Post by NZBC on May 13, 2007 15:51:33 GMT 12
Life Member Keith Lowe
In our centenary year we had great pleasure in presenting a Life Membership to one of New Zealand¡¯s most accomplished and successful garden retailers, Mr Keith Lowe of California Home and Garden in Wellington.
Keith was born in China in 1926 and travelled to New Zealand as a teenager to join his immigrant family. Their reasons for leaving China were not dissimilar to many immigrants today, that is, to seek a better quality of life for themselves and their family. He first worked for the family market garden in Gisborne, and then came to the bright lights of Wellington, where he started a small fruit shop.
Keith¡¯s membership of the association is first recorded as California Seeds Ltd, 350 Lambton Quay, Wellington. Having had continuous membership since 1966 he can certainly be categorised as a true supporter of his industry. Keith has always had a passion for plants and the arts. He slowly transformed his Lambton Quay fruit shop into emporium selling plants, fish, birds and crafts.
In the sixties and early seventies, drive in garden centres were rare, however Lambton Quay rents meant inner city garden shops were becoming harder to sustain. Keith and his wife Linda took a big gamble, and moved their operation to the suburb of Miramar. The garden centre was located down a narrow right of way behind a large bulk paper warehouse, which has now transformed into a part of the garden centre we all know as 'the Tank'. The Lowe family have grown California Home & Garden Miramar into one of the largest and most successful garden retailers in the country, and have also expanded to another branch in nearby Lower Hutt City.
Keith is that wonderful blend of proud Chinese heritage combined with the special Kiwi way of doing things. Employees recall Keith¡¯s hatred of wastage. Many plants having to be trimmed fertilised and put back out into the garden centre. Tales of plants being dumped into the bottom of rubbish sacks and normal rubbish placed on top to divert Keith¡¯s watchful eye are common.
Others remember Keith¡¯s remarkable ability to walk the garden centre on a Monday morning and then return to the office with all of his requirements for the week stored clearly in his head. He would spend the rest of the day contacting his suppliers by phone, a truly intuitive retailer.
Personal relationships with suppliers have always been a priority of Keith¡¯s. He will always meet and take an interest in the lives of his industry friends. Being the last stop for many nurseries delivering into Wellington a congregation would often develop late on a Wednesday at California. I have heard of trips to collect $60 worth of fish and chips to feed the hungry and impoverished suppliers who would gather at California where they felt welcomed and valued. A friend to all, Keith also knows how to drive a hard bargain, but his charm and his approach ensured that many would bend over backwards to save and deliver their best plants to California.
Keith¡¯s artistic ability was put to good use with his hand painted signs displayed with his seedlings for many years.
Keith and Linda have worked hard to give their five children a good upbringing and education, and all have achieved well. Interestingly, all five of their children have at times worked within the garden centres with four of them still actively involved. Keith¡¯s son Barry now heads the family business and it must give Keith and Linda great satisfaction to know that there is still a place for strong families to work and grow a business successfully together. Many of us in this industry know how hard that is to achieve.
Keith's love of plants and especially the people in the industry has meant he has been rewarded in a number of ways over the years. He has cultivated a wide range of friends in the industry and still has a loyal customer base that often reminisce with him about the 'good old days in Lambton Quay'. Despite now being semi retired, he is often called upon by societies and groups to give bonsai demonstrations and is known to be an entertaining and humble speaker. Keith has always been a member and supporter of the Nurserymen¡¯s Association, and has won two NGIA advertising awards. He has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queens Honour List, is the Patron of the Wellington Bonsai Society, Patron of the Oriental Arts Society, Foundation Member of the Wellington Camellia Society, and is a member of the Wellington Bromeliad Society, and Wellington and NZ Rhododendron Societies. Under his leadership California Home & Garden won the inaugural NZ Garden Centre of the Year, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Merit Award for Innovation, and has also won Wellington's Top Shop Award.
Today Keith retains his passion for gardening and the arts. He can still be seen at his potting bench at the garden centre on most weekends, even though he has still not quite got the hang of bar coding. At home he continues his passion for gardening, his latest creation is a stonewall which his neighbours fondly refer to as the Great Wall of China. Keith and Linda now have eight grandchildren, and I last saw Keith in April at Wellington Airport travelling to Brisbane with several of them for a family holiday. No doubt Keith will be keeping a watchful eye on their gardening potential.
Keith's latest claim to fame is that Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop, responsible for the special effects on the Lord Of the Rings trilogy, told recently of how he recalls Keith showing him how to shape bonsai with copper wire, and how he used the same technology to make some of his Oscar winning props!
Keith has successfully created a family based business that has prospered, has developed longstanding friendships with suppliers and customers alike, has maintained a balance between family life and work, and has always supported his industry association. Many here have benefited from his knowledge, his passion for plants, and the support and encouragement that Keith has given to us.
A true gentleman of the garden industry. It was a pleasure to present Keith a Life Membership of this Association.
In our centenary year we had great pleasure in presenting a Life Membership to one of New Zealand¡¯s most accomplished and successful garden retailers, Mr Keith Lowe of California Home and Garden in Wellington.
Keith was born in China in 1926 and travelled to New Zealand as a teenager to join his immigrant family. Their reasons for leaving China were not dissimilar to many immigrants today, that is, to seek a better quality of life for themselves and their family. He first worked for the family market garden in Gisborne, and then came to the bright lights of Wellington, where he started a small fruit shop.
Keith¡¯s membership of the association is first recorded as California Seeds Ltd, 350 Lambton Quay, Wellington. Having had continuous membership since 1966 he can certainly be categorised as a true supporter of his industry. Keith has always had a passion for plants and the arts. He slowly transformed his Lambton Quay fruit shop into emporium selling plants, fish, birds and crafts.
In the sixties and early seventies, drive in garden centres were rare, however Lambton Quay rents meant inner city garden shops were becoming harder to sustain. Keith and his wife Linda took a big gamble, and moved their operation to the suburb of Miramar. The garden centre was located down a narrow right of way behind a large bulk paper warehouse, which has now transformed into a part of the garden centre we all know as 'the Tank'. The Lowe family have grown California Home & Garden Miramar into one of the largest and most successful garden retailers in the country, and have also expanded to another branch in nearby Lower Hutt City.
Keith is that wonderful blend of proud Chinese heritage combined with the special Kiwi way of doing things. Employees recall Keith¡¯s hatred of wastage. Many plants having to be trimmed fertilised and put back out into the garden centre. Tales of plants being dumped into the bottom of rubbish sacks and normal rubbish placed on top to divert Keith¡¯s watchful eye are common.
Others remember Keith¡¯s remarkable ability to walk the garden centre on a Monday morning and then return to the office with all of his requirements for the week stored clearly in his head. He would spend the rest of the day contacting his suppliers by phone, a truly intuitive retailer.
Personal relationships with suppliers have always been a priority of Keith¡¯s. He will always meet and take an interest in the lives of his industry friends. Being the last stop for many nurseries delivering into Wellington a congregation would often develop late on a Wednesday at California. I have heard of trips to collect $60 worth of fish and chips to feed the hungry and impoverished suppliers who would gather at California where they felt welcomed and valued. A friend to all, Keith also knows how to drive a hard bargain, but his charm and his approach ensured that many would bend over backwards to save and deliver their best plants to California.
Keith¡¯s artistic ability was put to good use with his hand painted signs displayed with his seedlings for many years.
Keith and Linda have worked hard to give their five children a good upbringing and education, and all have achieved well. Interestingly, all five of their children have at times worked within the garden centres with four of them still actively involved. Keith¡¯s son Barry now heads the family business and it must give Keith and Linda great satisfaction to know that there is still a place for strong families to work and grow a business successfully together. Many of us in this industry know how hard that is to achieve.
Keith's love of plants and especially the people in the industry has meant he has been rewarded in a number of ways over the years. He has cultivated a wide range of friends in the industry and still has a loyal customer base that often reminisce with him about the 'good old days in Lambton Quay'. Despite now being semi retired, he is often called upon by societies and groups to give bonsai demonstrations and is known to be an entertaining and humble speaker. Keith has always been a member and supporter of the Nurserymen¡¯s Association, and has won two NGIA advertising awards. He has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queens Honour List, is the Patron of the Wellington Bonsai Society, Patron of the Oriental Arts Society, Foundation Member of the Wellington Camellia Society, and is a member of the Wellington Bromeliad Society, and Wellington and NZ Rhododendron Societies. Under his leadership California Home & Garden won the inaugural NZ Garden Centre of the Year, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Merit Award for Innovation, and has also won Wellington's Top Shop Award.
Today Keith retains his passion for gardening and the arts. He can still be seen at his potting bench at the garden centre on most weekends, even though he has still not quite got the hang of bar coding. At home he continues his passion for gardening, his latest creation is a stonewall which his neighbours fondly refer to as the Great Wall of China. Keith and Linda now have eight grandchildren, and I last saw Keith in April at Wellington Airport travelling to Brisbane with several of them for a family holiday. No doubt Keith will be keeping a watchful eye on their gardening potential.
Keith's latest claim to fame is that Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop, responsible for the special effects on the Lord Of the Rings trilogy, told recently of how he recalls Keith showing him how to shape bonsai with copper wire, and how he used the same technology to make some of his Oscar winning props!
Keith has successfully created a family based business that has prospered, has developed longstanding friendships with suppliers and customers alike, has maintained a balance between family life and work, and has always supported his industry association. Many here have benefited from his knowledge, his passion for plants, and the support and encouragement that Keith has given to us.
A true gentleman of the garden industry. It was a pleasure to present Keith a Life Membership of this Association.