Accountant figures out how to win

ACCOUNTANT Martin Hedges is not just good with figures — he’s a dab hand with growing vegetables too.

He won 20 of the 25 vegetable classes at the Chiltern Edge Horticultural Society autumn show and took home five cups.

Not only that but both his parents won prizes as well.

The 56th annual show took place at Chiltern Edge School in Reades Lane, Sonning Common, on Saturday and was attended by about 60 people.

It attracted about 160 entries in classes including flowers, vegetables, floral art, domestic cookery, children’s, handicraft and photography.



Mr Hedges, 45, of Spinney Close, Emmer Green, cleaned up in the vegetable classes with his runner beans, onions, marrows, courgettes, cucumbers, carrots and giant cabbages.

He won the Adrian Lindlaw Shield for master gardener for three kinds of vegetables and the Ray Williams Memorial Cup for the most outstanding exhibit in the show for three onions.

He was also awarded the George Shaw Cup for best vase of mix dahlias and the Jim Knight Challenge Cup for most points in flower, fruit and vegetable classes.

He also took home the Old Barn Cup for most points in the vegetable classes in the society’s spring and autumn shows.

Mr Hedges, who grows his produce at home and in his allotment, said: “I’ve supported this show for about 10 years and do a couple of others in the area like Henley and Binfield Heath. I’m very pleased to have won but that’s not what it’s really about — I enjoy just taking part.”

His father Keith won two classes in the floral category for his single bloom giant dahlia and vase of pom pom dahlias and his mother Sue won the certificate of merit for floral art for most points in floral art, winning two of the three classes. Michael Wheeler, the society’s show chairman, said Mr Hedges’s entries were “outstanding as usual”.

He added: “Nobody knows how he gets them to the size he does. He obviously has a few secrets. The cabbages he had grown really stood out because of their size.”

Nigel Crush, who chairs the society, said: “The Hedges family did very well. It is families like that which help keep the event going.”

Lynda Crocker, of Crowsley Way, Sonning Common, won awards for her fuchsia and mixed pot of flowers. She has been entering for several years and said: “I love taking part and would never miss it.”

Sheila Walker, of Kennylands Road, Sonning Common, won the Kenneth and Margaret Crush Memorial Cup for individual flowers with an azalea.

She has been entering for more than 25 years and said: “It’s such a friendly event and it’s great fun. I love winning but of course it doesn’t matter if you don’t — I think I’m usually just lucky!”

Bella Fooks, six, and her two-year-old sister Sylvie, of Inglewood Close, Sonning Common, won the model insect category in their respective age groups.

Sylvie made “caterpillars” from grapes threaded on to cocktail sticks and Bella made “ladybirds” from Mini Babybel cheeses.

Bella said: “I feel great to have won and my mummy’s going to collect the trophy for me later. I like the show because it’s fun.”

The society is looking for new members and encouraging entrants to next year’s spring show, which will be held at the village hall on April 8.

Next Friday, members will visit the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley, near Woking. On October 11 the group will be given a talk by Harvey Stephens, head of the Savill Garden in Englefield Gren, at Peppard war memorial hall from 7.30pm.

For more information, visit www.cehs.co.uk



Full results:

Trophies 

RHS Banksian Medal (most prize money in horticultural classes): Geoff Adams

George Shaw Cup (best vase mixed dahlias): Martin Hedges

Jim Knight Challenge Cup (most points in flower, fruit and vegetable classes):  Martin Hedges

Certificate of Merit for Floral Art (most points in floral art): Sue Hedges

Sullivan Rose Trophy (most points in rose classes): Maureen Stevens

Owen Hammant Cup (best collection of vegetables): Louise Fooks

Len Holloway Memorial Trophy (most points in pot plants): Linda Crocker

Ray Williams Memorial Cup (most outstanding exhibit, flower, fruit or vegetables): Martin Hedges

Adrian Lindlaw Shield (master gardener): Martin Hedges

Kenneth and Margaret Crush Memorial Cup (best individual flower): Sheila Walker

Trophies for spring and autumn shows 

Anne Alderton Trophy (most points flower classes): Bernard Winnington

Old Barn Cup (most points in vegetable classes): Martin Hedges

Chairman’s Cup (most points in floral art): Sue Hedges/Maureen Stevens

Domestic Trophy (most points in domestic classes): Claire Crook

Baskerville Cup (most points in photography): Colin Mather

Devon Cup (most points in children’s classes): Temperance Hunter

Charlie Jarvest Cup (most points, paintings): Jennifer Poska

Dylan Jarvest Cup (most points, handicraft): Jennifer Poska

Sonning Common front gardens competition: 1 Mr A Horne; 2 Mr and Mrs Parker; 3 Mrs M Moola and Miss E Williams

Children under five: Sylvie Fooks

Children aged five to 11: 1 Esme Crook; 2 Joel Crook; 3 Bella Fooks; 4 Temperance Hunter

Flowers

Vase cactus dahlias: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 David Smith; 3 David Poole

Vase decorative dahlias: 1 David Smith; 2 Keith Hedges; 3 Martin Hedges

Vase single bloom giant dahlia: 1 Keith Hedges; 2 David Smith; 3 Martin Hedges

Vase pompom dahlias: 1 Keith Hedges; 2 Martin Hedges; 3 David Smith

Vase ball dahlias: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 David Smith; 3 Keith Hedges

Vase mixed dahlias: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Keith Hedges; 3 David Smith

Specimen HT rose: 1 Maureen Stevens; 2 Bernard Winnington; 3 Nigel Crush

Vase pansies: 1 Linda Crocker

Vase other flowers: 1 Wilma Crush; 2 Maureen Stevens; 3 Claire Crook

Vase mixed annuals: 1 Linda Crocker; 2 Wilma Crush; 3 Val Mundy

Vase mixed perennials: 1 Linda Crocker; 2 Claire Crook; 3 Maureen Stevens

Flowering pot plant: 1 Sheila Walker; 2 Julia Perry 

Fuchsia in pot: 1 Linda Crocker; 2 David Poole 

Indoor foliage plant: 1 Claire Crook; 2 Jennifer Poska; 3 Linda Crocker

Cactus or succulent: 1 David Brewer; 2 Linda Crocker; 3 Jennifer Poska

Patio pot mixed flowers: 1 Linda Crocker 

Homemade compost: 1 Bernard Winnington; 2 David Brewer

Vegetable

Five white potatoes: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Geoff Adams

Five coloured potatoes: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Nigel Crush; 3 Geoff Adams

Three largest potatoes: 1 Geoff Adams; 2 Martin Hedges; 3 Nigel Crush

Two marrows: 1 Martin Hedges 

Heaviest marrow: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Geoff Adams; 3 Mark Richards

Three courgettes: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Geoff Adams

Two cucumbers: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Geoff Adams

Three beetroots: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Nigel Crush

Nine pods of runner beans: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Jennifer Poska; 3 Geoff Adams

Truss runner beans: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Dave Brewer 

Longest runner bean: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Dave Brewer; 3 Jennifer Poska

Four carrots: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Louise Fooks; 3 Jennifer Poska

Three large onions: 1 Martin Hedges

Three small onions: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Louise Fooks; 3 Nigel Crush

Nine shallots: 1 Martin Hedges

Nine pickling shallots: 1 Martin Hedges

Six tomatoes: 1 Louise Fooks; 2 Martin Hedges; 3 Linda Crocker

12 cherry tomatoes: 1 Geoff Adams; 2 Martin Hedges; 3 Louise Fooks

Truss green tomatoes: 1 Nigel Crush; 2 Martin Hedges; 3 Jennifer Poska

Two lettuces: 1 Martin Hedges

Selection of salad vegetables: 1 Martin Hedges

Any other kind of vegetables: 1 Martin Hedges; 2 Mark Richards

Two cabbages: 1 Martin Hedges

Collection of vegetables in a basket/trug – Novice class: 1 Louise Fooks

Master gardener: 1 Martin Hedges 

Fruit

Five dessert apples: 1 Geoff Adams; 2 Nigel Crush; 3 Claire Crook

Five culinary apples: 1 Louise Fooks; 2 Geoff Adams; 3 Claire Crook

Berry fruit: 1 Dave Brewer; 2 Wilma Crush

Floral art

Your favourite Shakespeare play: 1 Sue Hedges

Petite red, white and blue arrangement: 1 Sheila Walker; 2 Maureen Stevens

Autumn harvest: 1 Sue Hedges; 2 Maureen Stevens 

Domestic

Madeira cake: 1 Linda Crocker; 2 Claire Crook

Salted caramel cupcakes: 1 Nigel Crush; 2 Claire Crook 

Cottage Loaf: 1 Nigel Crush; 2 Jennifer Poska 

Stoned fruit jam: 1 Wilma Crush

Gooseberry jam: 1 Bernard Winnington; 2 Jennifer Poska; 3 Claire Crook

Chutney: 1 Claire Crook; 2 Jennifer Poska 

Children’s section — under five

Model insect/garden bug: 1 Sylvie Fooks 

Peppermint creams: 1 Syvlie Fooks

Children’s section —  five  to 11 years

Spring show poster: 1 Temperance Hunter 

Model insect/garden bug: 1 Bella Fooks; 2 Esme Crook; 3 Joel Crook

Peppermint creams: 1 Bella Fooks; 2 Temperance Hunter

Photography

Hanging basket: 1 Moira Poole; 2 Jennifer Poska; 3 Ruth Morris

Reading Bridges: 1 Sheila Walker; 2 Nigel Crush; 3 Colin Mather

Colours of the countryside — summer: 1 Ruth Morris; 2 Wendy Peatey; 3 Moira Poole

Open — colour: 1 David Brewer; 2 Wendy Peatey; 3 Jennifer Poska

Open — black and white:  1 Colin Mather; 2 Ruth Morris; 3 Moira Poole

Handicraft

Small drawing: 1 Barry Gibbons

Small painting: 1 Barry Gibbons; 2 Jennifer Poska; 3 Moira Poole

Article handicraft — any medium: 1 Maureen Stevens; 2 Wendy Peatey; 3 Jennifer Poska

Spring show poster: 1 Colin Mather; 2 Jennifer Poska.