it rained

It rained.  That is really the most interesting thing that happened all day.  It was raining at the plant centre until late afternoon, while I hoped it was raining on my garden at home.  When I got back we had had 12mm, so half an inch.  We need much, much more, on our own account here, and to revive trade at work.  However, 12mm is not to be sneezed at.

Customers trundled in despite the rain.  One wanted a variety of elm whose name I didn't recognise, but I worked out from Hillier's directory which one he meant, and looked up local stockists for him in the Plant Finder.  There are three nurseries in the Eastern region that list it, but we don't.  I don't grudge spending time helping people search for plants that we don't list.  Plants are our business, and other nurseries do the same for us.

Someone else telephoned and said that she knew we didn't stock bark, but could I let her have the name and phone number of a supplier who did.  I told her the name of the firm I knew locally.  She wanted the phone number.  I apologised that I didn't have the number to hand, but was sure they would be in the Yellow Pages or on the net.  She didn't have a Colchester Yellow Pages or a computer, and pressed for me to give her the number.  I apologised (with diminishing sincerity) that I didn't have a Yellow Pages myself.  You have to draw the line somewhere.  She knew we don't stock bark, and we are a shop attempting to make a profit, not a free telephone number finding service.

Other than that I tidied up dahlias and crocosmias that had overwintered in the greenhouse at work, and after lunch when it was still raining, but not as hard, started putting that morning's delivery of herbaceous plants out for sale.  A customer in search of dahlias was disappointed that we only had singles.  I saw his point.  I know they are more tasteful than the quilled and cactus varieties, but I like the big, elaborate, multi-petal ones myself.  Tasteful is all very well, and I can appreciate small green flowers as well as the next person (better, in fact, since they leave the Systems Administrator cold), but dahlias should be fun.

A week ago somebody put orange paint around the potholes in the back lane on my way home.  This still hasn't been followed by anybody filling them in, but I live in hope.  Today they had water in them.  Did I say that it rained, nearly all day?