Morning all,

I must admit to being rather partial to a stiff breeze these days but tonight’s approaching storm is making me a bit nervous.

Hopefully by the time you read this it with have all blown over and things aren’t quite as bad as the news would have us believe. At least we have had ample warning this time which is great. We’ve been around and battened down just about all we can so we can’t do much more. Had an exciting week here with most of the spring flowering bulbs arriving at last and getting potted. Apparently their season was very late and supplies have been short and delayed. We have potted a lovely big batch of Snakes Head Fritillaries again this time in an effort to get another stunning spring display. Unfortunately the last two years have seen the whole lot go to the mice as they dug them up and carried them off, the little tykes. This time we have potted them onto Danish trolleys and will keep them there until they actually come into growth hoping that this will fool them. Generally our autumn mouse control programme we started a few weeks ago should keep us ahead of the game anyway, with well over 40 already snapped.

We tested out the health and welfare services this week when one of our elderly neighbours unfortunately had a bit of a fall and I’m very glad to say that everyone was brilliant. Nothing like the horror stories you read about. From the emergency call line staff, the care company girls who pop in each day to help out, the ambulance and casualty staff from the hospital, the district nurse, the social workers to the rehab hospital where she is now recovering. Luckily everyone already knew her case so the lines of communication were more or less in place but everything just went so smoothly you felt she was in good

caring hands. I know these things don’t always go quite this well but it was very reassuring to me that there is a system there with loads of very caring folk working hard to make it work and it can do great things. Hoorah. A bit of a well done to Caroline too, who was by her side all the evening and night to oil the wheels and help out with background info and stuff. It was a very long night in the end but ended as well as it possibly could.

I’m really pleased with this week’s ‘pallet’ shed/woodstore construction. I managed to find enough nearly matching pallets to make what I think is quite a smart building but was soon knocked back to earth when Catherine commented that it wasn’t really an ‘upcycling’ use of the pallets. I had been thinking of moving in as it was so nice, perhaps it’s a bit of a blokes thing getting that excited about a shed. Anyway it’s not quite finished yet and I’m just hoping it’s still there tomorrow.I will just have another walk round to check all is ok, then it’s back indoors for a cosy evening in and a tense night.

Box returns

Lots of boxes have been successfully repatriated so thanks for the great response to the appeal I sent out for their return. I know there are still quite a few out there so please do let us know if you have any ready to collect and we will schedule them in for collection when we are next close by. Alternatively if there aren’t too many we may elect to pick them up on the next delivery in the up and coming spring rush!

Please feel free to continue to keep what you need to keep our stock on display, but a gathering of our boxes used for other displays would be appreciated. If you do love the display boxes and you desperately want to keep up that image for other parts of your plant area then why not consider getting in your own stock of trays. Our supplier is C. Jackson www.cjackson.co.uk/plant_trays.htm and they can make you your own plain or branded/printed trays at a very reasonable cost. It is really very important we get these boxes returned or accounted for, so we can maintain a good looking and sustainable delivery and display system. Please do drop us an email to update us on the current position if you haven’t already done so.

Cheers.

Have a good one from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.