How I Spent a Soggy Sunday

As I sat eating my morning muesli I looked at my lovely lime tree overwintering on the kitchen windowsill and realised it was not looking quite as lovely as it might.  Close examination revealed that it was infested with scale insects, plus a touch of spider mite.  There was nothing for it – armed with a bottle of methylated spirits and lots of cotton wool buds, I began the laborious task of cleaning them off every leaf  and stem.  As each branch was completed I draped a piece over string on it (the last thing I wanted to do was lose track of what I had and hadn’t done).  Even so, it took the best part of three hours.  Thank goodness for Radio Four’s Listen Again.