Wolverhampton gardening club formed in dig for victory still winning 80 years later
Its roots go back to the Second World War when the nation was encouraged to grow its own food in times of harsh rationing.
And Penn and District Gardening Society has been encouraging people to pick up their trowels ever since.
This year members are celebrating eight decades of beautiful blooms and prize-winning vegetables and excitement is building as they prepare for the highlight of the society’s calendar – the annual summer show.
But it’s also the end of an era for two of the club’s stalwarts – Val and Peter James who are stepping down from their roles of secretary and treasurer after 22 years and 15 years respectively at the end of 2019.
“It’s very sad to give up but it feels the right time to stand down and spend more time in our own garden,” says retired school librarian Val, aged 75.
They are not walking away completely, however, as they will continue to be members, providing advice to others and attending the bi-monthly talks on a range of gardening topics at Bradmore Community Centre.
Campaign
The society was first formed as Lower Penn Food Production Guild during the Government’s Dig for Victory campaign of 1939 and held shows for vegetables and flowers, as well as poultry and rabbits.
But while similar guilds folded following the war, the society, later known as Lower Penn and District Horticultural Society, continued to flourish.
Today it has around 150 members and operates a trading hut on the Boundary Way Allotments site selling a range of gardening products and home-grown produce.
The society, which has hosted Gardeners’ Question Time, prides itself on taking a traditional approach to gardening but also likes to keep abreast of modern gardening trends.
Retired primary school teacher, Peter, 73, says they are always keen to share their tips regardless of whether someone has an allotment, garden or window box.
“You don’t have to be restricted by the size of your garden, container growing is very popular and there are very few things that you can’t grow in pots. It’s all about what you want from a garden.
"You get as much back as you put in and there are so many rewards from watching things grow to eating your own produce.
"You can learn so much and I’m always getting inspired by our talks and gardening television programmes. I got my love of gardening from my mum – she was a wonderful gardener. She was self-taught and knew all of the Latin names.
“Dad loved his greenhouse so I get my love of growing vegetables from him. I used to have an allotment and I still grow potatoes, dwarf beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and beetroot,” say Peter.
Prize winners
As well as vegetables, the couple, who will hand over the reins of secretary and treasurer to Alison and Bob Parker, who open their garden for charity, both enjoy growing flowers including roses, alliums and gloxinias.
Val says many of the members also exhibit their fruits of their labour at shows around the country. including John and Phillipa Cooper, who will take over as show secretaries, who have won national awards for their sweet peas.
While Allan and Alma Kimber have numerous prizes for their allotment.
But the Penn and District Gardening Society show holds a special place in their hearts. It will take place at Bradmore Community Centre, tomorrowon Saturday, July 27 from 2pm and will include 60 classes encompassing flowers, vegetables, flower arrangements, homecrafts, home produce, cookery and photographer.
Val, who plans to enter baked goods including an apple pie and scones, says: “Ours is not a competitive show – it really is taking part that makes our show. We think that our little show helps to preserve a bit of old England that is so precious to so many of us especially during these troubled times.”
The event is open to visitors to enter their own produce or simply admire the entries and pop by for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. “It’s a flagship event and everybody looks forward to it. They wait to the last minute to decide what to enter as it depends on what flowers are out or produce that’s ready. We have some top judges including Roland Bostock from the Royal Horticultural Society,” says Val.
The society is always on the lookout for new members and it costs £5 a year.
For further information and to get hold of some entry forms for the show itself call Val on 01902 345189.
