Celebrating growth

GARDENING GREATS: Gardening club members Jan Hunt [front] with Maria Waters, Jan Ashby and Deb Paschke in Ms Paschke's garden.

Elsie Adamo

MOUNT Gambier’s Gardening Club celebrated its 30th anniversary last month.

Established in 1992, the club is still going strong today, with members visiting a garden each month, sharing tips and tricks in the process.

Jan Hunt was one of the 12 founding members of the club 30 years ago and is a former club president.

She said plenty has changed about the club over the years, but the passion for gardening has stayed the same.

“It has certainly got bigger,” Ms Hunt said.

“We have had wonderful opportunities of visiting large and small, country and city gardens.

“But there is still always something to learn.”

Fellow member and former president Deb Paschke said an important part of being a member is the social connection.

“That is the wonderful thing about the garden club is you are bringing people together that share a passion,” Ms Paschke said.

“They are people you may not have come across if it was not for the club, that is one of the real pluses, the friendships.

“Gardening is a great glue, and it crosses all ages and demographics.

“Some of us are farming people, and it creates an avenue for us to meet people that live in the towns,” Ms Hunt added.

While the club welcomes all types of gardeners, whether experienced or just starting out, you may be in for a wait to sign up.

The club currently has a cap on membership numbers.

“We have had to limit our numbers just on the sheer logistics of being able to get into gardens,” Ms Paschke said.

“You cannot arrive with a couple of hundred people.

“We have had a bit of a waiting list of people wanting to join.”

To celebrate 30 years, the organisation hosted prominent garden journalist Michael Keelan in Mount Gambier to tour gardens and give a talk to members last week.

“It was great to be able to take him around to some of the great gardens that we have,” Ms Paschke said.

“He did go back and speak about Mount Gambier on his radio program.

“We had a good turnout of our membership, we were fortunate enough to get members from clubs at Casterton, Naracoorte and Millicent.”

Mr Keelan said it was a great honour to have been invited to speak and tour local gardens.

“They are up with the leaders as far as gardens go around the state, they are fantastic,” he said.

“It is a really wonderful part of the world, more people should visit.”