THE Club held its well-attended Annual General Meeting on Wednesday May 4, when Pete Chamberlain and his committee comprising Bob Teasdale, Rosemary Rickard, Sue Ellis, Nicki Merrett and Lesley Miller were re-elected.

The Chairman thanked his committee for their support and reported on an eventful year with a mix of interesting talks, visits, and shows, culminating in a successful evening with Chris Beardshaw in November. The Treasurer reported a healthy balance sheet with membership being boosted by the Chris Beardshaw event.

The Club announced that they would shortly be publishing their 2017 programme which would include Open Gardens on Sunday 11 June, and a talk by Bob Flowerdew in July.

Pete then went on to give a practical demonstration of how to make a stunning hanging basket based on his experience of running a business doing this with his wife for some years.

Using traditional materials of a wire basket, plenty of moss, water saving granules, and slow release food granules, he gradually built up the layers until he arrived at the finished product which was raffled off.

A mixture of plants were used including lobelia Richardii; surfinia, verbena, bacopa, helichrysum, nepeta and fuchsia, and there were plenty left over for people to buy and take home to try out for themselves in preparation for the Summer Show on Saturday, August 13.

The Club’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 1 at 7.30pm with a talk by Una Dunnett on Hostas. Names are being taken for two trips being organised, Wollerton Old Hall near Wolverhampton – a day trip by coach (9.30am from the Villages Hall, Bishampton) on Wednesday July 6 members and non-members at a substantially subsidised cost of £15; and a car share visit to Bourton House Gardens on Wednesday, August 31.

For more information see www.bishamptongardens.org.uk; email info@bishamptongardens.org.uk or telephone Pete Chamberlain on 01386 861438.

LESLEY MILLER