Commissioned by Mr. Warton
DOWN BUT NOT FINISHED YET.
I know what you were probably thinking - that's him gone? Not on your Nelly - I think the up risings in Northern Africa started me thinking how lucky I am. Especially when we heard of the earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan - the determination of the people there was increditable. Imagine that - everything gone and an almost impossible clean up - where do you start? So with this in mind I should be ashamed to moan about the little I have to endure - which in comparison is a gnat's bite.
February 22nd:
Now then sorry for the late start it has been a cold and hectic since 2011 raised its hopeful appearance. With our own major incidents to cope with which are all trivial really, but to Irene - earth shattering - we battle on attacking dementia. I still can't get my head round that deception and lies can help me more than anything else - trouble is I don't want my wife of sixty two years to act in the way she does, and on occasions I forget the correct way to handle it. She has no control over how her brain sees the things, and the things that trouble her - all the stuff from the past is mixed in with today's events. On the dahlia front I'm pleased how they are reacting to my criminal destruction of their clumps - even though some were tiny portions of tuber and stem, over half are showing signs of life. I'm hoping many more will decide to make an appearance as the nights warm up - because it is the night temperature that does the business. On good days when the sun warmed the conservatory I was able to get the back beds forked over - this is a simple task since putting down the paved walk ways because the growing area is never walked on. Irene can watch as I stumble about my task - the front will be a different kettle of fish. I now have to convince her that even though I'm going to the front of the property I'm not leaving. I wouldn't mind, but even though I decided to give up driving the car because I don't feel safe in busy traffic - Irene isn't convinced I don't use it. I shall keep the insurance and tax up so as our youngest daughter Larraine can take her mum out shopping, and for a ride now and again. I'm also hoping we might get a few days away during June when our eldest daughter and husband might accompany us. The garden this year will be dedicated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer so I hope as many of you who are able to come will give us a visit. All are welcome not just dahlia growers - so tell your friends. I might even contact a few schools - only you get hooked on things when you're a kid - least I did.
February 25th:
Did I tell you I was contacted by BBC Gardeners World to do a little more for a programme that is being shown some time in the beginning of March? It seems they want to get the low down on how the public can increase the dahlias they already have. I explained for the first time in my many years of propagating dahlias this is the first time I shall not be taking cuttings for myself - any taken this year will be for other people, and next year I must harden myself, and refrain from telling folk I'll willingly root them a few. If I want a garden fit for a Queen or any other monarch I have to think of myself.
Talking of Royalty I am definitely going to send another letter to Prince Charles, or at least his secretary - because I can't believe Prince Charles would be ungracious enough to not reply to a letter sent by one of his subjects - after all his mum's secretary answered when I sent the song we used when Bournemouth won the Entente Floral several years ago - the words and music were by yours truly. I hope it doesn't get the secretary into trouble though, but right's right.
Getting back to the BBC's visit - it appears they want to introduce their selves on Wednesday the 2nd, and the following day film this snippet to add to the programme in a couple of weeks later. I've just explained it to Irene, and she's just explaining what's going to happen to a particular happy photo of two of our grandchildren Kim and Paul - who she consoles with frequently. It doesn't matter if it sounds strange to people who don't understand - to Irene it's not strange at all.
This week I heard from the dahlia trails in France - they are particularly good ones they cater for ever type of dahlia known to mankind, but for me to compete is out of the question, but if I can get Nick Gilbert to put one or two new ones in I'll be ecstatic.
March 4th:
Well yesterday was an eye opener - not that I hadn't gone through the rigmarole of how a programme is pieced together before, but this was a different set of people, and this time I was taking it in. They were professional people who knew what they wanted to achieve, and as the day wore on I realised how each played his part in this extravagant piece of television about our passion for the dahlia. First of all I thought this director was a bit stand offish, but as the day progressed I realised there was a hell of a lot going on under that flat cap - because unlike me, Chris was in charge and definitely knew what he wanted. It is only empty cans like me that make the most noise - talking of noise I didn't hear a word from the soundman who I'd met before - every one of them were concentrating on the finale production. Simon Rice the researcher was on top of his game - I assumed was getting near to the stage when he'd become a director himself. From time to time he'd interacted with the main man, and even put his two pennyworth in when he thought it might help. Half way through the shoot - that's what they call it - there was a friendly argument between the cameraman and the soundman about which came first the pictures or the words. I guessed it was probably what happened between these two technicians of the television world.
The girls put a lunch together, and even though they had it late, due to finishing a sequence they didn't want to break from, they enjoyed it - I'd placed five bottles of French larger on the table with a bottle opener, but none were opened. The director tried to explain how the stuff they did today would compliment what the others had done last September - but it all went over my head through nerves - knowing there was more to film and remember. Joe Swift - who I constantly called Joe Smith - or so he said , and although I blamed my diction or his ears I didn't get away with it. I'm pretty sure this was his way of breaking the ice which made it easier when we interacted during the bits we did together - funny thing was ol' Swifty was born in Hackney the same as Irene. After spending what seemed an age photographing Joe walking up and down, and bare earth out in the front garden - which they assured me was necessary for the plot - they departed about six o'clock - not a bad days work considering they started setting up nine hours before - I can't wait to see how they'll piece it all together. By the way if you're interested this particular episode goes out on Friday the 25th of March - if you can spare the time to watch I hope you like it?
March 21st:
Lots to do, but I'm unable to get on with it as usual - know bodies fault because I can't blame Irene - she can't help it. Still have two hundred cuttings to take for a number of people - I vow I will never commit my self again. Quite a few people I know have said they've lost stock this year - so as long as the suppliers haven't it looks like a good year regards sales. For my put I do believe certain parts of the garden got caught by that first heavy frost - in particular the shaded areas - it was like nothing I have ever seen before on the South coast.
April 3rd:
Sundays were always the best days of the week - not that they were ever the day of rest - on the contrary - when I was working it was the hardest day of the week - a day that I caught up with all those jobs I was unable to do during the previous week. How my life has changed - today is Mothering Sunday and we're going round our Pam's for dinner - that will be a nice change. A thought crossed my mind - how is it we don't have a husbands day - after all we put a side days for everything else - perhaps I aught to start one.
Looking at the number of pots of chomped up dahlias that haven't started I realise there must be a better way do the job - remember I was trying to save time, or should I say make more of the little time I have. I even contemplated leaving the tubers in the ground over winter - and splitting them each year where they were, but could I get used to this old fashioned method? With nearly three hundred to lift, plus the seedlings - would it be to much of a task? I think I should ask others how they get over saving stock for the following winter. There is a lady who lives next door to our Pam who leaves her dahlias in the ground each year, and covers them in black plastic. Not only do they flower much earlier, but she doesn't loose any. These clumps must have been in the ground for a number of years because they do show signs of congestion, but there is no sign of disease. Considering our Pam has her dahlias in and out of the ground every year to accommodate different planting arrangements - she does like a change our Pam - I might watch what happens this year - after all you're never to old to learn - even if it's from your own.
April 5th:
Feeling sorry for my self after a pretty awful night which I won't go into - I thought of Japan - New Zealand - Haiti - Afghanistan - Iraq - Pakistan, and I realised how lucky I was, and got on with the day. I've been cheating a bit and using that quality, but slightly expensive retailer Marks & Spenser's ready meals for a few weeks - not for every meal but perhaps half of the week. So today for a change I decided to treat us to a good old fashion chicken stew - the aroma of which is tickling the senses as I write - which is enough to start anyone's day.
I have had no replies from New Zealand regards a charity supporting the Earthquake, or Northern Ireland that supports their police force. In any case I was beginning to think it's futile to help in situations where bombes are used to destroy the fabric of human society. In each case the situations goes back years, and the hatchets have never been buried. The same is happening in the North Africa, and all the time young men are loosing their lives. At least here they want a fresh start with democratic constitution, and all bought about by that wonderful invention the computer, and its associate the mobile phone - you can blame both for much that is distasteful, but at least people find out what a reasonable free world is like.
April 6th:
An uncanny incident occurred today - the phone rang and expecting to hear my eldest daughter Pam's voice on the other end - she rings most mornings - I blurted out "Hi Sweetie" imagine my embarrassment when an unfamiliar chuckle answers, and I had some explaining to do. The lady at the other end of the phone said she worked for the Royal Mail and was hoping to speak to the Bournemouth Dahlia Specialist Ken Stock - I explained that was my name, but I wouldn't go as far as that, as I was still learning. She told me she had a letter with these details on it, but wanted my address. After telling her she advised me I'd have the letter the following day - while she was still chuckling I put the phone down - guessing it was someone who wanted advise on dahlias - I carried on with the morning chores.
April 15th:
The letter to the Bournemouth dahlia expert arrived the following day - it was from a gentleman called T. Warton who lived in Cornwall and was trying to find a dahlia called Warton Jane - well if anyone should know it would be my computer - so hurriedly spelling out the words Warton Jane I anticipated a result. Not a sausage - well at least nothing regards dahlias - but it did reveal a Jane Warton who was a suffragette and possibly one of the many who helped women get the vote - the strange thing was this name was used by a Lady Constance Lytton to hide her identity in her constant battle to gain women's rights, and ended up going to prison several times during her struggle. As usually I jumped to the conclusion that Terry Warton was a relative of this wonderful lady, and by chance I'd stumbled upon the means to gain entry to a more influential audience for my name a dahlia scheme? No such luck - all this dear man was looking for was a dahlia named Warton Jane because he had a daughter named Jane - or more to the point Jayne. Not a person to miss an opportunity I explained I could help him out with a dahlia called Jayne Warton just as soon as this years seedlings start to flower if he'd commission one. He agreed, and not only that - he promised to try his luck for other charity flowers in the many flowers on offer. Fortunately because I'd added my email address on the letter I'd sent we were able to do all this via the Internet.
April 16th:
I heard something tonight that made me proud - made me sit up, and admire the person that said it. He was grateful for being English - Welsh - Scottish, or Northern Irish. You see this guy with a medium black face said "We need to make our country proud" that's the spirit - the thing I wanna hear - because although you might not think so - we have a great nation - a nation that is tolerant of every known race - creed - and religion in the world. The guy doesn't know I'm talking about him - how could he - we are poles apart, but still citizens of Great Briton. I don't even know the guys name but I wish "Blue" all the best in this years Eurovision Song Contest - because he is one of the group.
May 17th:
A whole month gone and not a word has been added - it has been a miserable month so far - the biggest upset was Irene falling in the conservatory causing a hairline fracture to her pelvis - the bit that joins the hip bones. In Irene's case suffering from Osteoporosis we were lucky it wasn't more damaging. She has done well because it happened a week ago and she has been home since Saturday. Our girls have been magnificent - taking it in turn to help with the care. Of course during the time Irene was in hospital I was able to busy myself planting dahlias in the mornings before being taken to see Irene from three to seven during visiting hours. I do believe I have to adjust my dahlia activities for next year because I not only have more to do regards care, but my balance is definitely getting worse - I see the specialist this Wednesday at two.
May 22nd:
This is the first chance I've had to explain how I got on regards my visit to Christchurch Hospital - as you might know I'd already seen several junior doctors, but this next one although just as young looking not only did an extensive test which ended with me walking up and down the corridor outside her room. Not content with this she left me twiddling my thumbs while she consulted the main man Professor Allen. Imagine my surprise when the door opened and in steps the man himself. He went on to explain how he'd studied all my notes since being worried about my stagger over two years ago, and went on to establish a few facts. The main being in my profession as a painter and decorator had I used lead paint at any stage in my life. I told him that when I was an apprentice the younger members of a gang were responsible for mixing the paint, and in those days most of it had lead in it - specially the priming. He went on to explain that although this happened in my teens, and lead paint had been abolished many years ago - my body could cope with the damage to the peripheral nerves until I was older, but now as I hit my eighties the information from brain to feet wasn't getting through quite as clear. Sound funny, but I was so pleased it wasn't the Sherry that caused it?
Now to adjust once more - because the way I use my garden to breed dahlias has to be simplified - gone are the riotous - flamboyant displays of yester years - instead I will select the best five dahlias of nine different groups I can find, and use them to breed with. These will be placed over twelve feet away from their compatriots in case I don't have the time to do the pollinating myself. Between each group their siblings will flourish with far more room to grow than they've had in the past. Whether people will still come to our annual charity open garden is another matter, but I can assure everyone this years charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer will still have the same dedication to detail as any other display I ever did. Of course I will still have the task of lifting all I grow, but their will be only forty five commercial dahlias to worry about - the rest will be untried seedlings. I will try to sow these earlier enough so as I can stop them to bring them in line with the named varieties.
I am determined the charities won't loose out, but a revue will be carried out - which will by its nature eliminate some. Only the most popular will remain, but each will have more than one flower assigned to it. The only other charity events will be Help For Heroes and my Buddies project - the former gets any money my new dahlias make each year until our troops are out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the latter will go on while I can still put a Collerette dahlia into a five inch pot.
May 29th:
The decision to reduce the numbers of standard cultivars I use to create the next generation of seedlings has been decided on sooner than I thought - it is near impossible to carry on the way I used to - reduction of breeders was the obvious choice - because to reduce the number of seedlings grown would be to take away the very enjoyment I've been accustomed to. Even writing these few words with the woman I've been married to all these years next to me involves a huge effort of concentration on my part - I'm not complaining, but I am compelled to review the situation.
Having spent many hours searching for something for us both to watch on the television I came upon a cracking programme on a Sunday morning that does appeal called the Big Question presented by Nicky Campbell. During the first question this Sunday one lady on the panel suggested "God doesn't give you anything you can't handle?" I'd suggest she tried handling dementia and she might change her tune.
June 20th:
Much has happened since the previous month - time alone stopped me from recording it - I suppose Irene falling in the conservatory which caused a hairline fracture of her pelvis was the most significant - making life for the girls and myself doubly difficult. It wasn't so bad while she was in the hospital although the visiting times were strange - three o'clock until seven, but when she came home there was no way I could leave her, and to this day I can only do work in the garden when one of our daughters are here.
Rain has at last showed its welcome appearance and the grass is starting to look better - the trouble now is to find a slot where I can cut it - we gardeners are never satisfied. I was hoping to do it on Saturday, but my daughter suggested we took a box of plants over a lady who has always helped our charity events with her knitting and sowing skills. So eventually I to thought it a good idea - killing two birds by giving Irene a ride and saving Vera Humphries her taxi fairs. She used to drive did Vera but since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease she spends all her money on taxi's. Her dear husband Jim assured her when he was alive "You'll get a lot of taxi rides for the cost of running a car" of cause he was right, but it isn't half as convenient - I certainly miss it myself. Sunday being "Father's Day" was spent with all the family round our eldest daughters so that sunny day went without the sound of an electric lawn mower crucifying another Sunday - and although it rained during the night I'm hoping I can somehow cut both small areas of grass between showers today because out of the blue a very important New Zealand breeder called Keith Hammett has asked if he can pop in on a flying visit he's making to Christchurch just up the road from here. I'm practically certain it's a business trip with a little pleasure thrown in. Did you know our Christchurch is twinned to the one in New Zealand the scene of their last earthquake? He only said he'd see me if he could, and as he was so pushed for time he let me have the email address of the person he'd came over to see. As always I put two and two together and probably made five when I saw sweet pea in the address - thinking this guy was also a breeder. Funny thing was a good few years ago a certain Reverent College lived but a stones throw away - one of his creations called Southbourne still graces the catalogues.
June 22nd:
About a quarter to twelve yesterday the phone rang and after our eldest Pam answered it - she passed it over and I spoke to Keith Hammett who said he'd see me in about half an hour - this time was spent walking backwards and forwards to our front garden. After three quarters of an hour I gave up until my daughter shouted out this looks like him - I quickened my paces - as best a guy with leg trouble can, and hurried to greet him - he was smaller than I imagined, but had a very pleasant manner and quite a posh accent - which smacked of Eton more than New Zealand - this was immediately cleared up on hearing he was born in England, and at one stage lived near that great dahlia breeder Pi Ensum - these are the things that shape you - but of course a his University education helped a touch. He spoke of most of the people I had in my address book, and many others long gone all hooked in some way to dahlias. It was like Xmas and every other treat rolled into one and from the time he arrived until the time I shook his hand to leave there wasn't one dull patch - thank you Keith Hammett for giving little ol' me your time. Did I say he compared my patch to Derek Hewlett's? This was of course the cherry on the top.
July 14th:
These snapshots of my life are getting further and further apart - makes you wonder how much it would really matter if I never wrote another word. Possibly all I'm doing is satisfying an over inflated ego, but I know it's more than that, and the thing that drives me is enthusiasm - I recon if you're lucky enough to have this you'll enjoy life - trouble is you have to have enthusiasm's partner as well - and everyone knows this is time. Talking of time I can't believe how late my flowers are this year most are still in the green and very few are in bud - I can only think it is due to growing them from portions of the old tubers - now I'd have thought this should have made them earlier? Could it be that being used to growing them from a single stem - in other words from a cutting - I'd delayed flowering this year having stripped all but one stem from the growths these mutilated tubers had formed, and not content with this I'd taken its top out as well? Must get some systemic insecticide this Friday while shopping .
September 3rd:
You've probably been keeping up with my antics through various activities I've been involved in. Still no word from the Royals don't expect I'll hear now so I can kiss that idea goodbye. Think I've found a solution for the charity dahlias, but until the scheme starts next year who can tell. Still a few seedlings not shown their hand, but quite a few second flowers look promising - wanna see a beauty in scarlet?
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Commissioned by Mr. Warton |
October 3rd:
Next years charity dahlias will work something like this. If you have a cause you are passionate about, and good selection of friends and associates who might like to donate to it – I would be more than willing to give you a dahlia to name for free. This way I can make Just Giving pages that have a head start on any that I thought could help charities in the past. The page I made for Bowel Cancer in 2011 enlightened me to this fact – first you have to have a heart felt cause, and secondly a bevy of willing associates that can afford a to help you to help the charities you pick.
In 2012 I will have the dahlias if you have the cause - and don’t forget there will always be dahlias to commission should you need one.
December 4th:
Best get something down for this month or you'll really think I'm finished - I can't say it isn't hard living life with a wife who has dementia because it is - we've reached the stage now when nothing can be done until someone's here. Did I tell you we have a lady for two hours a week who cleans - not that the place is a tip, but a difference has been noticed - well blokes don't clean like ladies do they? Only thing is we bought a new Hoover - well it wasn't actually a Hoover, but you know what I mean. Although the thing does the job better than any we've had before it makes a hell of a racket when switched on, and of course if you don't switch it on it doesn't do the job. Well since our lady - who's name is Mandy - I call her Andy Mandy on account that I should have found her ages ago - Irene gets on with her like a house on fire until she turns on that infernal machine - so I lock us in the lounge while Mandy does through - then exit to another room while she attacks where we took cover. The very first day she arrived the bathroom alone had a different smell - it was more of a looked after smell. Sound as though we lived in a hovel before Mandy came - not a bit of it, but Mandy knows her job, and I'm delighted.
I've started taking up the split tubers - what a nightmare not only were they at least four times as big as plant from a cutting, but they gripped the ground as if they never intended to be removed - can't wait to grow them as I always did. Hopes of getting the seedlings lifted this week have been hampered by rain and strong winds. Milder weather is forecast next week so here's hoping I get the job done then. One problem - as if I didn't have enough to see to - is lack of time to clear the garage of stuff I no longer want because it is taking up valuable room I need to store the tubers while sorting the varieties I'm keeping. How I miss being able to drive, and having time to do the things I want to do - I'm carrying a stone to much in weight through lack of exercise, and vital muscles aren't getting enough to do.
Bob Hendley picked up a couple of boxes of earlier varieties from 2010 - I explained he should not rely on anything spectacular as Nick Gilbert had found many single flowers amongst them. Whether they reverted, wasn't as good as I thought, or I'd got labels mixed I'm not sure, but it made me realise I did have to do my own trial here at Little Wisley before passing on new seedlings. So a different tactic has been decided on - I'll hold the seedling tubers here, and only give one or two cuttings to each person who trails them. These will be grown in that first critical year in many different locations, and I'd hope for a report - they will all be stopped before they are given so each will flower early enough to give an account of everything that leaves here. I will then take cuttings of the best up to the end of May to make pot tubers. As well as this I'll endeavour to get a few new ones in the Northern trials - seems like an early start should be on the cards - better start now.
December 7th:
I managed to lift just under a quarter of the 2011 seedlings yesterday, and I was hoping to do about the same this afternoon - trouble is I have a visitor from France calling around three which doesn't leave much time between my daughter getting here, and his arrival - so I might have to cancel today's dig, and hope for good weather Friday - as last week our eldest daughter Pam is doing a small shop for us with hers - what do folk do without daughters? As the tubers I no longer need start to leave I'm starting to feel more confident that I'll be able to box up the tubers before Christmas - then I can control growth for an extra early start.
I do believe the chicken pellets added something to last years growth, but if anything they will be scattered much earlier next year - and a dressing of blood fish and bone will be used as a top dressing prior to planting. The one thing that ruined an otherwise perfect season was the bright idea I had of planting split tubers - to add to the stupidity of it all I tried to make amends by turning the multi growths that emerged into a single stemmed plant by chopping all the other growths off bar one, and then added insult to injury a week or so later by stopping the one growth that was left. As a result I ended up with a plant that had no idea what to do except make even more growth. I few cultivars coped, but the majority didn't know whether to make good stems for flowering or keep producing sucker growth from the base. To my mind the best way to grow a dahlia to produce good blooms is to start from a healthy cutting, and when sufficient growth has been made according to the classification of the plant and pinch the top out. That old saying "Your never to old to learn" springs to mind.
December 24th:
It wouldn't do for me to let Christmas eve go by without commenting how my year ended. I suppose I should be thinking myself lucky that I'm able to do as much as I do, but continually adjusting to one circumstances is hard to take - especially as I always done exactly what I wanted. How many times have I praise our girls throughout the year? Take them away and I would be truly lost. As these last days before our holiday with our eldest daughter Pam come to a close my resolution for 2012 is try to hang on to a hobby which I've loved for so many years, but realise my daughters have a life as well. It will mean drastic changes which I won't like one bit. So should anyone out there decide to adopted a charity or two I'd be pleased - because how I'm going to fathom out which charities to support is anyone's guess - I hear you saying "Put them in a hat - you always do" but this would be to clinical after seeing how hard it is for smaller ones to survive. There is one new found friend that might be able to help - she has a clear and intelligent brain - is more charitable than most I've met and at the time also very realistic. I suppose that is what is wrong with me - I'm not realistic - if someone said better move that mountain - I believe I'd try. Thing is I trust everyone as well, and that is a dangerous game to play - I kid you not a guy called Clive Medway came by yesterday just to bid us a happy Xmas - he treats Irene like a queen - which I like, and as I let him out of our bungalow he said "The trouble with you is you're to soft" Guess that is me - when will I learn?
To be continued...........................