Brockweir, Hewelsfield and St Briavels Garden Society held their annual flower and produce show at the Mackenzie Hall.

The show is open to all living in the villages, and free to enterit’s aim is to encourage everyone, especially children and novices, to feel they can participate, whatever their skill level, and was much enjoyed by all.

The judges were Tom Edwards for produce and flowers and Norma Helliar for the domestic section.

They complimented the wide range of entries in what has been a challenging growing season.

One of the highlights of the show this year was the Growing Beans Project’ display organised by Susan Young of St Briavels.

Sue is a bean growing expert and member of the Slow Food Foundation.

She organised a collaboration between local families, St Briavels primary school, Llandogo Little Learners together with Claudia Friedrich, a Swedish chef and a kindergarten in Stockholm. The bean project members connected via a whatsapp group, comparing growing notes and expertise, and engaged in joint cooking projects over the internet.

Rachel Davies from Llandogo Little Learners recorded the children’s journey growing a rare climbing Welsh bean, called District Nurse, in a beautiful illustrated book.

District Nurse, a variety of heritage Borlotti bean was grown in the Welsh valleys, has colourful purple pods, and is suited to a wet, cool climate. All the children followed the growing process from seed sowing to harvest, encountering the usual gardening disappointments, including seedlings being eaten by slugs and deer, and the need for constant attention, staking and watering.

Twins Josh and Ben Gillingham were at the show to talk to visitors about ‘Gerald the Bean', and explain their involvement in the project.

The Wyedean School students had increased their knowledge of gardening over the the course of the Bean Project .