Home sweet home

[Ernie]

Thought I would join the grand tour for a quick visit- inside photos later when the cabbages stir.(no Cacti sorry)

Self built self designed and much smaller than the one I had before but it serves my needs these days. The big palm has survived the worst winter we have ever had.

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[Peter]

Smart design and construction Ernie. No cacti, though - I think that some counselling and psychotherapy is needed. I'll book you into a course and hope that things get better for you. Some people's lives do sometimes bring me to the verge of tears.

[Ernie]

I looked at your cacti collection and it did cross my mind that I may have made a mistake by crossing totally to the dark side . I did have a lot of cacti in my previous greenhouse ,however my love of succulents and in particular Haworthias/Aloes together with the knowledge that I am limited as to what I can do these days convinced me to stick to succulents.

[Ernie]

BTW Peter having had 20 years of Pills/Counselling/Pyscotherapy for Bi-Polar condition I dont need anymore The best therapy I find is going into the greenhouse shutting the door and talking to my plants! (men in white coats not needed ) When they start talking back thats when I will know its time to worry.

Hospitals could do with having greenhouses on site but I guess health & safety rules would prevent that.

[Peter]

Ernie, you'll get on very well with our Moderator, Bill. He's got thousands of those unmentionable plants. However, I'm afraid that in his case, he's got it so bad that there's no medication in this world that would cure him. We try to say nice things to him - but there I go, just thinking of him and I'm reaching for a Kleenex.

Best wishes.

[Acid John]

Peter do you always reach for the kleenex when thinking of Bill

[sue46]

Peter just been looking at your old post about moving all those plants I take it they all survived!

[Peter]

Acid John - some of the times it's the Kleenex when I think of Bill and his hundreds of weeds, however on certain embarrassing occasions it's been a desperate rush for the Andrex!

Sue - most survived, but it took 7 trips in a 3 tonne van from Warrington (about an hour's trip on a good day) for Mrs T and I to shift the plants. The worst moment came on one trip when an idiot in a green 3-series BMW in front of us suddenly decided to slam his brakes on for no reason. There was a general screeching of brakes from a line of traffic behind him and over went shelves in the van. Quite a few hundred plants were piled up on the floor of the van, empty pots, compost, labels, what a shambles. I still have plants that I can't match up with labels. Also there's a few (including a large multi-headed Noto Magnificus) that got somewhat bruised.

And then it took Perity's from August until November to deliver the greenhouse, by which time the plants - being laid out in a paddock in the open air, had suffered a couple of frosts. And then I had to make the staging, followed by Mrs T and I, with sparse and inadequate assistance from son and daughter, having to move 'em all into the greenhouse.

It's no wonder that I twitch, drink Scotch, and Mrs T (who hates the blinking plants) imbibes vast quantities of Bristol Cream. She says that the next time there's thoughts of moving house the plants won't be moved again, to which I tell her that I'll try to remember to give her a call to wherever it is she goes.

[Bill]

Watch it Peter Anyhow I don't quite have 1,000s just well over a 1,000 but I also have hundreds of those pesky spiky things too.

As it happens I gave a good home to some of Ernie's plants from his previous collection and it's good to see him back even if only cabbages

Bill

[sue46]

Ouch Peter, that sounded an awful experience! Why can't people love these spiney plants As my neighbour down the road, (who I have just found out also grows these plants, whose father had a greenhouse full years ago), said to me 'I am just amazed by them, especially when they flower'.