Couple proudly showing their giant cabbage that is the same size as a person

Rosemary Norwood and her husband Sean Cadman have spent the past nine months lovingly caring for a cabbage that grew in their backyards.

And all their efforts paid off as they managed to produce a giant cabbage that now has the same size as a person.

The semi-retired couple has been growing vegetables for years, but said it was the biggest they had ever had.

Rosemary, 70, said, "It's amazing how much he had grown in. I had not realized his full size before choosing him.

"We had a few sprouts that we had started to grow all the time, but the others were not doing as well as this one, so we decided to let it continue."

"I think it could have continued to grow, but we decided that we should finally pick it because the insects were beginning to penetrate it.

"It would have been too difficult to get them out, and we would have spoiled it, so it was just time.

"I did not know it was so big." My first reaction was to take a picture because no one would have thought how huge it was.

"I also use a complete organic fertilizer, which really helps."

The couple, who lives in Tasmania, Australia, explained that he had managed to prevent wallabies and hungry possums with a "fortress" wire fence and that he had to place the cabbage under a net to prevent insects such as slugs and butterflies to enter it.

Rosemary and Sean started growing cabbage in April of last year and finally decided to pick it last month – but admitted they did not realize how big it was until harvest.

And since then, the proud couple has managed to get three weeks of meal out of the cabbage – with them and their guests enjoying a delicious stream of salads, cabbage salad and German rotkohl.

Rosemary said, "The sprouts have always grown well in Tasmania, which is proof of that.

"I think it also has to do with climate and soil fertility, we had a rainy spring, good rainfall and hot weather this summer.

"The cabbage feeds us all very well for three weeks and it still has a fresh taste.

"We grow as many vegetables as possible for our guests. We prepare dinner most nights, so we like to have a lot of fresh produce.

"Everyone loved eating cabbage and we tried to be as creative as possible.

"Fortunately, we love cabbage, so it was really a treat."