Arch Crerar admits he may no longer be a spring chicken, but his abiding love for flowers hasn’t drooped as he marks the better part of five decades with the Brightwater Horticultural Society.
Stemming from the flourishing country vibe the Waimea settlement conveys, the life member and patron of the organisation rose through the ranks and has ensured the annual Spring and Summer flower shows bloom.
“I enjoy the whole thing… people have never had a dud show in their life,” he says.
“What’s good is the young mothers bringing their children along and putting their exhibits in and seeing their response if they get a prize.
“It would appear that there seems to be a bit of resurgence in flowers and gardening… [the shows have] got quite a bit to offer for like-minded people to get together twice a year and show off their flowers and what they’ve grown.
“I’m stepping back because I’ve got old and I’m letting the young ones take over… it’s in good heart, so I think it will survive for many more years,” he says.
The Ryman’s Ernest Rutherford Village resident says gardening is “good for the soul”, and his dahlias have enchanted a myriad of anthophiles.
