GARDENERS from all over Scotland saw the results of months of care and devotion to their vegetables come to fruition yesterday.

They put their giant vegetables on display at Cardwell Garden Centre, near Gourock, who were hosting the annual Strathclyde Leek and Onion Society Show.

There were almost 140 entries to 25 categories in the prestigious event for the green-fingered veg growers.

Visitors to the garden centre marvelled at the displays of enormous onions and colossal carrots among other vegetables, like potatoes, cauliflowers and beetroot. Some of the leeks on show up to three feet high and prize money ranged from £10 to £45 in some categories.

Society chairman, Arthur Provan, from Lesmahagow, in Lanarkshire said: “We’ve got people from the north, south east and west of Scotland coming here to compete and showing their vegetables.

“And everyone puts a lot of time and effort into growing and displaying their vegetables.”

The show’s overall winner was judged to be 72-year-old Alistair Gray, from Brechin for his display of six perfectly-formed onions he had been growing since December last year.

Alistair said: “I grow my onions from pips cultivated from the previous year’s crop and a lot of care and attention goes into them.

“Growing onions like these doesn’t just happen on its own and I check on them every day from when they are in small pots to when they are growing in the ground outdoors.

“You’ve got to make sure they’ve got just the right amount of water for the stage of their development and if they’re not growing absolutely straight, you’ve got to gently straighten them up.”

Cardwell’s retail general manager, Paul Carmichael said: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that these guys certainly know their onions - and every other vegetable you can think of.

“It’s incredible how big they can get their veg to grow and the crowds who come along never fail to be amazed.”