HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: More than 60 members and friends listened to Val Bourne, a noted horticulturist and author. Val began her career at the National Vegetable Research Station at Wellesbourne. She had copies of her book on sale, and is in the process of writing her second gardening book, as well as being a regular contributor to the Telegraph newspaper. She gave a talk on Natural Gardening, using nature's own predators rather than chemicals for pest control. Val explained how to encourage and attract bumblebees, beetles, ladybirds to interact with plants and feed on aphids and blackfly etc, rather than resorting to chemicals which kill friendly and helpful insects. Val and her partner have recently moved to Cold Aston and a very neglected garden. They hope to have a mixed garden of flowers, shrubs and vegetables growing together. The quality of slides was excellent and Val's talk most interesting, she was thanked by Mr Ken Darbon and was kind enough to judge the monthly competition of a jar of marmalade won by Rosemary Kimpton.

Next month's meeting will be on April 12 at 7.30pm at the Baptist Church Rooms. The speaker will be Hilary Twigg on Seasonal Colour, and the competition will be five cut narcissi.