CLUB favourite Derek Jones was welcomed back recently with his talk entitled ‘Gardening in bygone days’.

Derek’s father, grandfather and great grandfather were all head gardeners so he speaks from experience and not just theory.

Modern gardeners have an easy time.

They can buy as many bags of potting compost from the garden centre as they need.

In earlier days they had to mix their own and many were closely guarded secrets. Derek shared a ‘recipe’ from a 1781 gardening book.

The career path to head gardener in Victorian times took at least 10 years, starting as a ‘crock boy’ at age 14, breaking up clay pots for drainage and other menial tasks for six shillings a week.

After two years you could become an Improver Journeyman and after another two years a Journeyman.

If suitable, after three years you could move on to Foreman.

Proven experience in vegetable, fruit, flowers and glasshouse growing was required to be considered as a head gardener, where you could expect to wear a bowler hat; earn 25-30 guineas a year and not get your hands dirty.

Derek praised the knowledge and expertise of gardeners in the past and their ingenuity in producing large quantities of good quality fruit and vegetables for their very demanding employers.

It was the golden age of British horticulture.

Meetings are at 7.30pm on the last Tuesday of the month at University Academy Primary School, Weaverham.

Call 01606 882671 or see www.weaverhamgardeners.btck.co.uk for information.