OUR February speaker - author Jane Kilpatrick - gave an entertaining illustrated talk on ‘The Fathers of Botany’, French botanists working as missionaries in China between 1862 and 1905. Concentrating on four main figures: Pères David, Delavay, Farges and Soulié, Jane gave individual histories and examples of their discoveries, which included Davidia involucrata, the handkerchief tree; hardy gloxinia, Incarvillea delavayi; Fargesia nitida, a clumping bamboo; and Rosa soulieana. Jane has travelled to the areas where the missionaries worked, and it was sad to hear that overgrazing of goats has totally destroyed the vegetation on some hillsides.

This year’s Celebrities Lecture is on September 9 at Pershore College. HPS President and plant collector Roy Lancaster will talk on ‘My Life With Plants’; nurserywoman Derry Watkins on ‘New Plants from Around the World; and herbaceous expert Julian Sutton on ‘How Flowers Came To Be.’ Tickets are available from sec@worcs-hardy-plant.org.uk costing £10 for group members, £15 for non-members.

Our next meeting is on Saturday 11 March at 2pm, Crowle Parish Hall, WR7 4AZ. The AGM will be followed by ‘The Life and Legacy of Henry Avray Tipping’ by Helena Gerrish. Visitors are welcome at £3.

JAYNE SAVAGE