ALCESTER GARDENING CLUB

The speaker for May was Andrew Tolman with a talk entitled “Off the Beaten Track – Hidden Gems”. Andrew has worked in horticulture all his life, in parks and golf courses and then, when he got fed up with grass, he returned to plants and spent thirteen years working in large private gardens. He now runs his own gardening business.

His talk was about some of the smaller and less well-known gardens he has visited such as Trench Hill near Sheepscombe, The Veddw, Dedavden near Monmouth and Holehird near Windermere. His pictures of these gardens were very inspiring and many of the members wanted to hear more about them in order to visit those which might be open.

There will be no indoor meetings of the club until August 4 when Bob Brown will give a talk entitled "Plants grow in dirt". This is a talk designed to stimulate and provoke as only Bob Brown knows how.

Meanwhile all members and guests are welcome to join in an evening visit to Adrian James’ Garden at Offenham on June 2 at 7pm. Meeting and parking at the Village Hall and walking down to the garden at Church Street. There will be a charge of £3 which will include refreshments and a donation to the James’ favourite charity.

On July 10 the club is organising a coach trip to Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset. This leaves Moorfields at 8am and the cost is £24 or £22 for members

The club welcomes new members or guests. Membership is £10 per year. The meetings are mostly on the first Thursday of every month at the centre in Jubilee Court, St Faiths Road, Alcester. Guests can attend at any meeting for a fee of £2.50. Any enquiries can be made to the secretary on 01789 765105. Join in on the new facebook group Alcester Gardening Club.