ALL CHANGE FOR 2009
16th October 2009:
It has been a long time since I up dated these pages,
and what at first was supposed to be a record of life here at Little Wisley has
turned out to be a complete and utter shambles, of course friends will realise
the reason, but for anyone not privy to our circumstances, you wouldn't want to
know. Of course the reappearance came about with something to say about our
passion the dahlia. This particular thought was triggered when I was prising the
hand crossed ball dahlias seed from the husks. I noticed most were identical
unlike those of the bee crossed pods. It was so obvious that ol' Bumble had been
visiting more than my precious miniature ball dahlias. Almost immediately I knew
another experiment was on the way. Oh I've done literally hundreds in my quest
for the perfection. Of course most have been futile, but these thoughts seemed
quite significant especially as the findings in the bee crossed pods were so
mixed. I was determined to follow this through, and vowed that both types would
be sown separately - with a tag to denote the difference. It didn't stop there,
what if each group of dahlias produced a different shape seed? Sure enough most
followed the shape of the petal, the cactus, as against the semi-cactus were
thread like. When next years flowers start to open it will be even more exciting
than usual.
I'm afraid that's about all for now it's time I
prepared our evening meal.
30th October:
I'm not sure I told you, but I have to go for an M.R.I.
scan as well as a Nerve Conduction test following a thorough examination at Pool
Hospital, seems the young lady Doctor felt it fit to consult the main man -
Professor S. C. Allen after the examination, and that set the ball rolling. I've
probably told you about the floppy legs, and if I haven't, well for about a
couple of years I've had a bit of a off balance thing going on. I put it down to
the fact that the top part of my body wanted to move quicker than the bottom
half would allow, and left it at that. Then I noticed I appeared to be flapping
my feet as if I was flat footed, well I knew I wasn't because the arch of my
foot was perfectly normal. A visit to our local G.P. in March confirmed
this. and he told me to come back in a month or two which I did, and that is
when I asked if I could see a specialist. I wasn't worried at first, but after
I'd had a X-ray I started thinking like you do. It was only after a visit to a
local church that I really started to panic - let me explain.
You see two doors away live a nice couple called Ruth
and Peter, they are church goers. Now that doesn't make them any better than
anyone else, but it does give them an edge start I think. The church they go to
is in Boscombe which is two and a half miles exactly, between Bournemouth and
Christchurch - I've know of it since we moved down from London. In fact I
decorated the outside of it when I could scan a ladder as well as any agile
Chimpanzee. You see we were living then with my mum and dad in order to get a
deposit for a home of our own, and our neighbours then, were involved in running
the very same church. They were both school teachers, and the gentleman who's
name was Frank Hunter was trying to get a few estimates together to brighten up
the exterior, so I placed my lowest price. A day or so later Mr. Hunter
came back to me saying " You won't get it for that price Ken" I told him I
couldn't do it for any less and that was the lowest I could go. He said "I
don't mean that Ken put two hundred pound on your price they'll never believe
you can do it for that" I upped the anti, got the job, and it was the most
relaxed I'd ever been doing my work as a decorator. You are their aren't you?
I'm coming to the bit where the fear started to enter my head.
October 31st:
Rewind back to my present neighbours Peter and Ruth
who'd been longing to let me see the £500,000 alterations to Saint George's
church for over four weeks after its completion. It appears when the estimate
was finalised - it was in fact that amount, but due to a time laps - to possibly
swell the financial side of the churches coffers it had risen, wait for it! To a
staggering £1000,000, and of course the church couldn't go to this - and the
whole campaign had come to a halt - that is until a certain Mr. Hoy came to the
rescue, and told the congregation he would get it done for the original price.
Now fast forward to a benefit night in aid of Motor Neuron disease in the said
church, for no other than Mr. Hoy. You see he found out after seeing this
massive alteration to the church through, that he'd contracted the disease - how
cruel is that? It didn't stop there for me - there was more. During the interval
we had a coffee in the newly built restaurant, and were taken to see the rest of
the renovations. afterwards we settled back to hear the rest of the concert,
which incidentally was performed by the Bournemouth and Boscombe Operatic
Society, and Saint George's own singers, and even heard a couple of recordings
by Mr. Hoy before he'd lost the ability to sing. Just before the second half
started I asked Ruth how Mr. Hoy had found out about his illness - and her words
are still held firmly inside my head. "Well" she said. "He had trouble with his
throat, and after a series of tests they found out it was in fact Motor Neuron
disease - strangely enough it usually starts in the legs" Well it was like being
hit by a ten ton truck, and so far I can't shift the thoughts that are running
round in my head, such is the power of suggestion.
Irene has just finished washing so that's my lot for
today - wish me luck on Wednesday.
November 2nd:
My eldest daughter threw her annual Bonfire Party
last Saturday, and despite the weather forecast saying it would rain by ten
thirty it missed us by veering either East or West, or the wind dropped that was
carrying it towards us. While we all sat round the fire the night was a clear
one with a large moon that was almost showing its full face. My thoughts were
far from the event, and as usual, on dahlias, frost, and the amount of work I
had to do before Xmas. I'd decided to limit my collection of standard varieties
to around one hundred and twenty. Any variety that was needed for breeding, but
there wasn't room for, would have to be grown in a five inch pot. Instead of the
usual double rows the breeding pool would be grown in single rows two foot
apart, now we'll see how they should grow. The number of seedlings would be
about the same, but grown in a much better location in full sun. I was bought
back to the real world by our son-in-law Mike letting of the first rocket at the
end of the garden. As one by one they lit up the night sky I wondered what Guy
Fawkes would have made of it, and how he must have been one of the first
terrorist who'd attempted to kill many by planting a bomb. Even then it was
religion that instigated it - he being a Catholic, and the best part of the
government then being of other denominations. Granted, humans are the cleverest
of all, but they haven't learnt much in all these years - because the same
mistakes are continually being made. Greed, jealousy, and ignorance being
the catalyst that fans the flames - while each splinter group in the name of
religion believe they are the righteous ones - I think I can smell the sausage
casserole - best be seeing to the a compliments.
November 20th:
Two weeks have past, and although the weather has been
abysmal I've managed to not only lift all the dahlias growing at Little Wisley,
but also chop them into sizable portion to fit the boxes. Every year I attempt
to emulate our cousins the American's, and feel there should be a better way to
take our stock through the darker months. After all from the time they are
lifted from the damp and cold soil in November there is a very short time until
we are switching on our heating cables to induce new growth. So with these
thoughts in mind I decided to try a little experiment in how to winter cuttings
taken in September, and make some `Mother Plants' They rooted like the
proverbial twitch grass, but unfortunately although I had a six foot daylight
florescent tube some one foot away from the cuttings - after pinching out the
tips to encourage more growth - the only growth I encourage was in the way of
minute flower buds. I was assured by Harry Lawson that the light I needed was a
Glowlux light. So these have to be bought - although I'll only buy one in case
it doesn't do the job. Evidently these small plants in their four inch pots can
provide up to twenty cutting in a season which is far more than I'd ever need
these days, but it will help in the future when I need certain varieties for the
trials - so wish me luck with the experiment.
My dear friend Charles W. Welch - and I only give his
full title because his name has such air of quality about it - much more of an
air than Kenneth E. Stock I think - I'm not sure if it's the capital W
that proceeds the surname that does it, or the wonderful first name. I never did
like either - Kenneth. or Stock. The one sounds snooty, and the
other a bit like George (excuse me Prime Minster) but it's a very dull
name. Chas informed me he will enlighten me on the progress he's made with the
giant dahlias I sent him - which means he's been clever enough to obtain
some seed at his first attempt. Believe me, this guy has bred a whole gambit of
species, and had many successes. My involvement with him came when I was sent a
book on breeding that he'd written - it came completely out of blue - all
because he'd read, and enjoyed various parts of my web site. At it's best
the Internet is a miracle, and of course at its worse an instrument of the
devil. (should there be one) Talking breeding now, and I'm not sure if I told
you, but before August sunshine ceased, and gave way to drizzle I cut some stems
off White Charlie Two placing them in a jar of water that had a few drips of
sterilizer in, and felt very pleased with myself. The main reason was, the pod
labelled White Charlie Two x Duet felt pretty full when I pressed my thumb
down onto it. Not contented in leaving it at that such was my excitement - I
pressed hard on to the pod popping the centre and its contents out into a
newspaper lined seed box. Most would think this is not much to get excited
about, but having tried to do this cross several times over a number of years -
here I was at last with a result. It wasn't a miracle because miracles hardly
ever happen, but through my dexterity, and a little thought I'd managed to mate
the odd couple. Well it wasn't so much as a miss match when I'd tried before -
let's face it ol' Bumble couldn't have accomplished it either. You see
Duet's pistils never manage to grow out of the corolla tubes - leaving the
pollen inside. Having waited for the pollen on a number of occasions on this
variety I proceeded to split one or two corolla tubes open to reveal the minute
dust, and some how managed to smear it's magic qualities onto the open stigmas
of White Charlie Two, this being the mother flower. Of course I don't know if
I'm going to get my perfectly formed red and white water lily, or even a better
medium decorative bicolour, but I have my seed to sow this March, and I'm
optimistic enough to hope the final part of the trick works. Well it's reached
that time again - when there's a meal to prepare, and cook before Children In
Need takes over our evening.
November 22nd:
Twelve days into my seventy eighth year, and all the
dahlias in the garden have been chomped, trimmed, dusted, and boxed for a grand
start the week after Xmas - that is except this years seedlings. I always
like to get everything started early - that way I know they are still in the
land of the living, but as soon as I see signs they are all alive - this year
it's the slow route up to 2010's flowering stage. Oh if I were younger -
I'm young in my head - but what with family matters, and the ol' legs not being
as able as in my youth I don't always accomplish what I start out to do. Most of
it is triggered off by being to hasty - you get nowhere being to hasty - that's
the reason for taking the slow route to success, (did I say flowering before?)
but then if you haven't got the flowers who can assess them?
I had a go at a survey the BBC are doing in conjunction
with a Professor Robert Winston who was trying to find out if we were
born, or made? This appealed to me until I tried to use the equipment the BBC's
personal had devised to carry out the test. I assure you it was not down to my
incompetence, but due to the way they set it out - which was very much
like tax forms, and official papers are devised - leaving you completely
frustrated. Of cause it could have been to many people trying to use site when
they mentioned it on the One Show.
November 26th.
Received a couple of parcels today - one from
Andrew Aspital - Geoff Hoyle's son delivered the other one - he has a house in
the New Forest, and has been living there with his wife since they married a
year ago. It's handy for me because his dad, and I use him as a courier. I hope
he's not having a deco at this - because he's got an important job making sure
planes to land safely at Bournemouth International Airport. He, and his
wife both work there - in fact that is were they first met - so I believe.
Getting back to the tubers - aren't some of them ugly - and many of the
wonderful varieties don't really make tubers, but a tangled mass of roots. God
if Cory Wynne's husband Walt could see them - he dump them in the nearest bin. I
sure the reason for Andrew using the `Mother Plant' method for over wintering
stock, and not relying on saved tubers - is not only because they won't
fit in the boxes, but when they do there's not enough meat on the tubers to take
them through those few critical months until the cables are turned on. I suppose
in the UK we have developed a totally different way to do most of our dahlia
work, and this is one of them. The varieties, which I know you'll be interested
in - as they're from a top grower - and are as follows. Carstone Valiant
- a red miniature ball with superb stems sold by Hall's - It won the Leeds
Trials last year - lots of flowers, but petals a little chunky. Ryecroft Venture
is a pink miniature decorative - quite low growing, and looks really sick during
propagation, but picks up afterwards. Lovely form, but a bit shy to flower.
Blyton Royal Velvet a dark maroon miniature ball, or decorative - depending on
what the current view of the classification committee is - nice form though.
Barbarry Maverick is a dark red maroon ball with a very tubular petal formation.
Centres are more of an area rather than a centre. Of course all this valuable
information was made available to me from the master miniature ball, and
decorative man Andrew Aspital.
Duty calls - time for knocking the nosh about.
27th November:
I'm not sure if I commented on the latest set up at
Wisley - well you know of course it is my favorite place, but believe me the
decision to not disbud the dahlias in the trials has left me, and many others
flabbergasted. Okay you can allow a garden dahlia to have their own way regards
the type of growth they make, but a exhibition dahlia needs control. It doesn't
mean I won't take varieties there on the days the committee meets, but they will
be restricted to garden dahlias, novelties, or duel purpose varieties. I can't
understand how the committee didn't realise they would loose many good varieties
from the amateur breeders. The NDS of course has found a new site in the South,
but as yet I've not found out were it is, but to tell the true it won't be like
going to Wisley - where ever the new trial is. Oh another piece of news
involving yours truly - Bournemouth have a Bicentenary next year, and
amongst the excitement being generated I've dedicated a new dahlia called Lord
Tregonwell - it's named after the gentleman that built the first house in
the area - of course he wasn't a Lord then, but he must have been pretty special
as his statue's stands outside the Bournemouth International Centre. The tuber
for this new flower is the property of the Bournemouth council, but I won't give
it to them until I've got at least fifteen good cuttings of it for a bed slap
bang in the middle of the lower pleasure gardens in Bournemouth - here get a
load of this - ol' Stocky's gonna have his name underneath Lord Tregonwell as
the breeder - of course his will be in bigger print.
That time again.
December 1st:
I was watching the telly during a lunch break last
Saturday when up pops Frank Bruno - who's always watchable, but this time more
so - as it was about mental health, and athlete's. Seems most of the top sports
people are vulnerable the higher up the ladder they go, and the stress factor
hits the roof. I know for a fact he had far more than most because of his
marriage break up. Cos ol' Frank was his own charismatic self, but it wasn't
until he began speaking of his experience of being sectioned, and said "After
all we're all the same - we all have to go to the toilet" I remembered what a
normal bloke he is. So typical of the man, and like most people born
under the sign of the Scorpion.
Naturally I got in touch with his official web site -
or that's what it said it was, and sent him my very good wishes.
I managed to get my winter lighting system ordered, and
if the Mother Plant idea works it will be here to stay. I told the guy
at Commercial Lamp Supplies - I'll monitor my progress, and if success comes my
way I'll order another four foot fitting next autumn, and put their name up in
lights in an article on my web site. Can't wait can you? This in turn will allow
me to spread my varieties to every part of the world that'll have them - because
the varieties grown in the garden will be surplus to my requirements. Here wanna
know something? Sharon Mc Donald tells me that the varieties that I've
registered so far have filled up half the 2009 supplement - how embarrassing.
December 6th:
Some thing I must report on - having just watch a
programme call "Come dine with me" it is so nice to see a Ausie causing all
sorts of problems to his host - by saying he doesn't like lamb! Come on we
can't bend to another type of society if their food doesn't appeal to us.
This is Briton - correction England - supposedly the land of the free. Okay I'm
partial to the odd Somoza from Sainsbury's, but I don't want a whole gourmet
meal cooked Indian style by the best cook in Calcutta! Although the quality of
programmes dished up by terrestrial television are about as appealing as a
box of damp squib's on Bonfire night - this one has potential - especially when
you mix up religions, custom's, and all manner of ethic groups we're
unaccustomed to - bring it on Channel 4.
Without a hobby to keep my brain active - my life
trying to cope with a really lovely wife who unfortunately has dementia, and
Osteoporosis would not be worth a jot. I kid you not - I got up, prepared
breakfast as usual - only Weetabix - run the Hoover round - prepared the mid-day
meal, and Irene said she was fed up. It was sunny so I said, did she want to go
for a run in the car, I knew we needed more milk so thought a round trip taking
in a large Sainsbury's store would go down a storm.
When we'd finished at Sainsbury's after half our ride in the sun - she turned
round and said - we better not go without finding Ken - he's my other self. I
told her that it would be okay, and we finished the round trip of about an hour
that pleased her, but by the time I'd started lunch she was ironing the receipts
- saying we must keep them. Trouble with dementia is you can never ague with the
one who's got it, or you're on the slippery slope to nowhere.
To my surprise the cuttings I took in early September
had small tubers attached. The reason I know was because I took two
cuttings of each of the best seedling dahlias, and I hadn't potted them on
separately so imagine my surprise seeing what this little plants had produced
when carefully giving them a pot to them selves - whether it was the old compost
from the tomato pot with the remains of the high potash in it which caused this
is anyone's guess. It will be interesting to see how it goes next year using a
normal mix. I intend to keep a record to pass on to others when I complete these
experiment. I must let you know during the time I started this project I have
been bending Andrew Aspital' s ear as he as far as I know is the person who
spoke about this remarkable method of propagation. You remember him - the guy
that reported on his Championship win a few season's ago, and also as big
a fan of Tottenham Hotspur - as is my neighbour Lenny Fay.
Here is a portion of an email received yesterday when I
enquired about one or two finer points.
As far as the reflectors are concerned, I guess there is
very little difference that us amateurs can spot so long as it points the light
down. Probably good old tin foil would do a good enough job. Like all things,
you will find a way that works and then stick with it. I am sure some of the
ways I keep my plants alive are not traditional, but if it works – why change.
Hope that helps a bit – just be careful that the boys from Easyjet, and Ryanair
don’t try to land on your greenhouse instead of just down the road at
Bournemouth Airport. I always remember that episode of Fool's & Horse's when a
jet start's heading towards Mandela House.
My tubers are starting to go down in the greenhouse now. The small ones
initially and then the rest before Christmas – early yes, but I am rubbish at
storing them.
You, and I both Andrew - I've always boxed mine up after they are dry -
and use a whole lot of Yellow Sulphur to treat any I cut up, or cut in half. If
my little experiments works I'll stick to the Mother Plant method next year, and
sell the single tubers I make by the American `Chicken Leg' method - I'm getting
really good at separating them now.
9th December:
On the BBC early morning news yesterday I watched as a
heart broken wife, and mother of three spoke about her hero husband with such
dignity - considering how tragic her story was. I was so moved I've decided to
donate any money I made from the dahlias I've bred to a charity that supports
them - from now until all our troops have left both Afghanistan, and Iraq I
pledge this money to them.
If anyone else wants to help - you can go to their web
site
Help for Hero's.
I was luckily enough to get my new Grolux lamp rigged
up today - Nick my son-law had an hour or two spare, and had it sorted before I
could look round.
13th December:
When your wife turns round after she's tidy, and says
to you, "When are we going home" or "You're not my husband, but you're a very
nice chap" you know you're in for a torrid day, and all thoughts of self
interest are diminished. God help all those like myself coping with dementia it
get down to the very bones of being alive.
As I haven't heard from Help for Heroes I've emailed
them again - after all I'm the one making the payment, and they should respond a
little quicker I think, and at this rate they wouldn't last long on the front
line. Should my request for an answer be ignored I'll find another charity that
supports our troops - I'll give them until Tuesday of next week, and after that
date the offer is annulled.
14th December:
The second email did the trick, and we are on course to
set up a scheme with Help for Heroes. They were eager for me to sign a
partnership deal - which might be in accordance with there set up, but as I'm
only writing a cheque each time I pay I don't see the point.
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I was hoping to hear from the BBC regards answering
my suggestion that Carol Kirkwood, and the BBC joined the campaign to help
the heroes, but as yet I haven't heard. Mind you the deal with Carol
Kirkwood was about a dahlia that carried her name, and about a charity she
wanted to support, but we'll see. Although I should think with the BBC's
backing we could make a lot more dosh. Funny thing charity - get a smart
organization on your side, and the money rolls in - look at Children in
Need.
Matter of fact I think it would be a good dahlia for Children In Need.
Talking of money making schemes - how is it that
the X Factor can make £10,000,000? Can't all be made by people calling in
can it, and is that pure profit? Now the guy is talking of a show run on
similar lines about politics - is there no stopping this fella? With all his
millions I shouldn't think he's ever heard the story about the camel, and
the needle, but if you're listening Simon Cowell - how about a hand? There's
plenty of room on the bus.
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Carol Kirkwood. MSC. |
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22nd December:
Only three days to Christmas day, and we are having a
really nice day here at Little wisley - I'm glad to say things are looking
up for the moment. I've got Spotify on the computer, and Irene has her all
singing, and dancing CD player making its way through today's selection of discs
in the kitchen. Unfortunately Irene's lost her hearing some what, and I've had
to turn the volume up higher than normal. All I'm hoping is it's not anything to
do with the medication I'm administering. You could say it's a bit like a day at
the races - with intermittent solos from the Luton Girl's Quire, and a Scottish
Pipe band - to say it's bedlam is an under statement.
Nick Gilbert has decided to leave picking up the 2009
seedlings I've given to him, and surplus stock from Little Wisley until after
Christmas as the spur road to Romsey has been almost impassable. Oh before I
close I've had the results of all the check ups at both Poole and Bournemouth
hospitals and it appears the only thing wrong is..............................
I'm getting older. Of course everyone's saying we told you so, but I think I had
`em going for a few weeks. It's to do with the communication from brain to feet
you know - might be better when they switch off the old analog signal, and link
up to the new digital network.
23rd December:
Three days to go, and Irene has decided I've
disappeared, and although my clone - who is a very nice fella, and by
coincidence has the same Christian name - has emerged. Our eldest daughter Pam
has just popped in, but I didn't want to spoil her, or our son - in -
law's Christmas by making a big thing of it.
I'm beginning to hope that the Indian idea of
reincarnation is possible. The idea of having one more crack of ol' mother earth
has definitely got an appeal at the moment. I am in the dog house for being a
perfect husband - now there's a new slant on things. One more day to go, and
then liberty in the form of five whole days in the company of folk who are lucky
enough not have dementia. Pretty bad fault dementia - considering God was
responsible for the human race - but come on, know one is perfect? Funny how we
can blame someone we can't see - I suppose it's easier.
Sorry - I've possibly gone to the Sherry bottle once,
or twice to many to times - I'll make amends by starting the evening meal early.
Oh me - I'm no Saint - just a human struggling like the rest of you.
Merry Christmas.
Hold on not so fast I received a Christmas card from
our lovely registrars mother's - Valerie Mc Donald
- thanking me for naming a dahlia after her - Mrs. Mc Donald it was a pleasure -
your special daughter is a competent cog in the Wisley set up. Without people as
dedicated as her the Wisley wheels would grind to a halt. At the moment they are
struggling as we all are, but believe me they will emerge triumphant in the New
Year.
December 25th:
Yep just like the Windmill we're open on Christmas day
- the main reason is because I received a telephone call from a gentleman from
Scotland late yesterday evening who had been having a deco at my web site -
evidently he was an avid fan of the site. We enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant chat
for some ten minutes or so, and before I put the receiver down I told him I'd
make a note of his telephone number by ringing 1471, but unfortunately before I
had chance to do so - due to Irene wanting some help - my daughter rang asking
if we wanted soup on Christmas day, or one of another three starters, bless her.
So in my effort to put matters right could John from Scotland either send me an
email, or ring back after the holidays. You all take care now.
December 30th:
One day of this year left, and resolutions are in
place. I know most years they get broken by the first two week of the New Year,
but in my case I am determined to carry them out to the best of my ability. The
first two are up to me - one being patience - the second strength - not in
the physical sense, although I'm not lacking resolve, and the enthusiastic
nature to carry anything task out, but when it's to do with someone you've
known, and loved for well over sixty four years it becomes a little harder.
Especially when that person can't communicate on the same level as she used to.
It is then that this cursed dementia tends to break you up into little bits - it
has know mercy, and then just as you think you'll surely go crazy - the real
Irene breaks through this prison she been locked in. I know I haven't said this
before, but I'd gladly give up an arm if I could free her from this torment. God
only knows how people manage when they have know one else to help them, because
to have two good girls is a blessing - from where ever heaven is. It's funny I
wasn't going to get on to our personally problems, but as Irene iron's the
washing I did before we went on our holiday to our eldest daughter for
Christmas. I am forced to be reminded of my last resolution - which is time to
do little of what I want, because while she irons I have time. Lots of things
have made me feel selfish expecting to have that time, but without it I feel I
would buckle under the constant pressure.
But now time I separated the lamb stew I cooked earlier
because it's cooled enough to freeze half for a similar dinner next week, and
that means all I have to do on that day is spuds and cabbage of the sweetheart
kind. Just before I sign off though, and I promise I'll give you a short burst
of text tomorrow before we loose 2009 .
Here's a short cut to a really nice soup for a mid-day
snack - I've been going to tell you for a while.
All you need is one tin of Heinz soup, and it must be
Heinz. So wet a saucepan - open the tin and pour it in, but before washing out
the tin, and placing it in the recycle bin - half fill the tin with milk of the
whole milk kind, and make sure to swirl it around to remove most of the
remaining soup. Then take half a teaspoon of dried Oregano, and stir the
contents until dispersed thoroughly - bring to the boil, and simmer for two
minutes. Two slices of Warburton whole meal bread, and best butter each
completes the snack.
December 31st:
Last day of 2009, and I do believe we are staying in
tonight for the first time in a very long time. I would always scoff at anyone
who didn't want celebrate the New Year by waiting up for Big Ben to strike out
the last hour of the old year, but circumstances change without moving a muscle.
I intend to use the portion of the day designated for
myself to map out a complete list of cuttings needed. It is quite a list
involving local people - commercial people - and of course those varieties I
need for my own use. Wisley has already been sent tubers of the varieties wanted
for the trials, and one of my best mates Jack Gott has sent Fontmell Kaz, and
Pat `N' Perc. Once again I could well be trimming the varieties I hold here at
Little Wisley even further. So yet again assessment of those I choose to breed
with comes in for scrutiny. I heard from Bob Hendley by the way, and I'm pleased
to say he is quite safe - I had my doubts, but it appears he is living on an
estate at Child Okeford which is only about three or four miles from where he
used to live at Sturminster Newton. I would say it is about the best thing that
could have happened. He has plenty of land to develop his dahlias in a walled
garden - so no rabbit damage, and a roof over his head - I hope is he looks
after himself.
Well that's about it for 2009 speak again in 2010.
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