| Garden centers seem to be as inevitable as gardening | | | | was first organized in November, 1934. He has |
| itself. There are active and useful centers in most | | | | watched and helped the Berkshire Center grow from |
| sections of the United States. Rather famous ones | | | | a humble beginning to a live and substantial institution. |
| are located in such cities as Cleveland, Chicago, | | | | Naturally, garden centers do not just happen. Someone |
| Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Detroit and Fort Worth. | | | | starts them and keeps them going. The idea for this |
| Other busy industrial centers are becoming so | | | | one originated in the mind of Mrs. Bernhard Hoffman, |
| garden-minded that garden centers are bound to | | | | who gave the land and buildings, and was sponsored |
| develop. Even New York, blasé and money-minded, | | | | by the Lenox Garden Club, of which Mrs. Carl A. |
| is in the throes of a movement, which, it is hoped, will | | | | deGersdorf was then president. "It is proposed to start |
| culminate in a real garden center where a full-time | | | | a Garden Center in Berkshire County," read the |
| horticultural expert will be employed. | | | | modest appeal of the first notice that was sent out, |
| Victory Gardening has had much to do with the | | | | and which was signed by six nearby garden |
| development of this idea. Interest in gardening was | | | | clubs-Lenox, Richmond and Northern Berkshire, |
| greatly stimulated by the war, but even before the | | | | Richmond Valley, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and |
| war, they were cropping up like mushrooms, some of | | | | Alford. |
| them to wither just as fast. Yet it is good to note that | | | | Other founder organizations included the Lenox |
| many are alive and flourishing today. Tucked away in | | | | Horticultural Society, the Stockbridge Grange, |
| the green hills of western Massachusetts is the | | | | Stockbridge Library, and The Garden Club Federation |
| Berkshire Garden Center, a unique institution in the | | | | of Massachusetts. Those familiar with this region are |
| world of gardening. Servicing a largely rural area, | | | | aware that it has long been a popular summering place |
| composed of a number of scattered communities, this | | | | for families of wealth and social position, as well as for |
| center offers a service so worthwhile that its fame | | | | writers, artists and musicians. The Berkshires have long |
| has spread far and wide. In fact, it enjoys the | | | | attracted an interesting group of people. A background |
| membership and support of gardeners and | | | | of gardening tradition in the region also, undoubtedly, |
| organizations that are not even in the state of | | | | helped in starting a garden center movement, and |
| Massachusetts. | | | | there have been a few generous gifts of equipment |
| The director, A. Kenneth Simpson, a youngish man in | | | | and money. |
| mind and spirit, has been in charge since the group | | | | |
