Soggy, crocked and cutting it fine.

I have my RHS Advanced practical exam on Thursday. This will involve an hour of digging and plot work, an hour of speed work in the potting shed and an hour in the lab. So waking this morning with my back muscles in spasm and unable to bend was a bit of a bother. Not sure what I’ve done, but hopefully it will sort itself out in time. I still have hours of plant ident revision to do and three evenings left to do it in. Just as well I have a good short term memory – I’ll need it.

The nursery has gone very quiet, very suddenly. I had been told by experienced hands that this would happen, though it was hard to imagine when the place was mobbed back in June. Today’s steady rain put off all but the most determined visitors and I am always impressed by the resilience of those who turn up regardless and who invariably find something that pleases them in the most atrocious weather. Personally, I find it hard to feel upbeat in persistent, driving drizzle and a cheery customer is a great tonic. And the upside is that we are steaming ahead with cuttings, seeds and tidying up ready for next year.