Last week, I sang God Save the King for the first time since I was a nipper at Heriot primary school. This time, the occasion was the monthly meeting of the Blueskin Bay Garden Club, when members marked the long life of Queen Elizabeth II with a high tea fit for royalty, preceded by singing the royal anthem.
Earlier in the afternoon, 15 of the club’s 25 members had gathered in Warrington to watch demonstrations. Using a bokashi compost system was presented by club secretary Nicki Johnston, then Lynne Carlyle gave tips on taking cuttings and Bev Lyon showed how to divide paeonies and dahlias.
Members then potted up bulbs and plants to sell at Sunday’s flower show in the Waitati Hall before visiting Bev Lyon’s beautiful garden overlooking Warrington Beach.
Bev specialises in paeonies and told members: ‘‘They’re quite easy, really.’’
Paeonies like plenty of sun, well-composted ‘‘ordinary’’ soil with not too much nitrogen or the leaves will grow lush and there will be fewer flowers.
Above all, Bev says: ‘‘They hate wet feet and will rot [if waterlogged].’’
She recommends dividing plants every three or four years between February and September to ensure top-quality blooms and if buying a bunch, suggests cutting the stem ends before putting the flowers in a vase.
The garden club was formed originally as an offshoot of the local branch of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers.
When the WDFF branch disbanded, the Blueskin Women’s Guild was formed and when it, too, went out of existence, the Blueskin Bay Senior Citizens Association decided in 1992 to formalise its garden-related talks and create a sub-group devoted to gardening.
The first meeting was held on April 1, 1993, so members are now discussing how to celebrate the club’s 30th anniversary next year.
Flower shows have always been an important activity and it must have been a hectic few months from the club’s formation to its first spring show, held in September 1993 and attracting almost 500 entries.
‘‘The Blueskin Bay Senior Citizens Association had made tiered stands for displaying entries on and these remain in use,’’ says a short history of the club, compiled by several members, including Lynn Hastie and Ruth Porteous.
Also dating back to those early days are trophies handed to the club by the Blueskin Women’s Guild, as well as many others added over the years.
Two considered particularly important are the Phil Crossan trophy - awarded for the most points in the show’s junior section - and the Blueskin Women’s Guild trophy, which goes to the family with most points.
‘‘Both these trophies encourage participation from the younger members of our communities and the Waitati and Warrington schools often encourage their pupils to participate by making the creative handworks as school art activities,’’ the history says.
It’s not just at the spring flower show that trophies are up for grabs. On club nights, members vote for the best flower and vegetable brought along, then a special trophy is awarded at the end of the year to the member with the most votes.
Not only is this a fun competition, but it often provokes discussion on how to grow such splendid specimens.
This weekend’s flower show, entitled ‘‘Let’s celebrate spring in the Bay!’’ is a big event for the club, as Covid forced its cancellation in 2020 and again last year.
‘‘I’m sure there will be lots of entries this year,’’ club president Janice Henderson says.
The club has a limited number of stubbies for entries, so exhibitors are asked to supply their own. With that in mind, one member admits to trawling her neighbourhood to ‘‘rescue’’ beer stubbies to use for her entries. Definitely a BYO approach.
Enter or visit the show
To enter the Blueskin Bay Garden Club’s spring flower show, take spring flowers to the Waitati hall between 10am and 1pm tomorrow, September 24. Entry is free. Club members will be on hand to help exhibitors.
The show is open to the public from 10am on Sunday. Prize-giving is at 3pm. Entry is free. There will be raffles for children and adults, as well as plants and books for sale.
