As spring struggles to emerge, Janaki Mahadevan looks at the blooming history of garden societies in the borough

In an age where vegetables appear washed, chopped and conveniently packaged on supermarket shelves, it is hard to imagine a time when people were actively encouraged to grow their own from seed.

But Borehamwood, Shenley and Radlett all still have gardening and horticulture societies with roots stretching back as far as the 19th Century.

Paul Balon, of Radlett Horticultural Society, said: "In 2000, we celebrated our 60th anniversary. But the following year we found we had been around much longer than that because many of the archives have been lost. Since then, we have tried to piece it together."

Proof that gardening organisations were in the district much earlier materialised when the group found a schedule for the Aldenham, Radlett and Elstree Garden Show, dated August 5, 1885.

This leaflet showed there were three different entries to the show organised in terms of class. The "tradesman and jobbing gardener" were in class one; labourers and people with a weekly wage were in class two; and the third class was open to all.

Further evidence found by the group suggests garden shows were becoming less frequent at the turn of the century until the Radlett, Aldenham and Letchmore Heath Horticultural Society was formed in 1904.

Another milestone for gardening groups was the beginning of the Second World War and the Dig for Victory campaign.

George Read, president of Shenley and District Horticultural Society, said: "The inaugural meeting of the society was at the outbreak of war in 1939. When the war started, you could not get vegetables as freely as you used to, so all the gardens disappeared to be replaced with vegetable patches.

"The society, in its early days, encouraged people to plant their own products. One of the members of the society who owned some land supplied people with allotments as part of the war effort. More recently, this land has been bought by the council which now rents out the patches."

In 1939, the army occupied Shenley's village hall so the society's first flower show was held in an army tent.

Mr Read added: "Since the beginning, the group has gone from strength to strength and throughout the years, hundreds of members have helped to keep it going."

"Now our biggest competitor is Woolworths because it sells the chemicals and things people need. But it still does not capture the social and community aspect we create."

But the Borehamwood and District Garden Crafts Society has not flourished in the same way.

Tony Cox, chairman of the group, said: "The society started in the early Fifties. In its heyday, there were about 300 members. It was, and still is, about socialising with people who have a similar interest and it encourages people to grow things they haven't tried before.

"As well as our flower shows and talks, we used to have the stores which sold gardening supplies at wholesale prices. But this closed down about five years ago because of the difficulty finding staff and funding it. Since then it has been getting more and more difficult.

"Membership has now fallen to around 80, and those members mainly support the club rather than use it."

Mr Cox believes the pressures of modern life have been the cause of the group's difficulties.

He said: "There is a worry the society could close altogether in two or three years. Unfortunately, modern life is very hectic and work keeps people very stressed during the day. By the time they get home they don't want to do anything else."

Despite the bleak prediction, Mr Cox still hopes a new surge towards gardening will hit the town.

He added: "What we need is a small group keeping it going, hoping that enthusiastic people will come along to carry it on."