Head of vermin control and other things

Monday morning and the main topics of conversation have been rising food prices, the end of easy credit, global warming, predicted petrol price increases, Gordon Brown and who drank most over the weekend. Wind and rain have forced me into the office to write this update. Pip the dog (head of vermin control), who usually doesn’t like to get her hair messed up in this weather, and who, as she gets older tends to prefer lazing on a chair, only becoming animated when the fridge is opened, is instead outside, being driven to distraction by baby squirrels. Having chased one up a tree she seems to be under the impression that if she yelps and yaps long enough it will do the decent thing and surrender itself. Not a chance-when will she learn? Squirrels have been a huge problem at the nursery in the past, digging up bulbs and hiding acorns in pots and, more seriously in the crowns of tree ferns. A germinating oak tree can play havoc with emerging crosiers so don’t forget to regularly check tree fern crowns over autumn and winter. Having caught one a couple of weeks ago she was barred from bringing it into the office so instead, insisted on dragging its bloody corpse around the nursery in full view of customers – not a pretty or welcoming sight.
The weather has reminded us that winter is just around the corner and so our thoughts are turning to dull things like glasshouse repairs and moving tender plants into winter quarters. No need to rush to move tenders at home just yet but we have so many to move, we have to make a start about now.