I absolutely and unreservedly apologise for the hurt I have obviously caused; it really wasn’t my intention. I wasn’t laughing at anyone, but now of course I can see how that inference could be taken. As a gardener I just thought it was a colourful image, but in no way did I mean to demean anyone. Please, please try to forget this, and know that if we had been talking in the same room instead of sending messages down a wire, you would have seen that I meant no harm. I feel terrible, and am very sorry.