Birthday Present
My parents have always had a nice garden, and I guess Mum's enthusiasm for plants rubbed off on me. Sometime before my seventh (I think) birthday, my parents asked me what I would like, and I said a greenhouse. It seems like most seven year olds want a box of chocolates, a doll or a pony. Guess what I got for my birthday, yes of course you're right, a greenhouse. The men came and erected it the day before, so it was a surprise, because I don't think I really expected to get it.
Of course, the greenhouse was bare of any plants when I got it, but my mother had got some old carpet, and carpeted the greenhouse with it, so my birthday party was held in the greenhouse. With birthday money I bought a grape vine, and I got quite interested in cactus and succulents. All, or most, of these are still alive and growing, although I haven't been able to give them as much time the last few years as I used to.

Grape Vine
The grape vine has its own funny story. We bought it as a Black Hamburg, and for the first few years we wondered how mature it would need to be before its fruit ripened and went black instead of green. We eventually realised it was a white grape variety which had been wrongly labelled, by which time it was rather late to take it back to the nursery, some near Lancaster. Still the grapes are gorgeous when they are ripe. Last year we were still eating fresh, home grown grapes past Christmas and into January of this year.

Tomatoes
I used to grow tomatoes in it, too, and fresh tomatoes not only taste better than supermarket ones, but they smell incredibly delicious also. Mum also grows several kinds of pepper, and basil.

Unidentified Flowering Bulb
I acquired this on a visit to Croston Cacti many years ago. It just happened to be in one of the pots of cacti. The owner of Croston Cact, a very nice man, didn't know what it was, and I have neve yet found out, despite haveing a few relations who are plant "experts". It has reproduced bulbils every year, and the main bulb is now quite large. This, late September / October 2003, is the first time it has flowered, possibly due to the long hot summer, possibly it takes this time to reach maturity, or perhaps a combination. Anybody know what it is?

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Cactus in Flower Unidentified Flowering Bulb

Juliana Greenhouses
I was surprised to learn about a company called Juliana Greenhouses. Juliana is a Danish company whose main business is manufacturing greenhouses. According to their website (juliana.com):-

• Juliana was the first company in Denmark (and the very first outside England) to produce hobby greenhouses in great numbers.
• Juliana has a considerable export in Western European countries with Juliana subsidiaries in both England and Germany.
• Juliana is situated in the outskirts of Odense with more than 7,000 sq. metres (75,000 sq. feet) at our disposal.
• With the modern production potential Juliana is able to produce one greenhouse or conservatory every fifth minute.