30 years and growing: Davidson’s Horticultural Symposium

The Davidson Garden Club members were planning ahead.  When they organized a symposium for March 1985, they advertised it the First Davidson Horticultural Symposium.  Thirty years later, the symposium continues to draw crowds of gardeners and landscape designers.

Thanks to donations from Garden Club members Polly Lester and Ann Williams, the archives has some records for both the Garden Club and the Symposium. The programs and clippings offer researchers opportunities to explore changing trends in horticulture on national and local levels as well as the impact of women’s civic groups.

Although the  Davidson Garden Club was founded in 1957, our first records are from 1971-72.

On the agenda for club members that year included presentations on “Mass Flower Arrangements,”  and “English Gardens,” workshops on Christmas Projects and Paper Flowers and a evening Bridge Benefit.

A decade later, the club had added a motto: The best use to make of life is to spend it for something that outlasts life – Plant a Garden.  The programs for their 25th anniversary year included hosting a plant sale on the town green, a trip to the NC Zoo, a Flower & Garden tour review and a presentation on “Low Maintenance Gardens.” Bridge has been replaced with an emphasis on local projects such as the Huntersville Hospital garden, the Davidson Library garden, spring flower boxes for Main Street and a nature trail for the Davidson Elementary School.

While the Mecklenburg Gazette article highlights the work and interest in the symposium,  the 1984-85 booklet gives little  indication of the role it will come to play.  Only one person is listed on the Horticulture Committee and the title is listed as “Davidson College Arboreteum Symposium. Future programs show an ever-growing list of committees and subcommittees around the symposium (while also keeping up with local garden and nature trail projects).

Garden Club members (not a few being faculty wives) turned to Davidson College for help. The college union (in two different locations) provided a venue and over the years, physical plant staff have given talks and tours, bookstore staff have helped and even  the library’s Rare Book Room provided a display of gardening books .

Our symposium records begin in 1987 with a brochure for a blacksmithing exhibit “What Art Hath Wrought.” [Archival plea:  Additional donations of records for the Garden Club and Symposium to fill in the gaps would be most welcome]  Below are examples of program covers and symposium themes. For more history on the Symposium including a list of speakers, visit their website.