Wild VMIGC Contest Kickoff Bacchanal At History Museum

The Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club, notorious for its no-holds-barred celebratory blasts, is planning yet another unruly bash to celebrate the Club’s 60th Anniversary and concordant exhibit at the History Museum.

With Vashon’s cultural drift towards a more open and universally accepting sociological/cultural perspective, the Club, which used to hide it’s meetings and other activities behind secrecy and a policy of exclusivity, now opens all such events, as well as most of their meetings, to the public, which are invited, though cautioned, to attend.

The event will be held at the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association Museum located at 10105 Bank Road SW here on Vashon on Saturday, October 6th at 1:00 PM.

The jewel of the kickoff celebration will be a free-for-all "1st Annual Tallest Weed and Biggest Zucchini Contest" (yes, well, it IS a garden club, after all...) and there will be prizes of varying value for the winners and the runners-up, as well as door prizes at the Museum for those who tour the Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club exhibit to learn of the Club’s erstwhile clandestine activities for the past 60 years.

While one might think it difficult to locate a suitable authority to judge such contests (because they don’t grow on trees, ya know...sorry), as it turns out, the Island is home to an international expert on such things. Before being whisked away to the relative and distant safety of Spain (no doubt to put him beyond the reach of the notorious Arugula Mafia which might seek to "fix" the outcome of the contest), The Loop spoke with legendary Island gardener Al Watts who, as it happens, has many decades judging/participating in such events. Al has been judging the tallest weed contest for the Lions Club in West Seattle for many years, not to mention the fact that he wins the tallest corn and heaviest mangelwurzel contests himself at the Puyallup Fair nearly every year, this year included. (Note: his corn this year was 16’1", his record corn was 23’4", and his mangelwurzel was 27 pounds; oh, the humanity).

Some general points for contest participants and would-be vegetable champions:

1. Zucchinis and weeds are judged by weight and height, respectively and exclusively.

2. Blackberry plants are disqualified from participation.

3. What qualifies as a weed? Quoting Al, "I’m going to be pretty open on this thing"; Joe Pye weed (genus Eutrochium in Asteraceae) is a popular contestant; "I’ll be using my own discretion"; "Generally it’s one that we don’t like and it’s not one that’s used for commercial purposes"; "I think we all know what a weed is, pretty much".

4. The highest weed Al has judged was about 7 feet tall, maybe a little higher.

5. The secret to big zucchinis and tall weeds? Lots of chicken manure. You heard it here. (Although there ARE some real secrets to growing big zucchinis; genuine zucchini obsessives, enthusiasts and aficionados will know what they are, wink-wink, nod-nod, know what I mean...ooooOOOOoooo).

Yes, the Island is certainly fortunate to have a local authority on plant tall-ness close at hand.

As far as The Loop could determine, there are no entry fees or registration required; contestant hopefuls need only "show up" at the appointed place, date and time with their prospective vegetable matter in tow and make themselves known to officials on hand. Contestants should be aware that there WILL be guards on hand to maintain order.

Those wishing to know more about the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association may reach them by phone at 206-463-7808 or visit their website at www.vashonhistory.org.