Try a William Boyd novel. They hook you from the start, have interesting and original plots and are not overly long. What's more there are lots of them, and relatively easy to find in second-hand bookshops. Perfect for a holiday read, if you are stuck on a difficult novel or just want something a bit different. His books sometimes feel like he has written them with the aid of a special book-kaleidoscope: twist it again, 10 bizarre plot-lines fall out and Boyd glues them together in 300 pages. Try one!
One is born to do it, and the other has to be trained. I'm talking fruit trees; what else! Both are types of restricted fruit trees called columnar trees, and as that name suggests they are tall and thin. Really, they are just vertical cordons. Some trees grow like that naturally but they are unusual; one cultivar is Flamenco . However, any cultivar can be trained ie pruned to grow tall and thin. Pruning is the same as for cordons or espaliers:- Summer pruning, laterals to 3 buds above the basal cluster and sub-laterals to one bud above the basal cluster. This is my columnar tree, a cultivar called The Big Purple . (A minarette not a ballerina.)
Today I launched our cottage for 2012 with a blog running for 12 consecutive days and ending on Xmas Eve; see http://thefarlandsturkeychronicles.blogspot.com/ Will the turkeys make the New Year? You'll just have to read it!
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