Well I had continued the project started in the last post not long after it was published and I really felt I had some momentum going. Gven the scale of the task at hand I employed an MP3 player dictophone thing, rather than walk around with a notepad and effectively writing all those things twice. It was on completion of indoor-greenouse-polytunnel section of this task that I discovered that I had made some error and that I had spent half an hour walking around loudly and clearly stating the latin names of many plants for no reason whatsoever.
It is to my shame that I have not resumed this exercise in the intervening period particularly given that it is a legal requirement to commence an annual stock-take. I think....I need legal advice really for all of these things I do. When you have a job all of that's kind of done for you but I'm self-employed and all that I'm aware of is that I have to be insured in case I hurt somebody and that I have to pay the government some of what I earned. However how much should I pay on all of these plants I've made before they've been sold? Should I actually claim back tax for their upkeep until that unhappy day of separation? I really don't know. Also half of them belong to Dee-dee, half of every plant that is. He employs himself same as I do but we share the nursery. It should really be a legal entity in itself I suppose but it isn't so there you go. It's a time-resources thing.
Now this time of year, of course, time is in much greater supply that usual. The ground is either too frozen or too wet to seriously do anything with and all the sensible plants have, at the very least stopped growing. This also creates a bit of a funding crisis as you'd expect. The idea is that when the sun is shining and one can work, a resource surplus is accumulated to carry one through the winter months. At the most basic level this consists of a freezer full of beans, cabbage, berries sort of thing but more significantly a big old pile of money, after all the rent, loan payments, water rates, council tax, none of that stops. Well, the council tax does stop for 2 months doesn't it? Phew. So anyway this year, even accounting for the expense Kris-mas (the crazy laughing 'record-breakers', sprinter winterval celebration) I'd just about got enough spare moochie for about 3 weeks of absolutely no work. Then December 2010 happened. Wow! It were right nippy and for absolutely ages. Then the van insurance renewel was 3 times last years. Ouch! Here's a money-saving tip for you a'la Martin Lewis of Jeremy Vine show fame - Don't get caught by armed policeman going down the wrong down a road iun an airport. It was signposted badly you bastards! Anyway that was years ago. Just took the insurers a while to find out. How was I supposed to know that was a 'conviction'. In my mind the only 'conviction' I had was of my utter innocence.
It wasn't for some sympathetic clients ( they know I'm The Best) and the housing association job, I would have gone under by now for sure. What a disaster. I'm living like Ed Reardon. Actually I've meant to talk some here about the housing association job, as it's some of the most interesting work I do and has given me the chance to some gloves-off garden creation in an inner-city area but sadly I don't know if I'll still be doing it in March as the contract is due for renewel and they might want a firm better resourced and organised. I mean I've not been certain of this job continuing indefinately since the end of the 1st year and I'm now into the 3rd. If it looks like I'll still be doing it in the 2011 season I'll start talking about it more and post some pics.
Anyway I'll see if I can get the stock-take done over the next few days and post thoses fascinating lists on here. Until then, just to whet the appetite of all you inferior turkey-necks of the horticultural world I'll leave you with the exciting news that that the Helicodiceros muscivorus are romping away and might even peak too early for this season's shows. We'll see.
Much love!
K
