ROCK GARDENERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 276, 21 November 1928, Page 8

ROCK GARDENERS.

DOMINION SOCIETY FORMED.

T».»r—• a rtTt a rtj.-fj INTEREST SHOWN. ONLY ORGANISATION IN WORLD. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, thie day. At a large gathering of gardening enthusiasts in Lower Hutt last night it was decided to form a Dominion organisation, the New Zealand Alpine and Rock Garden Society.

The prime mover was Mr. A. Wilkinson, of Nelson, where the first and only organisation of its kind in the world was formed several years ago, and of which Mr. Wilkinson has been secretary. Its membership has grown from five to some 250, including many in Australia and Tasmania, and some as far afield as England. A great burden of work fell upon Mr. Wilkinson, who recently informed the society he could no longer carry on. In consequence, the society resolved to confine its membership and work entirely to Nelson. This did not meet with the approval of Mr. Wilkinson, who desired to see the art of rock gardening extended throughout New Zealand. At the invitation of Wellington and Hutt Valley enthusiasts, he has organised a New Zealand society to carry on the work originally commenced in Nelson.

Mr. Wilkinson eaid the objects at the society were the inculcation of love for flowers, especially those suitable for rock gardens, the teaching of the art of rock and alpine gardening, the beautification of barren hillsides, the beautifying of school grounds and the teaching of the art to children, the receiving and distributing to other societies of plants and seeds and affiliation with other botanical societies.

The patrons of the new society are the Governor-General and Lady Alice Fergusson. Mr. Hope Gibbons, of Wanganiri, was elected president, and a committee was set up, with Mr. A. J. Nicholls as secretary, to go into preliminaries and report to a further meeting in December.