The February meeting started with the AGM.

Members were told that although membership was a little low, the club had had a successful year with good trips and speakers.

The treasurer's report told of a small loss this year caused by lack of support for trips.

There were ideas for increasing membership and it was nice to see a few new faces at this meeting.

Members were told the Waddesdon Manor trip is now going to Powis Castle instead due to a priority booking at Waddesdon. This will be on the same date, June 5, and already bookings are being taken.

The speaker was the very entertaining retired nurseryman Tristan Thacker. He entitles his talks Down the Garden Path and illustrates them with a selection of what is to be found at this time of year.

He certainly wowed his audience with a great number of scented shrubs flowering right now. He

brought viburnum bodnantense, ionicera fragrantissima, clematis armandii, chaenomeles, cornus and many other winter flowering subjects.

The audience left feeling spring could not be far away.

On March 3, Janet Cropley will talk on climbers and wall shrubs.

Anyone interested in membership or future meetings should call the club secretary on 01789 765105. Everyone is welcome and there is a small charge of £2 for guests, with refreshments included. New members are always welcome.