PRESIDENT Judith Leriche opened the meeting with secretary Vicky Young.

The WI will have a stall at The Berkeley Fayre on July 8.

Berkeley WI is providing six cakes for the WI Tea Tent at The Three Counties Show.

Those baking are awaiting the recipe from Gloucestershire Federation Of Women’s Institutes.

The speaker for the evening was welcomed, John Mason familiar to many of the members who frequent Highfield Garden World at Whitminster.

John was invited to speak about low maintenance gardening.

John is a returning speaker having given a talk to the group 3 years previously.

John gave us a quick update on the expansion of Highfield Garden World – current turnover is in excess of £10 million.

A planning application is in for an extra 150 parking spaces with 12 disabled spaces.

John informed us that statistics indicate that people are reluctant to spend any money on help in the garden.

His analogy was most people don’t service their own car so why wouldn’t you pay someone to do your garden.

He recommended get an expert in for a full day in the spring and get their advice as to how to manage or what to do in the garden over the summer.

To successfully grow anything successfully soil and compost are critical.

John uses a peat based all purpose compost.

Results from using peat free composts in the past were poor.

Do not use landscape fabric, the fabric prevents the soil breathing, being forked over and vitally being fed with manure or chicken pellets.

The message was loud and clear that soil needs work and attention.

Fork out any weeds and then use a weed killer.

Weeds need to be tackled when they are young.

John then advised us if it is low maintenance gardening that you want containers are not the answer.

Container gardening requires regular watering at least twice daily in warmer weather and the plants need feeding every watering.

After the summer dig in the compost, get the weeds out and plant borders in October water and leave to over winter.

Use Rootgrow to get fast establishing of fine root structures.

Anyone wanting further specific advice will find John at Highfield Garden Centre where he will offer his wealth of experience.

The next meeting is on Thursday May 11th at 7.30pm in Berkeley Town Hall when the meeting will be discussing NFWI resolutions.