BROADBEANS, leeks, mushrooms and kiwi fruit aren’t immediately synonymous with the festive season, but one bunch of green-fingered artists from Duffryn Community Allotments has used them to win a national Christmas card competition.

The volunteers sculpted a winter wonderland using the fruit and veg, with button mushrooms becoming a snowman and runner beans a Christmas tree, and photographed it for the national competition to design a card run by the Rural Regeneration Unit (RRU).

Sarah Bishop, from Duffryn, led the design of the card. She said: “My mind started whizzing about which fruit could make which picture. We covered two A3 pieces of card.

“We won a hamper of Welsh goodies and the card will get made and sent to over 300 co-ops in Wales. We’ll get a copy of it as well.”

Much of the seasonal produce used is from the allotment itself or from local co-ops. In total the piece included green beans, broad beans, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions, artichokes, chillis, leeks, kiwis, apples and raisins.

Jane Lewis, also from Duffryn, said: “We got all the produce together and did it there and then. It was fab. They came up with some brilliant ideas.”

She added: “The whole aim of the food co-op is to try and promote healthy eating. We’re getting an increased uptake. It’s a brilliant project, working in partnership with the National Trust, Tredegar House and Growing Spaces. We’ve got a lot of people over here at the moment, even babies in pushchairs.”

Natalie Edwards from the RRU helped organise and judge the competition. She said: “They went to a lot of effort and that entry topped it. I think it was the clear winner. Every year we run the same competition, which is to create a Christmas image using produce. Some people draw them and one of the entries used stickers.

“The image is being used for 400 Christmas cards. They will be going to each co-op in Wales and also to Welsh Government organisations and partner organisations so lots of people will see the image across Wales.”

The card may look good enough to eat, but the Duffryn volunteers recommend buying some fresh, local produce instead.