THE March speaker at the Alcester Gardening Club was Nathalie Mignotte, who spoke on the subject of Islamic gardens.

She started by explaining where the form comes from and how the religion influences the decorative nature of these gardens. She illustrated her talk with slides of gardens, old and new, from Spain to the Middle East. The use of water to reflect heaven and the quadripartite design are common to all Islamic gardens.

The use of shade trees is also general because of the climate where most of these gardens occur. The decorative features, pierced screens, water features, etc, were examined in Nathalie’s slides.

It was a very interesting and unusual talk and much enjoyed by the members.

At any time, a booking for this year’s trips will be accepted if accompanied by a small deposit. This year the trips are to Biddulph Grange on June 21 and RHS Wisley on August 9.

Alcester Gardening Club always welcomes new members or guests. The meetings are mostly on the first Thursday of every month at the Centre, Jubilee Court, St Faiths Road, Alcester. Membership is still only £10 per year and includes refreshments at the meetings.

Guests can attend at any time for a fee of £2.50. Any inquiries can be made to the secretary on 01789 765105.