AT our March meeting we welcomed a return visit from Philip Aubrey, director of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

He gave a very interesting talk on the 175-year history of the gardens, followed by a tour of the gardens shown on slides.

In 1829 a group of horticulturalists formed the Botanical Horticultural Society in Birmingham, they then had to find a site and were given a choice of four. The one in Edgbaston was chosen. The land belonged, and still does, to the Calthorpe Estate, which at the time leased this area to Hollybush Farm. When their lease expired it was offered to the horticultural society at a peppercorn rent, but it was not until 1832 that the gardens were completed.

In 1854 it was first opened to the public on Mondays and charged one penny entrance fee. It was then decided to play tennis outdoors and so lawn tennis was played for the first time. It has the honour of being the oldest tennis court in the world.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens is an educational charity which has 5,000 members and runs courses for schools in three classrooms in a newly-built study centre. There is a full list of various events now held throughout the year and a band plays in the gardens every Sunday afternoon from April to October.

Today Jaqui Shelley will be joining us to talk about and display her Terracotta Pots. Our club meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm at the village hall, Alcester Road, Wythall. Visitors are always welcome.