MIND THE GAP

Yes actually, I do! Several years ago, I can't remember when exactly, we were at Drakontoschisma and I spotted a curious wild vine growing through some of the wild olive trees at the goat station there. The stem of the vine looked very similar to a grape vine, but up in the olive canopy was a different story altogether. The vine looked far more like something adapted to a coastal habitat with fleshy spokes poking out all around like a rather over-enthusiastic umbrella skeleton. There were fruits dotted about, very similar in appearance to individual pomegranate seeds. If anyone knows what this plant may be I'd be most interested to find out.

Anyway, I thought that the overall appearance was rather attractive and a little like one of those retro fibre-optic lamps. I collected as many seeds as I could reach (six) and brought them home to plant. Two germinated. They turn out to be slow growing on an almost geological scale, though perhaps it's simply that they are not happy with the soil I gave them. I planted one down at the cottage to make a decorative feature of an otherwise interest-free wild tree of which we have a multitude, and the other was kept safely in its pot in case of mishap.

Mishap 1 happened almost immediately when, despite my pointing out its location and importance, it was slashed to a height of about an inch by a strimmer operator wearing a visor to protect his eyes but apparently not much else. Mishap 2 happened late last night when mother sheep decided to take a nibble from a plant pot. Plant 2 had grown to about six feet and was looking robust but mother has bitten right through the main stem about two inches above the surface of the soil and below any subdivision of the plant.

I have never disliked a sheep as much as I do this one. Roll on Easter!