ON Thursday, February 5 we had our Annual General Meeting where an account was given of the previous year. We were delighted to welcome new members and to note that the club continues to grow in numbers. The charities that will be supported by the Open Gardens on Sunday, May 31 are St. Richard's Hospice and the Evesham All Saints Food Bank.

We were also delighted to welcome Bob Brown from Cotswold Garden Flowers as our guest speaker. How do you make sure that every plant earns its place in the garden? This was the theme for Bob's talk on 'Too Many Plants, Too Little Space'. Bob is Chairman of the Herbaceous Committees of the RHS overseeing trials for the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) and writes for various periodicals. He shared his extensive experience with illustrations of plants that perform well, giving useful tips on long-flowering and reliable plants. He advised us to keep well away from fashion and gave helpful pointers on which plants to avoid. This was followed on February 21 when members enjoyed a sunny afternoon out visiting the magnificent snowdrop gardens at Colesbourne Park, with over 250 varieties on display.

At our next meeting on Thursday, March 5 we are pleased to welcome Leila Jackson from the Gold Award winning T3 Wall End Nursery. The Nursery supplies unusual plants, specialising in Abutilons and Salvias. Leila was interviewed by BBC2 last year for her award winning display of Abutilons at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and is talking to us about ‘The Show Circuit and Designing a Show Garden’.

Bretforton Garden Club provides a great opportunity for people to learn about a variety of gardening topics in a friendly environment and enjoy interesting days out. We would be delighted to see any new members who wish to join. Please go to our website www.bretforton-gardenclub.co.uk for more information.

RITA BOOTH