Morning all
A few weeks of more buoyant sales is such a relief but we could do with a few more yet and hopefully a good gardening weather weekend down here might just help out. Mind you it provides a new set of stresses. We move from worrying about the lack of sales and saving money where we can to running around trying to get everything done to keep up with demand but finding a lack of hours in the day and days in the week. Still it is a much more stimulating pr essure and does inject a bit of excitement again after a long absence.

It can be easy to get lost in your own troubles, but it could be worse. We had a nasty reminder of that this week with a traffic accident a little way along our road. Sadly a young women dog walker died, hit by a 17 year old girl on a difficult section of road with no pathway. So many people’s lives forever torn apart in an instant. Take a step back, count your blessings and take care out there.

Feeling better? I’m taking a step away today by going to see Southampton play their last game of the season. My first Premiership game for years, Stoke at home with nothing to play for, should be a humdinger! Also got a quick trip down the road to pick up some more straw for the donkeys, it’s all go. Made up for the lost time by starting at 6.30 and planning some label printing for tonight so shouldn’t lose too much production and keeps the guilt level down. As Seasick Steve says on his great new cd Hubcap Music, ‘I’m a self sufficient man, I take care of my own knees’, he must have worked hard too!

Availability

Incarvillea are showing buds and the occasional flower, looking chunky, an exotic but hardy surprise to many in the garden. Another delightful unusual one is the Primula viallii, the Chinese pagoda primrose which is now shooting and showing buds. Delicate ferny foliage of Thalictrum diptocarpum with strong flower shoots thrusting through.

The dwarf Polemonium Bambino Blue is looking great, strong chunky growth with bud showing and colour about to burst. Strong Aquilegias still look full of life and vigour, stonking flower spikes showing bud and colour, the best we have ever grown. Long spurred flowers of A. Mckana’s Hybrids looking very impressive in a great colour range. Striking large blue flowers of A. Alpina, Short stems of the Winky range are very colourful holding their heads up to show off the colour. Then there are the taller Barlow types, strong stems with more subtle hanging flowers. A great show.

Catananche have started pushing up their flower spikes ready to show off yummy sky blue summer flowers

More Geraniums showing flower buds as spring blooms. G sanguinium (purple flowers), G.s. striatum (lovely clear pink), Brookside and Gravetye showing buds and the odd blue flower.

Pretty deep pink flowers of Erodium ‘Bishops Form’ are already showing with loads to follow although only a few left.

Dainty but striking red flowers of Heuchera Ruby Bells and Firefly look delightful.

Very strong plants of Centaurea dealbata are producing buds. A perennial cornflower with a magenta punch.

The glorious hardy perennial Gladiolus byzantinus buds are appearing.

Salvia’s are all beginning to bud up, still lovely chunky plants with that promise of colour round the corner.

Verbascum Phoeniceum Hybids and the white form V.p. Album are showing their first flower shoots and looking chunky.

The delightfull short pink flower spikes of Verbascum Pink Kisses are starting to show. The dark flowering V. Cherry Helen are also just beginning to throw up the odd flower shoot and looking strong.

Veronica gentianoides producing flower shoots now, full of vigour and showing its delightful pale blue flowers.

We produced a new range of Phlox for this spring as a trial and have been very impressed with their strength and vigour. The Flame series is a more compact strain with improved disease resistance and available in a wide colour range. Just a few left.

Eco news

Our new design of backing board is now being sent out. It looks the same on the visible bit above the box edge, but a cleverer design should make them easier to install and uses less card to make them. The reduction in material volume keeps costs down and further reduces waste.

Nature update

The last few weeks of warmer weather seems to have spurred on the birds with loads of fledglings appearing last week, robins, pigeons, jackdaws, blackbirds among many. I hope there is enough food out there, it’s still a bit cool for the time of year. Tadpoles seem to be growing well in the pond although the plant growth in there is so rampant it is difficult to see in now.

Availability List availability!

Need a fresh list? You can download a copy from www.kirtonfarm.co.uk/assets/perennialsherbs.pdf

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries