By KATH GANNAWAY
UPPER Yarra’s gardeners know how to grow a club.
The Upper Yarra Valley Garden Club celebrated its 30th birthday on 7 July and its current membership of 120 is the largest it has ever been.
It got off to a good start with 69 people attending the first meeting on a cold winter’s night on 23 July 1984.
Ever since, meetings have been held on the third Monday of each month in Warburton.
It wasn’t long before Roma McIntosh’s suggestion of a tea roster was included and some of the ideas that started in the first year are still maintained, including a trading table, enticements to make sure the club has the best guest speakers, and visits to local gardens.
Peggy and Arthur Dulvey’s open garden on Sunday 15 April 1985 sowed a seed that the club has developed over the years into its hugely successful Open Gardens Weekend.
Inaugural member, and life member, Len McLean from Yarra Junction, and new member Jose Elsegood from Don Valley agreed that the strength of the club lies in its ability to provide a great exchange of gardening information and ideas in a great social atmosphere.
Jose said she and husband Graham were looking to get more involved in the local community after spending two years renovating their new home.
“I thought the best way to get to know the community was to join a club and we were inspired by the people and gardens,” said Jose who first became aware of the club when they went along to the 2013 Open Gardens Weekend.
Jose said she loves everything about the club, but really started to get to know people on the regular garden walks.
“This club was waiting for me,” she said and in a month or so, she will step up a notch to join the committee.
Len has seen the club grow over the years and said it has got stronger in every way.
“It’s a great social club and everyone seems to take an interest.
“We have our Autumn Show and our September Flower Show which is coming up and is judged by the members,” he said, adding that the Autumn Show is judged formally.
Some activities of the last decade have included forming a hands-on group running workshops and expanding into other projects, volunteering in the kitchen garden program at Wesburn Primary School, potting up plants for Marysville after BlackSaturday, the Garden Angels scheme to help other members in gardens, Down to Earth Gardening radio program on FM 99.1 on Wednesdays at 11am, and significant donations to the CFA and SES from the open gardens.
President Joy Llewellyn said the club celebrated its 30 year milestone with growing enthusiasm.
“The most important thing is we have always kept the philosophy of the garden club from when it originated to the present day – to promote a love of gardening and a good social atmosphere in the club,” she said.
The club’s life members are Don Dosser, Roma McIntosh, John Longhurst, Len McLean, Bob Shelden and Kevin Hince.
