Bit nippy and damp today but at least the turbines are going round. A nice bit of rain should quell the worries of water restrictions for a bit and suppress the urge to buy frost sensitive bedding weeks before the frost risk passes. Those heady days of 20C+ seem a long way off now but I’m sure they will return eventually, probably in October.
We have had another very hectic week, although not particularly on orders after Sunday closing and Bank holiday Monday’s rain. The new air heater in the propagation tunnel was fitted and is running well, removing the need for the electric fire collection which had been put in as temporary frost protection. We have tidied up a few tunnels making some more space for the potting team which they have refilled with lovely fresh stock.

Feeling a bit jaded this morning after a full social schedule this week. On Monday I did a delivery to Cornwall leaving here after lunch listening to 8hrs of football on Radio 5Live getting back just after the Chelsea game finished at 10.30, missed dinner. We finished our skittles season in style losing 3-0 on Tuesday, naturally the chef was off so no dinner that night. Thursday saw a trip to Wimborne Dorset to see Marcus Bonfanti in concert. Left in plenty of time with dinner booked in at a friend’s nearby. Major crash at Ringwood which was announced on the radio as we came to a standstill, 1.5 hours later we moved off and headed straight to the theatre missing dinner again. We missed the support act but caught the main show which was brilliant, shame there weren’t more there to see it, a fantastic singing, guitar playing and writing talent, entertaining and loud! He is something between, Jimmy Page and Seasick Steve, a great blues entertainer, check him out if you get the chance www.marcusbonfanti.com . Last night saw a double event, Caroline went to see Saints lose to Reading in a top of the table clash and I went to the hockey club black tie dinner. Luckily I managed to find a substitute partner to go with and I think I had the better night, dad dancing until the early hours. Not a pretty sight.

It’s always when you are a bit tired that things conspire against you. Late on Thursday we had a spectacular thunderstorm and over the next 24 hours kept finding things that had been knocked out by it. One turbine tripped out, the irrigation pumps went down, the boilers went off, part of the phone system won’t work and the software got upset on our special handheld computer we use for updating stock info. We have put right everything but the phones, so well done us. Then on Friday Phil our main driver phoned in to say the warning lights had come on again in the new van and he was on his way to the garage, we had only had it back on the road 3 days. Luckily it turned out to be nothing major and it was put right in an instant. It’s such fun running your own nursery, it’s so relaxing working with nature and the seasons, anyone will tell you that. Luckily there are lots of things about that can improve my mood. I always take great heart from the many occasions when my tea bag goes straight in my mug when thrown from the other side of the table.

Eco News

I’ve been feeding and watering my beetle breeding bucket and there are signs on life in there so hopefully they will do their job consuming all our root nibblers in the propagation tunnels. I had to build them a little shelter this week to keep them from getting to hot in the sun, I hope they appreciate it.

We have a group of prospective turbine buyers coming round this week to see our installation. They are hoping to see a warts and all real life scheme rather than just buying from a brochure, which is very sensible. I hope I get time to go up with them to temper the enthusiasm of the salesman with a bit of realism. I am still very keen on ours but there have been more problems with keeping them going than I expected. Last time I spoke to the chief mending man I said ‘is it just me?’ and he said ‘yes’. So that’s official, they’ve all got it in for me.

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries