We were welcomed by Mrs Sarah Phillips who went through the business part of the meeting with apologies for absence and reading of the minutes of the last meeting by Mrs Anne Turner.

Mrs Phillips then took us through the newsletter and forthcoming events, one of which is a visit to the Nunnery in April to see a film and have tea.

Finally Mrs Phillips introduced the speaker for the evening, Mr Joe Cant who was to tell us about cutting and potting up.

Mr Cant began by saying that so many garden centres are having to close because customers find it cheaper to buy online.

The most economical way to stock your garden is by swapping plants and by taking cuttings, both of which are free and the history is known.

He warned that bringing bees into the Isle of Man is absolutely not allowed and will bring a fine of £5,000 and £3,000 for importing bee keeping equipment.

This is to retain the disease-free status of the island.

Mr Cant had brought some plants to demonstrate how to take cuttings and pot them up. He put damp compost into the pots and made a hole in the centre, into which he put the cutting.

He then pushed four straws into the edge of the compost, with their tops bent.

Finally, he put the pot into a sandwich bag and tucked the end underneath.

This made a tiny greenhouse and the plants would be kept hydrated by the condensation on the inside of the bag.

Mr Cant emphasised the vital importance of hygiene as the basic rule. Soil is full of bacteria so cleaning pots, your hands and equipment is most important.

Labelling and dating the plants is wise as it is not always easy to identify them when they start to grow.

He also suggested that regularly photographing your garden is advisable so that you know where not to plant new arrivals.

At this point we had run out of time and Mr Cant, who had interspersed his advice with anecdotes, told us that lupins, whose natural colour is yellow, were a favourite of Adolf Hitler.

Because drivers were falling asleep driving along his straight autobahns he had lupins planted along the edges to give them something to look at.

This was a very informative and fascinating talk which we all enjoyed, as Mrs Phillips said in her vote of thanks.

The competition - a small flower arrangement - was won by Mrs Brenda Jackson with Mrs Anne Turner second.

Our next meeting will be held at Arbory Methodist Chapel on April 11 at 7.15pm.

Arbory WI report