MOSSEL BAY NEWS - It was a sea of dazzling, bright outfits, flowers and colourful hats adorned with blooms and ribbons at the Mossel Bay Garden Club’s 35th birthday celebration last Thursday, 13 November.
Held at Misty Valley near Hartenbos, the attendees sat at tables decorated with various flowers, and each guest received a small gift.
Even the Mossel Bay Municipality’s mayor, Dirk Kotzé, also a guest at the event, made sure he fit in with the theme, wearing a shirt with a small flower, butterfly and bird print.
Adele Fockema, one of the club’s founders, told the gathering the venture to start the Mossel Bay Garden Club began with just six local women 35 years ago.
She said the six of them had piled into a kombi to make a trip to George to listen to a talk by Lynton Johnson, a gardening expert, who showed the attendees some slides of his birchwood forest.
On their way back to Mossel Bay, it was decided they should start the Mossel Bay Garden Club.
The celebration was held at Misty Valley. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Fockema said it was when they had nine people interested in the club that they held their very first meeting.
The original nine included Vina van der Walt, Marietjie Gertenbach, Annegret van der Walt, Hanneke Deacon, Fockema herself, Dulce Nel, Barbara Olivier, May Anne Cronje and Mariaan van der Walt.
The club continued to grow over the last 35 years, with meetings and talks held at homes with beautiful gardens across the greater Mossel Bay area.
Adele Fockema, one of the founders of the Mossel Bay Garden Club. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
The celebration also saw lucky draw prizes handed out to some of the attendees, as well as prizes for the best dressed, the winner of which was Lokkie van der Walt.
The event concluded with a delicious breakfast and some reminiscing among the guests.
Lokkie van der Walt was awarded a prize for being the best dressed at the event. Photo; Chelsea Pieterse
Some newspaper articles about the Mossel Bay Garden Club from 2012 and 2011. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Guests arrived in bright, colourful outfits. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Mossel Bay Municipality’s mayor, Dirk Kotzé attended the event. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
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