Morning all
Another busy week on the sales front as the summer flowering stuff and delicious herbs hit the spot. Hopefully this blast of summer gets everyone into the gardens and enjoying their efforts. I suspect a cooler spell with a drop of rain wouldn’t go amiss but at least everyone has been able to get outside this summer.


I can’t say this is the best weather for me, I wilt too easily and get stressed about getting the water on the plants, especially when it always seems the time when the systems decide to go bonkers. We are very grateful to our electricians for sourcing a replacement control unit for one of the irrigation pumps that lost the plot a couple of weeks ago (at less cost than expected but more than a bargain). We have stuttered on with one pump instead of two which makes everything a bit of a juggle in the sunshine but now we have both on and back to full flow and pressure. Phew.

Made the most of my HDC levy payments this week by attending the Summer Herbaceous Group meeting. It was really good, picked up a few nuggets of info which will help us move forward another step or two and met lots of other growers to swap a few ideas. One interesting device was a powdery mildew predictor based around a special memory stick and an HDC computer programme. It looks very practical, good value and could help reduce spray applications for lots of growers which is benificial on lots of fronts. It is easy to say that any spray is a bad spray but there are some plants that would never get to the garden centre without some protection. Having a simple prediction device reduces the spray applications, spray costs, labour, the rate of disease resistance build up and should reduce waste through unsalable stock. The wonders of modern technology. The sandwiches were really good too, so made the most of that. Had an apple for dessert to compensate for carb overdose.

I was inspired enough to get out the Evaposensor kit I purchased a while ago which should allow infinite adjustments to the irrigation system allowing for the daily variations in water loss from the crops. It is quite a simple idea but the instructions for fitting one bit of technology to another bit (each made by a different company) so that they talk to each other are a bit sketchy. There are quite a few wires, circuit boards and terminal blocks involved and you can’t always tell what goes where. I filed it away hoping it would fit itself one day but no luck with that. Having now made some progress I have come to a complete stop where I need expert input, so emails and photos are whizzing about to various targets trying to get some answers. It looks like I am going to have to pay for someone who knows about both bits of kit to come and help out, naturally this isn’t the supplier of both bits of kit, what would they know! Sticking to manual adjustments for the moment.

Availability

Summer must be here as most of the stunning Hemerocallis are showing plenty of bud with some colour. The dark flowered varieties Crimson Pirate and Pardon Me looking great, and the two-tone blooms of Frans Hals and Pandora’s Box are starting to open. The scented delicate pale yellow of Citrina contrast beautifully with the deep gold of Aten. Don’t forget the large flowered Catherine Woodbury with her big pink blousy heads and of course the ever flowering Stella de Oro.

Short and chunky Lythrum Robin are colouring up nicely, a great addition to the border and loved by the butterflies and bees.

Exotic Oxalis is up and in bud. Purple foliage and pale pink flowers of O. triangularis are stunning. Iron Cross is in flower too. Campanula carpatica short and chunky with masses of buds coming. Only a few of the striking white ones left.

Platycodon varieties are showing their first buds and odd open flower. Those balloon flowers are just awesome.

Stunning foliage colours of Heuchera Melting Fire, Marvellous Marble and Palace Purple alongside the fresh strong green of Malachite, all great additions to any garden.

Delicate, pale yellow flowers of Coreopsis Moonbeam looking fab.

Plenty of bud and flower showing on the deliciously scented Garden Pinks Dianthus.

Very strong Tradescantia in many colours with bud and flower colour in abundance. The dwarf and chunky Satin Doll are just starting opening now.

We have our best Japanese Anemones ever at the moment, stonkingly bushy plants. Most are throwing up their first flower stems with Serenade looking very strong and the short white of Andrea Atkinson just getting going.

The grasses are coming into their own at the moment. Carex Evergold and Ice Dance both look fantastic and the silver variegated Miscanthus Morning Light is very strong this year with the first delicate flower heads just appearing.

Nature notes

Our first Elephant Hawk Moth of the season appeared this week, stunning colours and size. Difficult to believe it’s one of ours.

Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries