When we all heard that the Badby Horticultural Society, or Badby Gardening Club (more of that later) was closing, there was gossip in The Glebe, gassing on the greens, and argie-bargie in the allotments… Alas, victory has been snatched from the jaws of defeat; the Club has been saved – by the people, for the people.
On behalf of the ‘Leadership Team’, I must thank those former Committee members who recently resigned. What a great job they did – Keith Bull, Angela Waldock, Paul and Lynne Green and Tony Bird.
But let’s look forward; and pose the question, ‘why shouldn’t you join the local Gardening Club / Horticultural Society?’ You might be ‘too young’ (or too old), or maybe you think
you don’t have enough plants, flowers or vegetables. This is all tittle-tattle; the Club is for everyone; the last thing we need is elitism in a Gardening Club, and two words that can sound a bit intimidating are ‘society’ and ‘horticulture’. I confess that neither word appeals to me, and yet I love gardening. Gardens are our sanctuaries; hidden away from the bustle of life – and other people. We tend to put effort into screening and privacy to fashion our personal havens – somewhere to hide from personal contact outside our immediate family and friends.
Yet gardening can be a hobby best pursued with the assistance of others; we gain advice 
from books and magazines, radio, TV, YouTube channels and, fundamentally, EACH OTHER. There is a concern that fewer of us are accessing the kinship of a garden community and in the case of Badby Gardening Club (or Horticultural Society – take your pick), the cost of joining is £5 for the year, and you can gain so much from your membership. I cannot think of anything garden-related that is better value, even packets of seed.
Being new can attract attention, especially when you’re young, but whatever your age, background or gardening interest, you’re sure to find a welcome here. Of course, all the members live in or near to Badby and share the same soil, same weather and same pests(!) as you. There’ll always be someone who’s grown something and failed and another who’s succeeded. People swap advice as freely as plants, cuttings and seeds.
There is the Annual Show a ‘competitive’ event which some indulge in more than others. I have dipped my toe in and I can honestly say that as a layman I was staggered by the level and standard of the entries, but I still felt pleased with a few third places. I started to think a bit more about what to grow and my plums came second one year – but I shouldn’t boast! We are making a big effort to appeal to younger members and we hope to expand into social media platforms to promote events and connect with the Community in different ways. Despite the obvious restrictions imposed by COVID, there are opportunities to take part on-line and, [green] fingers-crossed, we’ll be back to meeting up in person by the Spring.
Why not make one of your resolutions to join the Badby Gardening Club – if you like gardening, you’re unlikely to regret it. It’s really simple to join; for further detail just email Rich on: richgreen1975@icloud.com
RG
