My prickly friends.

First thanks to everyone for their sympathy. Backs are complex things. They can give you no trouble for almost 82 years and then suddenly you can strain a muscle hardly knowing how you have done it.
For a few days until I am fully mobile again blip photos may be of what is near at hand.

Here are some of my prickly collection. These are from seed I sowed about four years ago. They are just about to be moved, along with about twenty others, from windowsills in the house for their summer holidays in the alpine house.

Not everyone likes them. But I love the great variety in form and the fact that you can go away for three weeks and they will not complain about having no water.