25-inch vegetable is marrow victory for green-fingered Hackney grandfather David

An elderly gardener is the very proud new owner of a 25-inch marrow, and he wants everyone to know about it.

David Joseph, 80, has been growing vegetables for years in his garden in Poulton Close, Hackney, but had a surprise this summer when he went out to check on his patch.

“I noticed this marrow at the beginning of July,” a gleeful David told the Gazette.

“It just kept growing. My daughter told me to leave it and see what happens so I did – and it just grew beautifully.”

The former medical manager said he’s not sure it’s the biggest marrow he’s ever grown, but then he has been growing them for more than 25 years.

And though he’s not sure what he’ll be making with it, he knows he’ll be dining out on it for a while. I couldn’t eat it all myself!” he said.

“I’ll eat it with my daughter and grandchildren and their relatives – I’ll be dishing it out.”

David, who has lived alone since his wife died, tends to his patch every day before cooking up a meal with his fresh produce.

“I love growing vegetables in the garden,” he said. “I grow lots of different things; tomatoes, cabbages, beetroot, carrots, spinach. My garden is completely organic and I make my own compost.

“Sometimes it’s far too wet to grow anything at all but this year has been good.

“Funnily enough I’ve grown many marrows – last year I hardly had any. My tomatoes and beans have been quite beautiful this year.”

He does now find it harder to get down on his hands and knees to tend to his vegetables, but David is not planning on stopping any time soon.

“I can’t go around getting manure anymore,” he added. “But I can still grow them. It’s getting harder but I still can.

“I’ve had both hips replaced, have asthma and high blood pressure but I’m still doing it.

“Years ago my neighbours used to grow vegetables too, but some died and I’m the only one still keeping it up.”