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Ohio garden club working to survive

By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

DAYTON, Ohio — Rides and attractions at county fairs in Ohio have come and gone, but flower enthusiasts in Montgomery County have withstood the test of time. The average age of these members is close to 60, but at one time no civic organization in the county had more members than the Garden Club Federation of Dayton and Vicinity.

“Thirty years ago there were more than 100 garden clubs in Montgomery County,” said Dale Rodgers, who has held various positions within the Montgomery County Fair flower show the past 30 years. “Each club back then had between 15 and 25 members. Today there are just 10 garden clubs in the county and a total of 200 members.”

This season marked the 76th year for the Montgomery County Fair Flower Show. And while membership in garden clubs throughout the county has dwindled, there was no shortage of exhibits this season, with 83 classes of flowers utilizing 76 long tables.

“Running the show is a lot of work,” said Rodgers, who assists co-chair John Adams and show chair Patty Loxley. “We have 200 members now and if we get eight of them in here to work we’re lucky.”

The flower show was once the prime attraction of this fair in Dayton and called the famed rotunda in the center of the fairgrounds home. But the fine arts department has taken over the rotunda and the horticulturists are now forced to share space with various vendors in the much smaller coliseum.

This year’s theme was Keeping Gardens Green ... things good for the environment.

“I would love to pass this club on to someone else so it doesn’t die,” said Rodgers, who is 68. “It’s a bit frustrating and I’m worried about our diminishing numbers. But people nowadays are too busy with everything else.”

Signs of the times, for sure. And lost green space in this county is no different than in any other in the state. Backyard gardening has skyrocketed in many urban areas of this state. Rodgers isn’t convinced.

“I’m finding that most people don’t want to garden,” Rodgers said. Most don’t even want to mow a lawn or pull a weed. And if these adults don’t garden you can’t force their children to be gardeners. We just can’t instill in the people that this is the green earth that God gave us.”

Still, there are thriving garden-related associations in the area like the Wegerzyn Garden MetroPark, Cox Arboretum, Miami Valley Hosta Society, Gardening Group Center, Dayton Nursery Garden Club and Garden Club of Dayton.

“Everything we do should be passed on to others,” Rodgers said. “That’s why we’re trying to get young people involved. But if you’re looking for young people nowadays just go to the malls. Another problem we face is when people get older they get out of gardening or exhibiting. Thus, our numbers drop.”

9/24/2009