The Hampstead Garden Suburb Horticultural Society

History

Hampstead Garden Suburb in North-West London was founded by Mrs (later Dame) Henrietta Barnett in May 1907. Just two years later Hampstead Garden Suburb Horticultural Society came into existence on 20 May 1909, as the very first society on The Suburb and the only one to survive to the present day more or less in its original form. Shows were held in the Institute Hall, at Garden Suburb School and the Clubhouse, Willifield Way (destroyed by bombs). Since the Second World War, most shows and some larger lectures have been held at the Free Church Hall, Northway, with smaller meetings, plant sales and lectures at Fellowship House, Willifield Way (the site of the old Clubhouse).

1908 In late November Mrs Henrietta Barnett issues an invitation to discuss matters to do with the 'Horticultural Association'.
1909 On 20 May a meeting is held at The Institute to discuss the Objects and Rules of the Horticultural Society, having as its purpose the promotion of interest in horticultural matters. A group of interested residents meets with Mrs Barnett to form a committee of 11 members and three officers. Membership costs one shilling.
  On Wednesday 18 August Miss Kate Hall, 'creator of a beautiful and famous Municipal Garden,' judges a Suburb gardens competition.
  On August Bank Holiday the first ever Flower Show is held in a marquee on Central Square.
  On 4 September in the same year the first Autumn Show is held at the Institute, Central Square.
1910 From 1910 there are three shows a year and, for some time, there is a fourth show of spring bulbs.
1911 Annual show schedules are delivered to each of the 750 houses on the Suburb.
1912 Mrs Barnett opens the Autumn Show. There is a background musical programme from 3-8pm.
1914 Domestic economy classes (cooking, baking and preserves of the kind still in existence today) are introduced for the first time.
  On August Bank Holiday a new class for 'an arranged floral exhibit' is brought in. The winning exhibit consists of roses, clarkia, phlox and godetia.
1917 The Suburb Allotments Association is formed. It survives for one year on its own and then amalgamates with the Horticultural Society. It is now administered by the Residents Association.
1922 Two classes for beekeepers are introduced but there are no entries. In 1923 there are two entries and after this there are successful honey classes for many years.
  In the early 1920s, the number of classes for children increases.
1928 This is the year of The Suburb's 'coming of age' celebrations and the Horticultural Society organises a Suburb Gardens competition. The Society is described by a local paper as 'one of the largest, if not the largest, in Great Britain, with 1200 members.'
1939 On the 30th anniversary of its foundation, the Society introduces the use of its own containers (bowls, vases, etc). Until then, competitors have provided their own.
1940-45 No shows are held during the Second World War.
1946 A very slim Handbook is produced after the war, but by 1947 things are back to normal. The Handbooks begin to have colourful covers, using various reproductions and artists, including top commercial artist Donald Oliver and, later, Len Potiphar.
1948 The 100th Flower Show is held in the Free Church Hall in the presence of the Mayor of Hendon and other civic dignitaries.
1953 There are special exhibits to celebrate the coronation of HM The Queen.
1957 On the occasion of The Suburb's Jubilee, the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayors of Hendon and Finchley visit the Flower Show held in the Henrietta Barnett Junior School Hall (Bigwood House).
1958 BBC Gardeners' Question Time visits the Society for the first time.
1959 For the Society's 50th anniversary, the Autumn Show is opened by local resident and cartoonist Gerard Hoffnung and the Mayor and Mayoress of Hendon, Stephen and Mary Graves. The Mayor also happens to be the Society's President. The Jubilee Trophy and Jubilee Medals are awarded for the first time.
Jubilee Medal
1967 Members' gardens are opened to the public.
1969 Although there are special features at the Shows to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Society, no precise details are known.
1977 At the June Show local resident and actor Gabriel Woolf presents a special prize for an iced cake to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee and presents the children's prizes for special Silver Jubilee classes. There is music by members of Barnet Schools Brass Band and a display of country dancing.
1978 Due to a catastrophic fire in the Free Church Hall, the Society is forced to hold its June Show in the Institute Hall and the July and September Shows at Bigwood House.
1979 In the 70th anniversary year of the Society, HM The Queen Mother visits several members' gardens as patron of the London Gardens Society. She is presented with a 1979 Handbook and a painting by Show Secretary and well-known amateur painter Len Potiphar.
1980 The Society's Shows return to the re-built Free Church Hall and the Society issues a special souvenir issue of its annual Handbook to mark the Queen Mother's visit in the previous year.
1982 The Society participates in the special show to celebrate The Suburb's 75th anniversary.
1989 Many special events are held to commemorate the Society's 80th anniversary. The BBC Gardeners' Question Time team pays a return visit to The Suburb for a recording on 4 January, which is broadcast on 29 January. The Society holds a tape recording of the transmission.
  The Mayor of Barnet opens the June Show and cuts a large iced cake.At the September Show the Free Church Minister, Rev Peter Barraclough, and John Marshall MP plant a Cheal's Weeping Cherry tree in front of the Free Church Hall.
  Many residents bring apples from their gardens to the 'Great Apple Hunt' at the September Show for expert identification, in order to find out how many apple species exist on The Suburb, and also to attempt to establish how many of Dame Henrietta's original apple trees survive to the present day.
1990 By invitation from the Common Ground organisation, The 'Great Apple Hunt' is recreated at Covent Garden at its very first Apple Day event in October (now an annual national event). It is also mentioned in the book on vanishing orchards published in the same year by Common Ground.
1992 The number of annual Flower Shows is reduced from three to two.
1999 On the 90th anniversary of the Society's foundation, cakes are cut by the Rev. Tony Spring of the Free Church at the July Show and by the Vicar of St Jude's, Alan Walker at the September Show.An exhibition showing the Society's history is mounted at the September Show, opened by the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr Jeremy Davies and his mother Marjorie Davies.
2000 The Horticultural Society mounts a small exhibition with other societies at the Free Church Hall as part of the Millennium Suburb Festival on 8 July. It holds its first annual Suburb in Bloom competition, first as part of Barnet in Bloom, and later independently.
2001 An enhanced annual programme is launched. Regular members' newsletters are published. Local Suburb residents and TV personalities Jonathan Ross and his wife Jane Goldman accept the Society's invitation to become joint Hon. Presidents. They make their first visit to open the Flower Show on 23 June. Broadcaster Bob Flowerdew gives the Autumn Lecture on 9 October. Former Show Secretary Len Potiphar reaches his 100th birthday. The Millennium Cup is presented for the first time to the winner of Suburb in Bloom.
2002 Jonathan Ross and Jane pay their second visit, this time to the September Show. Councillor John Marshall unveils a painting by the late Len Potiphar in The Orchard. There is a guided walk with open gardens in association with the Hampstead and Highgate Festival.
2003 Members' gardens are now opened each year. The UK's leading organic herb grower, Jekka McVicar, gives the Society's Autumn Lecture.
2004 Members of the Society present four silver birch trees to the Balsall Heath Forum, Birmingham, 2003 winners of a Britain in Bloom award for transforming their area. Photography and homemade drinks classes are re-introduced into the Show schedules.
2005 The Society hosts its first 'Fungus Walk' on Hampstead Heath.
2006 A new Gardening Quiz is introduced to the programme in April. At the June Show joint Hon Presidents Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman judge the first family scarecrow competition. Jacques Amand gives the Autumn Lecture on 'Spring Bulbs'. In December 2006 the Society is awarded £3,000 in lottery funding from Awards for All England to cover the design, construction and installation of a raised commemorative flowerbed on Willifield Green to celebrate Hampstead Garden Suburb's centenary in 2007.

National Lottery Awards for All Logo
2007 On 31 March a special Spring Show is put on at Fellowship House to celebrate the Suburb's centenary (the first spring show in living memory).
 
Suburb Centenary Logo
  In April, the new raised flowerbed is constructed on Willifield Green. Planted up by children from Year 2 of Garden Suburb Infants School and members. Designed by Stephen Crisp and unveiled on Wednesday 2 May by Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman as part of the official Suburb Centenary opening festivities. Later awarded bronze medal from London Gardens Society and third prize and certificate of excellence from Barnet in Bloom.
  On 21 May a Henrietta Barnett rose is launched on Harkness Roses stand at Chelsea Flower Show with Horticultural Society members and Suburb resident Lord Robert Winston and Cleve West (gardening journalist and designer).
  In June members of committee participate in Suburb Centenary Pageant, as the first society on the Suburb and still in existence.
  A record 21 gardens and two allotment sites are opened to the public on 10 June.
  First Horticultural Society website is created.
2008 Centenary sub-committee set up to co-ordinate preparations for 100th anniversary celebrations in 2009.
  Second Spring Show held at Fellowship House on 15 March.
  Family Treasure Hunt held for first time on 18 May.
  Suburb Centenary commemorative flowerbed on Willifield Green re-designed by Stephen Crisp. Later wins Silver Medal from London Gardens Society and Third Prize from Barnet in Bloom.
  Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman once again open the June Flower Show and judge the scarecrow competition, which has a record number of entries. More than 200 people visit the show.
  'Gardening Buddy Scheme' launched on 25 September: an informal advice service bringing together experienced gardening members and members with queries about their own gardens.
  The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor John Marshall, presents the prizes at the Annual General Meeting on 25 November to launch the Society's Centenary year in 2009.
2009 20 May: Centenary of the foundation of Hampstead Garden Suburb Horticultural Society by Dame Henrietta Barnett and early residents.

 
Many celebratory events: Centenary Spring Show with special exhibitions opened by Cllr John Marshall, Mayor of Barnet, Ruth Smith leads guided walk (the Edwardian Suburb), outing to Buckingham Palace, record numbers attend Specialist Nurseries Plant Sale and June Show (where Jonathan Ross and family again open the show and judge the scarecrow competition). Grand unveiling of centenary flowerbeds by Henry Kelly, who also opens Centenary Rose Festival in Fellowship House on 18 July, Almost 100 members and friends enjoy summer garden party with live music, again record numbers attend the Autumn Flower Show and Centenary Apple Hunt and, in the tradition of Dame Henrietta Barnett, a brass band (Grimsdyke Brass of Harrow) plays all afternoon in the Free Church Hall garden. Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter talks about Christopher Lloyd and Dixter in November. The Garden Buddy Scheme goes from strength to strength and membership creeps up to just short of 500, a record for recent years. After winning many prizes, the raised flowerbed on Willifield Green is dismantled and its contents auctioned off at the end of the year. At the 2009 AGM, the Karton Centenary Cup, presented by Erna and Harold Karton, is presented for the first time. Also at the AGM, the society's bronze Jubilee medals are discontinued and replaced by silver Centenary medals.
2010

With no special anniversaries this year, the society enjoys its usual lectures, a Winter supper quiz evening, coach trips, the Plant Sale, Summer and Autumn Flower Shows, the Suburb in Bloom competition and the Scarecrow competition at the June show, judged as usual by Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman.
2011

In January, the Society hosts a lecture jointly with Hampstead Authors Society for a talk on the history of the rose by local author, Jennifer Potter. In February, a packed Fellowship House sees another innovation - the Society's first ever 'Seed Swap', backed up by a lecture and workshop on growing seeds. From now on a seed swap will be held every other year. A donation is made to Abbeyfield Residential Home in Erskine Hill and committee members' assistance is given to improve the main flowerbed there. Many members open their gardens on 19 June in aid of the North London Hospice and the Society. This event is combined with a small rose festival and teas in Fellowship House. There are several enjoyable outings and more lectures, as well as two successful flower shows, with Grimsdyke Brass paying a return visit to the September show.