The Fostering of “All-Round Gardens”: Suburban Horticultural Societies in Wellington, 1910–40

Abstract

Between 1910 and 1940, horticultural societies flourished in Wellington’s suburbs. This case study looks at the reasons for their establishment, profiles their membership, outlines the scope and growth of their operations, and examines the causes of their eventual demise. The importance of gender, class, and race in the societies’ membership is explored and the societies’ contribution to the development of a suburban gardening culture in New Zealand considered.