The Sunbury Garden Club members are hanging up their gloves and putting away their clippers after more than three decades on the job.
President Cheryl Schembri said even though it had been a great 30 years, members were getting older and it was thyme to move on.
“I have met lots of interesting and friendly people over the years and learnt a lot through Garden Club meetings,” she said.
“Our members have been very supportive… it is a lot of work to organise and maintain a good club so no replacement was available.”
From six members at their first meeting in the late 1980s, the club grew to its present membership of 33.
Each month a guest speaker would come and chat with the group, there would be two bus trips a year and they even had birthday parties on their big milestone anniversaries.
“There were many and varied speakers over the years on all subjects from growing flowers, vegies, orchids and natives to gardens overseas and fungi,” Ms Schembri said.
“I have organised over 80 bus trips, garden walks and car trips to lots of gardens around Victoria, places such as Castlemaine, Ballarat, Bendigo, Dandenong Ranges [and more].”
The club has been recognised through the years for its fantastic gardening, from maintaining the railway station to being tasked with creating stunning displays – including a special Olympic display in 2000.
Ms Schembri said “thank you” to all those who had supported the club through the years.
“Our Committee of Val Hansford, Heike Ramdhor, Lilian Zahra and Joy O’Connor have all done a fantastic job and this year we have tried to come up with some new ideas,” she said.
Elsie Lange
