GARDENERS and growers from across the region flocked to Mold for the very best choice of seed potatoes.

More than 80 different varieties, each with a photograph and key facts label, were on display at the Daniel Owen Centre on Saturday.

The event, entitled Mold Potato Day, saw experts on hand to talk to customers about their individual needs.

Potatoes were sold in small 1kg nets, giving people the opportunity to try different varieties, including organic.

As well as seed potatoes there was an excellent selection of garlic, onion sets, vegetable seeds, fruit bushes and trees, and flower corms and tubers.

The event was organised by local community growing group FlintShare, which is a volunteer run social enterprise producing organically grown food with and for its members on three community growing sites in Hawarden, Cilcain and Northop.

With the boom in grow-your-own vegetables, Mold Potato Day attracts a growing number of gardeners year on year.

Matthew Smith from Brighter Blooms Nursery, who sells the seed potatoes, said he was very pleased with how the day had gone. He said: “The unusually dry weather conditions last year were not ideal for growing potatoes, but on the up side carrots thrived. "As well as the seed potatoes, vegetable seeds have also flown off the shelf and sales of them have done very well."

Stuart McColl, who came to the event with his family, explained: “We grow vegetables in our garden and like coming to the Potato Day.

"There is nothing else on this scale in the area with such a good variety of plants and seeds to chose from.

"Our children help grow the produce and they enjoy eating the vegetables as well.

"Last year we had a good crop of carrots and we’re going to try some more varieties this year.”

By staggering out the planting of seed potatoes, it is possible to prolong the harvest period from May, all the way to November. Potatoes are planted in March/April after the risk of frost has passed and early varieties are ready nine to 12 weeks from planting, whilst main crops take 14 weeks or more to mature.

Traditionally potatoes are grown in trenches, but they are quite versatile and can be grown in black bins or tough woven polythene planters measuring around 45cm high x 35cm wide.

Potatoes are easy and rewarding to grow, but because they are propagated vegetatively any disease from the previous year will be carried over, which is why it is so important to grow disease-free seed potatoes (grown in sterile soil), rather than supermarket potatoes.

Fruit trees also attracted attention from visitors to Mold Potato Day and Jane Edwards from Horticulture Wales was on hand to promote their scheme for planting Welsh heritage orchard fruit trees.

Not only do these trees produce wonderful fruit they also fit in well with our landscape and are of particular value to insects and birds.

Anyone interested in finding out more about producing good food, as well as using sustainable methods and as part of a friendly community can get in touch with FlintShare through the web site: www.flintshare.org