achieved.
“Over the last three years I have become interested in giant veg and came second last year at Harrogate with a giant cabbage.
“I thought that with a little bit more effort I could win and this year it paid off with my first win in a major show with giant veg. Success is down to luck, having the correct seeds and TLC.
“I won £50 for coming first. There were eight entries and the closest one to mine was 2.5 kg lighter. When I came second last year I lost by about 2kg.
“I am setting my sights on a Guinness world record which is a huge challenge but you have to be in it to win it.”
