Long-time member Pam Jordan says the new members are enthusiastic and active, which in her book is critical, “because every club these days has a problem getting officers”.
However, the sign of the times is also evident in the fact that the society will no longer hold a dahlia show in February or a chrysanthemum show in May. Chrysanthemum growers used to come from as far afield as Taihape, Mrs Jordan says, “but as they have grown older it is too far for them to travel.
“The show on the first Saturday of September is now called the Spring Show. It used to be the daffodil show. But Auckland has become too warm for an abundance of daffodils and the growers who used to compete came from Waikato.”
Mrs Jordan’s heritage in the society goes back to her grandmother Meta Armstrong who was an active member, then her mother Eileen Jordan who joined the committee in 1947, followed by her brother Ralph who served on the committee from 1954 to 1961. “My mother was one of the first accredited floral art judges and was very active with a spade beautifying Howick,” she says.
The organisation started its life in 1923 as the Howick Beautifying Society with a long-term plan to dress up the streets of Howick with beautiful plants. Some of the trees planted then can still be seen, such as the oak trees on the corner of Howick Domain and Moore Street, the pohutukawas along Howick Beach and the plane trees in Uxbridge Road.
In 1929, the group evolved into the Howick Horticultural and Beautifying Society and concentrated on encouraging people to grow trees, plants and shrubs in private gardens and organised flower shows. Evening meetings were held, at which members could discuss growing everything from the humble potato to exotic orchids.
The society held its first event, a rose show in 1930, followed by a dahlia show in 1931. But by 1946 membership dropped to its lowest ebb after the strain of the World War II years and the society was on the verge of disbanding. But by 1947 membership had risen to 170.
Then, as Howick’s growth gathered pace, the society in 1969 found its role changing again. With roads upgraded, new houses being built and the influx of newcomers, much of the earlier beautifying aspects of the society’s work had disappeared. By the 1970 annual meeting membership was down to 195 compared with 277 the year before.
The society asked itself why the membership was dropping. Among the reasons were garden talks on TV (including one by Howick old boy Eion Scarrow, whose father was a former member of the society); the popularity of scree gardens with delicate colours, miniature shrubs and minimum care; free advice and garden layouts in modern concrete and pebbles at garden centres; and television which was keeping people at home rather than attending evening lectures.
It was decided to revert to daytime meetings and shows, as the membership was predominantly female. Field days would take the place of lectures so the family, children as well, could enjoy the outing as a grand picnic.
“We’ve cut down on flower shows because the elected people are getting older and older. The oldest members are in their 90s and the average age is probably about 70-75.
“A lot of people join because they are interested in growing good blooms. My grandmother was, but mother and I were not. I’m more interested in a garden of good design – maintaining something that is easy to keep.
“New members don’t think of gardening as intensely as they once did. Over the years we’ve seen easy-care gardens develop with pebbles, palms and succulents.”
In 2010, the society, which has a monthly garden circle meeting, acts more as a social group with good speakers at meetings and bus trips to gardens and horticultural venues. The society’s floral art and orchid circles now operate as standalone groups.
“All of our members are right into gardening,” Mrs Jordan says. “But some of them are gardening on pocket handkerchiefs. A lot of them prefer growing plants in pots.”
What would her grandmother and mother think? “I hope they would realise that as time goes by things change. Every club these days has a problem getting officers. A lot of people don’t retire until they are 65 – the younger ones can’t afford to.”
Howick Horticultural Society’s garden circle meets monthly. Watch out for notices in the Times’ Village Voice listings. For more information, phone Denise on (09) 534-3492.
LIFE MEMBER: Lois Caldwell, right, receives her certificate from president Jenny Perwick. Photo supplied. An altercation with cows
IN 1941, Howick Horticultural Society asked Howick Town Board to erect a pound in Howick and appoint a pound-keeper. These days “the pound” usually refers to wandering dogs and political correctness has changed the term to “animal shelter”.
But in 1941 wandering dogs were not the concern of the society. Several of the lime trees planted in Cook Street had been damaged beyond recovery by wandering cows. A total of 30 shillings would have to be spent on nine lime trees to replace those destroyed.
In its letter to the board, the society said: “We will be grateful if the town board will see that this nuisance is stopped ‘at once and for all’.”
While it had the desired effect, the board was forced to withdraw the “long acre licences” for grazing cattle on street verges. Each cow had to be registered with the board and had a disc and bell hung around its neck. The archives don’t mention what the local farmers thought of the decision.
