The one we'd had for two years succumed to that sharp frost we had in April. For weeks afterwards, it was impossible to find anyone on-line who had another until last week, when I finally found one. Previously, every supplier had them listed but "out of stock." All I got for looking was another "cookie." It arrived today in a sturdy carton with a strong bamboo cane in the pot for protection. With the pot, it was a couple of feet high. I've re-potted it in a larger plastic pot, in ericaceous compost, with some added "root booster." It's "a suitable case for training" in that I'll balance out the branches by wiring them as they grow to get a more even spread. As expected it's another grafted plant, which can be a bit "precious." So in the late autumn I'll move it into the shed for protection. I'll have a look in Dobies tomorrow for another green ceramic pot, like the couple of dozen we have for other plants, but I'm not hopeful. I won't re-pot it, just place it in the new one as it is.
It's never too early to start training. I'm gently persuading it to achieve a more balanced distribution of branches. I'll leave it like this for a while and see how it performs. This one didn't end up like this all by itself. It had a year's training back in 2007. ">
