Blue Ribbon Garden Boxes: Outside the Box

The Open class blue ribbon was posted on Wednesday's post. These garden box entries are from the Junior class.

I didn't have the opportunity to take in the judging on these. How does a judge decide? In some cases it was more obvious, nicer tomatoes, potatoes more the same size. Sometimes, I think, it was the selection. Maybe the judge is just not a fan of the whole squash/cucumber/zucchini group.

I guess if I was judging I would like to see potatoes, a zucchini, and tomatoes in the box, but after that I'd go for color. It seems the judge here did not like the boxes with peppers. With the heat this summer, anyone can grow peppers must be the judge's thinking.

I wanted to enter this, but just ran out of time. My box would have probably rattled the judges. I would have included blue potatoes (they really are a very purple blue, not the least bit red and stay that way when you cook them!), 'Red Norland' potatoes (the color with the blue is exquisite, but probably would have lost me points with the judges for having two potato types), 'Amana Orange' heirloom tomatoes (these would have lost me points too, because they have large blossom scars, big shoulders and are not very uniform in size when ripe, but ORANGE!), and edamame (edible soybean, the plant displayed with the root like they do at green markets in Asian ethnic markets, which I'm sure would startle the judges). For the last two slots, I would have a hard time deciding between red sheepnose pimento peppers, cape gooseberries, a purple cabbage, yellow crookneck summer squash, or some pickling cucumbers.

I probably would not have won, but it sure would have been colorful!

Next year!