Alconbury firm reaps gold at Hampton Court

A TASTY grow-your-own display of fruit and veg has won a gold medal for Alconbury Hill seed specialists Marshalls at the Hampton Court Flower Show.

A TASTY grow-your-own display of fruit and veg has won a gold medal for Alconbury Hill seed specialists Marshalls at the Hampton Court Flower Show.

The display included a high-rise wall of strawberries, herbs and salad to demonstrate the possibilities of vertical gardening in even the most confined spaces.

It’s the third year the firm has exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court show, having won bronze in 2008 and silver gilt in 2009. Marshalls managing director Martin Harvey said the firm was happy to have gone one better this year.

“We really tried our best to put a show stopping display on this year and it has certainly paid off.

“Seeing the award on our stand is a bit like Christmas Day – we are delighted.

“Getting the fruits to ripen in time and ensuring optimum condition of so many different plants can be rather tricky and we are grateful to our growers for all their wonderful support.”

Two of the vegetables in the garden – the tender stem Brokali and the runner bean/French-bean cross Moonlight – have been featured on the television show Gardeners’ World.

The chairman of the judging panel, Colin Spires, said: “This gold was a unanimous decision by the judges and is fully deserved. The team has clearly made great efforts to grow some great varieties and have executed their presentation well. It is their attention to detail that is so important.”

Marshalls is part of the Westland Group, which also owns the Unwins brand, and is based at Alconbury Hill.