I grew up on a dairy farm in Taranaki and my parents were keen gardeners. Our family walked around the garden often, talking about the flowers. Thus my love of gardening was fostered. I now live in an 1860’s cottage in Paremata, Porirua. The cottage garden there was already lovely and I have added my own touches, such as a pond and a fairy garden for the grand children. They also love walking around with me learning the names of flowers – and picking them! I have been President of the Titahi Bay Horticultural Society since May 2016. I particularly enjoy the friendly members, the Spring Flower show and the ways our Society can encourage others to love gardening as well.

I plan in picking flowers
But spend in pulling weeds.
Feeding my blackbird slugs and snails
And chaffinch with fennel seeds.

My Mum, she used to garden,
Not now at ninety-one,
Those unforeseen wee tumbles
Well, have not been too much fun.

PK enjoys the compost.
By trial and error, orchids his specialty.
He champions worms with food scraps
And talks to birds and bees.

We both enjoy in driving van’s
When going on planned field trips
Working out the logistics
Returning with plants ‘n other various bits.

So, when you see us working hard,
Do not be shy, to come on by.
Our thanks, for a helping hand.

I grew up in Ohakune where my parents grew flowers for market. In the rich soil there we grew Dutch Iris, Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus and Peony Roses which is where my love of gardening has come from.
When my children were young we lived in Invercargill.We had a large section we had two large vegetable plots and a flower garden,we also had room for a badminton court, so plenty of lawns to mow.
Moving to Tawa we have a much smaller section which is mostly clay. I also went back to work full time six days a week so my garden suffered. In joining a garden club then the Titahi Bay Horticultural Society my love for the garden has come back and I am relearning things I had forgotten. I enjoy going to the monthly meeting and listening to the great speakers they have. I have been on a few bus trips to some fantastic gardens and enjoy coming back to get back into my garden.

My parents were both avid gardeners as were my grandfathers. I have great memories of my paternal grandfather’s wonderful vege garden in Petone. It must have been mainly on sand, though there was a horse paddock next door which leads me to suspect good usage of the by-product, something I had to do myself when we moved to Titahi Bay in 1999. What a transition that was from wonderful soil for Rhodos, Camellias and Maples to a salt wind environment where nothing but Coprosma seemed to grow. Mediterranean I had fondly thought, NO, Australian? NO, all right then natives – but even they did not survive. It has been the South African shrubs Leucospermum, Leucadendron, Clivia and the like which have thrived. This garden is not anything like I had envisioned but now that I am almost completely retired I trust I can sort it out. This is where the Horticultural Society comes in with great meetings, interesting speakers, wonderful away trips and welcoming members.

I have been a Public Servant for over 30 years. I joined the Horticultural Society as my mother had been very fond of gardening for many years and I thought it would be a good outing for her to be amongst other enthusiasts. I ended up being a member of the society myself for many years. I particularly enjoy garden visits, such as the Taranaki Garden Festival, Wairarapa gardens, our trip to Cross Hills, and of course visits to local gardens of our members. Garden shows and A&P shows are highlights. Irises are a favourite of mine and I am a member of the NZ Iris Society. They have a four-day convention in Palmerston North in 2017 including garden visits and a special dinner.

My first foray into gardening was as a teenager, in Suva, planting 2 slips of orchid in the lawn and they grew. It was there too where my interest in African Violets began. The parents of my best friend had built shelves in their verandah and had filled them with African Violets. I had never seen them before and loved them. It was not until we bought our first house in Invercargill years later, a quarter acre section with a big vege garden and flower garden with wonderful chrysanthemums that my real gardening began. There began an interest in chrysanthemums. I added to the collection – incurves, reflex, quill, anemone, spoon, spiders – and all colours, though my favourites have always been green ones. I used to buy them from a grower in Christchurch. I left that interest behind as I couldn’t find any here and found others - daylilies, roses, dahlias whatever fired my interest. In Invercargill I met other people with an interest in gardening who introduced me to many different plants and trees. The vegetable garden was my responsibility but definitely took second place to my flowers and shrubs.

Raised in Carterton, with a Mother who was secretary/ treasurer and show secretary of the local Horticultural Society and the WI district floral art demonstrator, meant that flower shows are part of my life. There, Don Bramley encouraged me to grow and show daffodils. In 1970 I married and moved to Lower Hutt and joined the HVHS. 48 years ago George and I moved to Whitby, began creating soil and planted a new garden including a daffodil plot. We also joined the Titahi Bay Horticultural Society. I've been on & off the committee of the Titahi Bay Horticultural Society when I've had time during these years too. Unfortunately, evening class work prevents me from attending many meetings. Currently I'm a member of the NDSNZ, a daffodil judge and the Wellington area representative.