President's Message - 1971

OHS Yearbook 1971

The President's Message

Greetings to you all and may 1971 bring you good health, good fortune and good gardening. This dreadful winter will make the Spring all the more welcome and let us all do our part to celebrate the return of the grass and the flowers. Members of the Horticultural Society under­stand why the Bible chose a garden as a setting for man's earthly paradise. Gardens satisfy our longing for beauty, peace and achievement. However as Kipling said. "... such gardens are not made by singing 'Oh. how beautiful' and sitting in the shade".

So let us learn together from the ex­perts how we may make our own Eden and deal with the serpent-the garden pests-which inevitably will challenge us. I am looking forward to seeing you at the meetings during the year and any suggestions you may have to improve the programmes will be welcomed. Times change and at the moment we are being urged to preserve our beautiful forests and wild life before it is too late. To horticulturalists the message is clear. Besides growing plants for our own pleasure we must do all we can to preserve the beauty of nature for the future. From being a delightful hobby, gardening can become part of a struggle which all thoughtful people are making to pre­serve nature's bounty, which has been so recklessly squandered. Our programme for 1971 is a full one, and full partici­pation from you in the various projects will ensure their success, and be the re­ward for the long hours put in by the various committees and organizers.

Friendship and fellowship flourish among gardeners. May our gardens in 1971 flourish also.

MAURICE D. MARSHALL

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