Great Turnout of All Ages at Gardeners' Show

Growing up in Scotland my father was a foreman in a small nursery growing flowers and vegitable for the Glasgow markets.

Even before going to primary school I would spend my free time helping him in the nursery. His passion was, and still is growing flowers for exhibition. In those days Chrysanthimums were the choice flower for exhibition, and my father and his friends were known as experts in their field.

I spent many a day with my dad arriving at unearthly hours when most were still asleep, at flower shows to help set up the blooms in their particular place. Even as a primary school child I remember being taught, and helping dad to dress blooms using cotton buds. re-shaping wayward chrysanth petals so that the end result was the perfect in-curve.

Our house was always full of trophies, and the best year of all was when dad, uncle Tom Fraser (Minister of Transport for Harold Wilson), and their friend Eric, won the Scottish championship in Edinburgh for the third year on the trott.

Imagine the fun in taking two, and sometimes three sets of blooms to various flower shows in the back seat of a "Baby Austin of England". I kid you not. I still don't know how they did it.

I do remember sitting on dad's knee and encouraging uncle Tom to get more petrol because the guage was less than half full. In those days I believed that as the tank emptied, the car slowed down.

Boy. Hasn't time changed everything. My dad had a major stroke some years ago, and now has to have visits from a carer to make sure he is OK every day. But, and this is a big BUT! Dad's passion for growihg flowers has never diminished. He changed from Chrysanths to begonnias, and he now has two large greenhouses that in the summer months explode with blooms of all colours and most of them 8 to 10" plus diameter. He still cross pollenates for new varaieties. This passion for flowers gives him a clear purpose,even when life is getting tough for him. He is amazing.

He doesn't exhibit now because he can't drive. However the Begonnia Society come to him and his mates every year to collect blooms to make up the Society exhibit at the British Championships at Ayr, and they usually win Gold or Silver awards.

The sad part in all of this is that I am a useless gardiner. I struggle beyond mowing the lawn.

So, to all you gardiners, please, please encourage your children to take it up. It is a great and very constructive way to teach kids good strong values, and along the way we may even see a reduction in vandalism to floral displays in our community because they appreciate what has gone into them more.

Keep up the great work you gardiners.

PS.
Why don't you gardiners take pictures and send them to The Window. I am sure that you all have amazing images to share, and I expect some hilarious images with stories behind them. Share the good times with all the people who visit The Window. Every month The Window gets more than 2000 hits. Share your good times and cheer up lots of people.