I have for a number of years been fortunate to raise plants from seed and cuttings to create a garden full of baskets and containers, fit for an annual weekend to raise money for a cancer charity called Tenovus. Privately I have called it my Tenovus garden, and I have enjoyed doing it. However time marches on and I feel I unable to keep this up due to the amount of work involved. It isn’t the filling up of the baskets and containers that is the trouble. It’s the constant attention they need. I will never give up gardening, and I will always support Tenovus. To me gardening and Tenovus go together and I will always be thankful Julia Catchpole stopped out side 104 Petersfield Road that day, and asked me to support them, seems a long time now. Here are some of the schemes I did over the years at 104.

	If you like brash, this is it.		When I knew dahlias would eventually take pride of place.

	I’ll make the tea when you get off the begonias.		8,978, that’s with the ones I’ve got in my hand.

This was the first year the bees bred dahlias.		The year Princess Diana died.

The last year I grew chrysanthemums.		Before our conifers took over.

I’m going to give to Estelle Wilson, the Southern area representative, dates when it is possible to see some of the dahlias I’ve raised since moving to 27 Petersfield Road, as well as other garden features. This year I have a dahlia growing in the Northern trials, called Bournemouth Belle, in the Welsh trials called Irene Stock, and the trials at the Royal Horticultural Gardens at Wisley, called Sir Bobby `M’

I am also in negotiation with a lady called Camilla Page, who is a fund-raiser for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, regards a water lily flowered dahlia that I’d like to be called Charlie Dimmock. It come about by me reading an article in the Garden News, which said Charlie was going to walk the Great Wall of China, some time before September. I emailed Camilla suggesting that, as Charlie was so generously helping them, I’d like to name a dahlia after her, and any money raised could also help their cause, we’ll see.

I propose to have a web site in the New Year devised by one of my granddaughters, named Kim (she’s a bit clever in this field) On the web site any successes will be reported, as well as the varieties I’ve raised, and a brief history of both the dahlias, and myself. Eventually I hope to sell the varieties I’ve raised, if they’re good enough, all over the world. Some of the varieties will be to raise money for Tenovus, which was my original intention, when I started breeding them at a 104. I still haven’t given up on the  idea of raising ten water lily dahlias, and calling them the Tenovus Collection, but they will have to be good, and be a mixture of colours, something like the first water lily flowered dahlias I raised, but of the same quality as Charlie Dimmock.

To finish, two standard fuchsias were not claimed last autumn. As I did not have the names of the people I’d promised them to, I grew them on in pots. If they come this year, they can see me, and take them away. If not the plants will be raffled, or auctioned. Thanks for your time, thanks also to all who contributed towards the Diamond Appeal, whether with their time, their goods, or their money.

Our £1,800 was a drop in the ocean towards the million they’re trying to get, but every little helps.

Up date on Charlie Dimmock the dahlia, after half a dozen emails to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, we secured a deal with Charlie’s agent. That settled I thought some one else ought to see this cracking flower, so on September 18^th of I took some blooms to Wisley to be assessed for trial. I’ve just heard they liked the look of both varieties and would like me to send six plants of each to be grown on their trial grounds in 2004, I hope they do well. I spoke to the secretary of the National Dahlia Society David Kent yesterday to see if he could put me in touch with a couple of good dahlia exhibitors, so as I could send them a few plants of the new variety. That’s providing they throw enough cuttings. If these blokes show them, there’s every chance they’ll be seen by other exhibitors and the public in general. It will all help to sell the variety, thus bringing valuable revenue for Breath Easy Breast cancer, David told me he’d let me know.

Two Months Later

On my birthday 10^th of November, that’s right I come under the sign of Scorpio couldn’t you tell? I was enjoying the evening with the family; the girls (daughters) had come round, like they do on your birthday, and the phone went. Who should it be but Stan Hall of Halls of Heddon, he said he’d been told there was an email that hadn’t been answered on the computer, this was the one I’d sent them a while back, explaining I had this new seedling that showed promise, called Charlie Dimmock, I’d attachment a photograph, which he’d seen. Anyway as his daughter Judith was away on holiday, having a well-earned rest, and he wasn’t too conversant with these new fandangle gadgets called computers, he phoned. I was taken back, well you don’t usually have a nursery ring you, do you? Not unless they think something has potential. He said he thought the flower was a breakthrough, I take it he meant colour wise, but I’m not sure. Anyway he asked if there was any chance of getting some stock of the new variety. I told him I had just two tubers, and six rooted cuttings, I was growing on as mother plants, but he was welcome to one of the tubers. This was sent in the autumn, it looks like Halls and I will be very busy from January onwards, getting as many plants of the new variety as we can. I hope it does well, for Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s sake.

Spring 2004

I’m having more come-backs than Frank Sinatra, as my other granddaughter Leanne was unable to attend last years open week-end, Irene and my self have decided to have just one more Tenovus week-end, so I hope you can all join us.

Autumn 2004

It is with regret, that we really do discontinue our annual Tenovus week-ends. As my mate Mr. Tom Whitlock said, `You can't have a garden open week-end, with out a show' least that’s how we see it, having both been used to, putting on a show for a number of years.  I'm afraid this really is the last time Irene and I will entertain you like this, we have been extremely lucky to have had your support for all these years, and we'll miss these happy times. By the way, the reason the open week-end is so late this year is, the marriage of our granddaughter Leanne and her husband Tom, was on the 21st of August, and as she missed the one we had in 2003, she didn't want to miss this one, our last. This week-end is the first opportunity we've had to stage it, since they come back from their honeymoon. I'm sorry the dahlias are not at their best, most having had their first flowers, and only a few have their second flush completely out.

Left alone and Sir Bobby M shines.		My youngest daughter on the raffle.

	A Very dull day at the end of October 2004

Things won't be quite as bad as it seems, the front will always be full of bedding, and when it isn’t, you’ll know I’m getting passed it.  I'll still grow my dahlias, which will be taking up most of my attention, although I've promised myself and Irene, I won't be growing quite as many, and gradually they will consist of all my own varieties. I've been lucky this year, out of a one hundred and sixty seedlings grown, I have about ten varieties worthy of a second assessment. So if anyone is interested with my progress, they can look me up throughout next year, and every other year, come to that, God willing, especially during the months of August and September. For those of you who know about our new dahlia `Charlie Dimmock' I'm pleased to say it will be on sale in Halls of Heddon's catalogues in the Autumn at £3-50 a cutting, a pound of which will go to Charlie Dimmock's charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer. As for the  variety Sir Bobby `M' I haven't give up on it, and intend to see if I can get a Dutch nurseryman, and friend, to market it as a garden dahlia, it is more suitable for this purpose.

We wish you all the best, keep safe, and call in to see us from time to time, do you here.

Ken and Irene Stock.