The Ashburton Horticultural Society can trace its founding history back to 1891.
Over the years membership has dropped and the society will officially cease operation in February.
Society secretary/treasurer Noella Talbot said membership in the club’s heyday saw up to 100 members but those numbers had greatly decreased; at its last meeting there were 11 people.
Among them were regular contributors such as Brian Glassey, John Hoogweg, Cyril Keen and patron Graham Gunn.
She, and partner Allan Johnstone, joined the club in 2014 as a way to give back to the community.
It was after they won a prize in the garden competition back section category, claiming a trophy donated by Mr and Mrs Dick Bennett. It ran for three years.
‘‘In 2013 when it was first awarded we got third,’’ Noella said.
‘‘And then in 2014 and 2015 we won it and we felt that we needed to give something back.’’
He became acting president this year after the death of presiding president Joy Jaine in June. She had been president since 2020, as well as earlier stints.
Both Noella and Allan have enjoyed their time working behind the scenes, but they are now busy preparing for the wind-up of the society.
Noella said green tablecloths and copper vases were set to go the Ashburton Dahlia Society.
And information on the society found through Papers Past was getting prepared to hand over memorabilia to the Ashburton Museum. There were scrapbooks, minutes and trophies.
Noella said an article from December 18, 1891, heralded the beginning of the society in Ashburton.
It said a committee had been appointed to canvas for members of the proposed society.
According to a report in The Ashburton Guardian, a general meeting was held at the Arcade Chambers on January 5, 1892. It was chaired by Major Steward.
On March 1, 1892, The Christchurch Press reported the first exhibition of flowers, fruits and vegetables were held under the auspices of the newly formed Horticultural Society. It took place in the old Town Hall buildings, East St Ashburton on February 27, 1892.
Noella said there were some years where the society appeared to cease but then restart, such as on July 17, 1947 when The Advance Ashburton Association called a meeting to consider the formation of a Horticultural Society in Ashburton.
Nurseryman Alfred John Millichamp was elected president at that inaugural meeting on July 31.
While the society’s history has not been continuous, the community garden competition was a popular event dating back to 1960.
The first garden competition was in 1960, and gardens were picked for judging by nominations from society members and domain staff driving around town.
Then in 2012 it was announced households could enter their own gardens for judging.
However, due to a lack of entries by 2019, the competition changed again.
Society members drove around town and nominated gardens for a Merit Award Certificate.
‘‘These certificates were only awarded for 2019 and 2020,’’ Noella said.
About 190 were issued in 2019, and it almost doubled with about 350 issued the following year.
But by late 2020, and with limited members, the decision was made to stop running the event.
‘‘At our annual general meeting on Monday, August 24, 2020, we made the decision to cease running the garden competition,’’ she said.
‘‘This was a difficult decision for some of our members as they have been involved for many years, with the competition running for over 60 years.
‘‘Unfortunately due to a lack of manpower (which at the time was 14 members), most of our members being over 80 and the fact that the town is continually increasing in size was making the task unmanageable.’’
Following the decision to wind up the society, Noella has put together some history on the many trophies given to the society.
They were for the members' in-house show table competitions, as well as the annual community garden competition.
