It looks as if winter is on its way at last.  It will be interesting to see if the long warm summer we have experienced will influence the flowering of our plants next year. I wonder do they flower better after a long period of dormancy or after a short one?

  The Oxford Branch Mesemb and Succulent Show once more came up to expectations.  There were some spectacular plants on show.  Doug Willis’ Haworthia truncata was the best succulent in the show.  It is really looking wonderful at the moment. 

  There are not many flowers in the greenhouse now –Mammillaria plumosa in full flower is the main exception, there are also a few stray flowers on other Mammillaria and some Aloes seem to flower on and off all the year around.  Most of the Mesembs have finished their flowering as well.  I would be in danger of going into a deep depression were it not for the Christmas Cacti and a few other winter flowering plants which are budding up well and promising to put on a good show.  We had a very interesting talk on Pelargoniums at the Judges Course this year and I have bought a few of those to add to the winter interest.

  My days are not idle however – I have started to make inroads into the mountain of dirty flower pots that have been awaiting washing (my least favourite job).  It is surprising how many plants have been potted on over the past few months. I shall also soon do my annual stocktake to keep my records up to date.  I like to be able to look back to see how long I have had a plant, whether I grew it from seed or where I acquired it.

 Some people record when they last repotted each plant – I don’t go quite that far.