OUR speaker for our November meeting on Tuesday, November 4, freely admitted to an obsession at the beginning of her talk.

Salvias - Leila Jackson, who runs a nursery with her father, loved salvias from an early age and now grows them in all sizes and colours.

The audience of around 50 members and guests were advised that salvias (sages) were part of the nettle and mint families and came from three separate parts of the globe – Central and South America, Central Asia and the Mediterranean and Eastern Asia.

Although the annual bedding salvias were useful in filling gaps in summer borders (she preferred a purple species to the better known red one), it was the perennial and subshrub varieties that were her passion.

A typical salvia had a square stem with entire, sometimes toothed leaves. In some the colour was from the bracts rather than the flower.

Leila’s fascinating talk was illustrated with some beautiful photos of individual plants and, the few plants brought along by Leila were quickly snapped up by members.

Members were advised by Ruth Fraser, the Club’s holiday organiser, that there were still a few vacancies for the trip to Sussex in June 2015.

This annual four-day holiday is a highlight of the Club’s year.

The 2014 trip to North Devon was enjoyed by all who partook of the holiday.

Club President, Robert Bryant, displayed the photographs that won him a silver-gilt award at the RHS Annual Photographic Competition in London.

This year Robert’s photographs celebrated the garden at Highgrove, where Robert is a guide.

The meeting on Tuesday, December 3, will feature Simon Trapnell, Director of Nature in Art at Gloucester, looking at pictures.

Simon is an excellent speaker.

Guests are always welcome.

The Club’s winter social event will be an informal event in January at The Lamb in Eastcombe.

Membership and other information relating to the Hilltop Gardening Club can be obtained from Margaret Headen on 01453 884869, or by viewing our website at www.hilltopgardeningclub.org.uk

Non-members are welcome to Club meetings which are usually held on the first Tuesday of the month from Autumn to Spring.