Despite treacherous conditions underfoot, there was a good turnout for the first meeting in 2003 of Winchester Horticultural Society.

Everyone was pleased to hear that the autumn show had struck gold in the Show of the Year Award run by the Hampshire Federation of Horticultural Societies.

In her notes, Margaret Hyatt listed the work being done in her garden. Greenhouse plants should be checked regularly for disease or fungus and plants watered sparingly.

Pots, trays and labels can be cleaned when the soil is too wet for digging and the frosty grass should not be walked on.

Tom Hyall is setting seeds of Kelsea onions, begonias and geraniums, with a few lettuce and cauliflower seeds going in pots.

Lily bulbs can be put in pots for transferring to the garden later in the year. Now is a good time to check out garden centres for bargains in their sales.

Visiting speaker, Jim Love, gave a talk on "Nepal - a plant lover's trek", sharing the delights he and his wife had encountered on their 26-day walk from Kathmandu in June four years ago.

He had beautiful slides of the amazing range of plants there, found sparsely spread, but his records of the lives of the mountain people, their homes and animals and the incredible unwieldy and massive loads, carried by their porters and others transporting foods and building materials, drew the members into their experience.

Myra Clare gave the vote of thanks as she had been on a similar fantastic trip.

Monthly competition: E. Hodgkinson - schlumbergera: 10 points (certificate).