Sunday 28 April 2013
Morning all,
Aaah, check out the date. Better pick up a nice plant to take home as it is our wedding anniversary today . I did get a reminder on Friday when a card arrived from mum. Still, 29 years on and neither of us ever seems to remember so we are at least even, besides every day is special so why pick on one. Ok you can be sick now. Perhaps a bit more effort next year.
An exciting day in store as Caroline has to seal 25,000 cottage cheese tubs and lids into bags for sterilising (we use them to grow the micro-propagated plantlets in). They are going off for treatment first thing Monday so no rush. I have a pile of things to do, all left over from this week when we were so busy that we had little time to do much else than pick up orders, hurrah.
It is quite a relief to see what an impact a bit of nice weather can have after over a year of disappointments, roll on more good gardening conditions. We are desperate that things continue to pick up for everyone, we all have a long way to go to recover our losses but at least the confidence starts to flow back with a bit of exciting sales activity.
A hard frost last night will have knocked back any over optimistic gardeners getting their summer stuff out too quickly, I hope not too many were caught out. There were certainly plenty of over optimistic people getting their stuff out last week on the streets when I was out delivering, shorts and skimpy tops all round and that was just the chaps, it looked like mid -summer. Personally I am happy to discard the electric generating fleece lined trousers but I won’t go much further than that just yet. We have actually booked a day off on the 1st June to go to the Watercombe Festival. It is a mini music festival in Ben Waters back garden in deepest Dorset as far as I can make out. My music festival experience revolves around lying in bed watching Glastonbury on the box which I thoroughly enjoy, I get a nice comfy seat, clean loo and lovely shower and we can turn it off and snuggle into soft linen when we have had enough. I’m sure in reality this will be just as good, at least it is only a short one and we know the music will be brilliant. Anyone could pitch up to play with Ben you just never know, he tours with a lot of great and sometimes famous musicians. Tickets are nearly sold out so you will have to be quick if you fancy a day out www.benwaters.com
Availability
Fantastic looking chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour, all with flower spikes showing, the best we have ever grown.
Geranium Samabor is the first Geranium in flower this year and looking good. The delicate Geranium nodosum is also about to flower too.
Polemonium Heaven Scent are SO attractive in this early period and the first flowers are already there.
Pretty pink flowers of Erodium ‘Bishops Form’ are already showing with loads to follow. Symphytums (Ornamental Comfrey) in colour and looking great.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and the first colour is showing. It will flower endlessly throughout the summer, a great garden favourite but there are only a few left.
The border bulbs are looking strong, buds are showing on the Alliums and some of the Camassia varieties.
A couple of the Verbascums are showing their first flower shoots and looking chunky. Thalictrum aquilegifolium showing strong flower shoots already.
Veronica gentianoides throwing up strong flower shoots now, full of vigour prior to showing its delightful pale blue flowers.
Nature stuff
The House Martins called in yesterday, just 3 or 4 we think. They had a quick check out of the last years nest sites, a bit of a chatter and then seem to have gone off for a bit of R and R which I vaguely remember them doing last year. I must remember to keep the yard puddle topped up as usual through the summer to assist in the nest building activities. I’m not sure if it is the clay content of the yard surface or the nice open site but this one puddle is popular all summer with the Swallows and House Martins for collecting their bricks.
Eco news
Just a couple of days in the month to go and we are already 12% up on the turbine output for the whole month so that very nearly catches up on our YTD estimate and puts us 10,000 units up on last year.
Availability List availability!
www.kirtonfarm.co.uk/assets/perennialsherbs.pdf
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday 22 April 2013
Morning all,
The plants are really in the spring mood and I am desperately hoping Joe Public is too. A beautiful weekend for gardening down here and buds is burstin’.
Can’t hang round long today as I need to get this list out there for the orders to flood in.
Last week in a nutshell would have been a record wind generation week if the wind had blown a bit more and we would have had a record week of sales if we had sold more. There that helps a lot.
Going to feel exhausted this afternoon after watching the fun runners finishing the London marathon. A great event but not something I could manage with all my physical ailments! Well done to all those taking part it is a great spectacle to see, a huge surge of humanity.
Availability
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour and starting to throw up flower spikes.
Geranium Samabor is the first Geranium in bud this year and we still have a few left.
Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing although only a few left.
Pulsatillas are showing their first flowers now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. They are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already there.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with the Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky. There is even the odd bud showing on some Alliums.
Anemone blanda Blue are showing plenty of bud and flower but not too many left. White has all gone I’m afraid.
Nature stuff
Swallows are back, so must be summer. Three arrived on Monday although one was getting harassment from the pair. Two roosted in the donkey shed and have been feeding over the nursery all week. Just a week or two and the House Martins will come home again, looking forward to their chatter and industrious nest building.
Eco news
The recent breezy weather produced our highest rolling 30 day turbine output so far generating just over 420 units a day.
Even the wood burner got let out, it ran about for a bit then came back in for the cooler evenings
Availability List availability!
If you ever need a fresh list should you mislay this one you can download and print off a copy from our website at;
www.kirtonfarm.co.uk/assets/perennialsherbs.pdf
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
The plants are really in the spring mood and I am desperately hoping Joe Public is too. A beautiful weekend for gardening down here and buds is burstin’.
Can’t hang round long today as I need to get this list out there for the orders to flood in.
Last week in a nutshell would have been a record wind generation week if the wind had blown a bit more and we would have had a record week of sales if we had sold more. There that helps a lot.
Going to feel exhausted this afternoon after watching the fun runners finishing the London marathon. A great event but not something I could manage with all my physical ailments! Well done to all those taking part it is a great spectacle to see, a huge surge of humanity.
Availability
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour and starting to throw up flower spikes.
Geranium Samabor is the first Geranium in bud this year and we still have a few left.
Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing although only a few left.
Pulsatillas are showing their first flowers now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. They are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already there.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with the Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky. There is even the odd bud showing on some Alliums.
Anemone blanda Blue are showing plenty of bud and flower but not too many left. White has all gone I’m afraid.
Nature stuff
Swallows are back, so must be summer. Three arrived on Monday although one was getting harassment from the pair. Two roosted in the donkey shed and have been feeding over the nursery all week. Just a week or two and the House Martins will come home again, looking forward to their chatter and industrious nest building.
Eco news
The recent breezy weather produced our highest rolling 30 day turbine output so far generating just over 420 units a day.
Even the wood burner got let out, it ran about for a bit then came back in for the cooler evenings
Availability List availability!
If you ever need a fresh list should you mislay this one you can download and print off a copy from our website at;
www.kirtonfarm.co.uk/assets/perennialsherbs.pdf
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday 15 April 2013
Morning all,
Definitely warmer now, what a relief, and after a very wet day here yesterday the forecast looks much better today just a bit of a breeze. Hopefully the pent up demand will overcome the not quite perfect weather and carry on the upturn we saw last week. Ok it didn’t quite set the world alight but it was the first week for over a year when sales were better than the year before which starts the big come back. I hesitate to remind you that it was this time last year the rain started and the fears of a big drought started to recede to be replaced by increasing sales of wet suits and dinghies.
The cold has held back most stock by several weeks but it looks great, and we are lucky that sales have kept up with growth rates so far and nothing has yet gone to waste. We have sold out of some lovely flowering spring stock which is a relief but the anxiety remains that the season ahead could be a short one with a lot of competition for display space. I just hope that panic selling doesn’t swamp the market and destroy the margins for all growers at a time when we all need to recover some economic sense from the shocking results of the inclement weather over the last 12 months. Fingers crossed for some good gardening weather and a lot of loose purse strings.
It’s been a hectic weekend here with a delicious dinner at The Plough in Sparsholt village, a less delicious offering at the hockey club dinner on Friday and a soggy burger at the finals of the Wessex League Cup on Saturday. Early on Friday we were down to six players for the finals but after a few beers at the dinner enthusiasm and bluster increased numbers to 12 which was just enough. One recruit couldn’t remember his offer of help and had to be dragged out of bed on Saturday morning but we all made it. Sadly in the semi final we were 5-0 down by half time but drew the second half 2-2 which was a
marginal moral victory. It hissed down the whole game so got soaked through, got changed into some dry warm kit to find out we were playing again in the 3rd-4th play off half an hour later. Got soaked again in that one but at least we won, although I can’t actually remember the score. By this time I was so wet the water running in my eyes was stinging so much I was struggling to see a thing. Luckily the temperature wasn’t too bad so it was still fun. Two games in a day for old gits is a bit much so on my return home I had to go to bed for a nap to recover the energy for evening pizza. The combination of prophylactic drugs and back brace seems to have saved my back to much discomfort and now I have the summer to recover before next season. Must get fit for that. I have to go now and take our niece to her Hampshire under 14’s fixture in Oxford which seems to take up most of the day but at least I don’t have to run about and the sun is out.
Availability
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great. Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour and starting to throw up flower spikes. Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. Still STUNNING AT THE MOMENT.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing plenty of bud and flower but not too many left. Nature stuff
Tadpoles hatched this week once the frost passed. They are looking lively despite the hammering the spawn took in the cold. Quite a bit of migrant bird activity over the last week or two. We had a couple of White wagtails for a short while (related to pied wagtails) and yesterday there were three blackcaps on the feeders.
Eco news
Nice run of breezy weather in April has yielded some great electric output putting us nearly 50% ahead of 2012 for the year to date. Our inland turbines peak their output at relatively low wind speeds so we don’t need storm force winds to get good results just a steady breeze.
Central heating went off again last week after a long run of boosting the wood burner output. A bit disappointing that we have had to burn so much more oil this winter having got away with just three weeks input last winter but there is no substitute for being cosy at home.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Definitely warmer now, what a relief, and after a very wet day here yesterday the forecast looks much better today just a bit of a breeze. Hopefully the pent up demand will overcome the not quite perfect weather and carry on the upturn we saw last week. Ok it didn’t quite set the world alight but it was the first week for over a year when sales were better than the year before which starts the big come back. I hesitate to remind you that it was this time last year the rain started and the fears of a big drought started to recede to be replaced by increasing sales of wet suits and dinghies.
The cold has held back most stock by several weeks but it looks great, and we are lucky that sales have kept up with growth rates so far and nothing has yet gone to waste. We have sold out of some lovely flowering spring stock which is a relief but the anxiety remains that the season ahead could be a short one with a lot of competition for display space. I just hope that panic selling doesn’t swamp the market and destroy the margins for all growers at a time when we all need to recover some economic sense from the shocking results of the inclement weather over the last 12 months. Fingers crossed for some good gardening weather and a lot of loose purse strings.
It’s been a hectic weekend here with a delicious dinner at The Plough in Sparsholt village, a less delicious offering at the hockey club dinner on Friday and a soggy burger at the finals of the Wessex League Cup on Saturday. Early on Friday we were down to six players for the finals but after a few beers at the dinner enthusiasm and bluster increased numbers to 12 which was just enough. One recruit couldn’t remember his offer of help and had to be dragged out of bed on Saturday morning but we all made it. Sadly in the semi final we were 5-0 down by half time but drew the second half 2-2 which was a
marginal moral victory. It hissed down the whole game so got soaked through, got changed into some dry warm kit to find out we were playing again in the 3rd-4th play off half an hour later. Got soaked again in that one but at least we won, although I can’t actually remember the score. By this time I was so wet the water running in my eyes was stinging so much I was struggling to see a thing. Luckily the temperature wasn’t too bad so it was still fun. Two games in a day for old gits is a bit much so on my return home I had to go to bed for a nap to recover the energy for evening pizza. The combination of prophylactic drugs and back brace seems to have saved my back to much discomfort and now I have the summer to recover before next season. Must get fit for that. I have to go now and take our niece to her Hampshire under 14’s fixture in Oxford which seems to take up most of the day but at least I don’t have to run about and the sun is out.
Availability
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great. Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour and starting to throw up flower spikes. Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. Still STUNNING AT THE MOMENT.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing plenty of bud and flower but not too many left. Nature stuff
Tadpoles hatched this week once the frost passed. They are looking lively despite the hammering the spawn took in the cold. Quite a bit of migrant bird activity over the last week or two. We had a couple of White wagtails for a short while (related to pied wagtails) and yesterday there were three blackcaps on the feeders.
Eco news
Nice run of breezy weather in April has yielded some great electric output putting us nearly 50% ahead of 2012 for the year to date. Our inland turbines peak their output at relatively low wind speeds so we don’t need storm force winds to get good results just a steady breeze.
Central heating went off again last week after a long run of boosting the wood burner output. A bit disappointing that we have had to burn so much more oil this winter having got away with just three weeks input last winter but there is no substitute for being cosy at home.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday 8 April 2013
Morning all,
OK this weekend it has all kicked off, hasn’t it? A marked weather improvement at the weekend with gradual temperature improvements through the coming week. What a relief, Spring may be arriving. I hope for everyone’s sake things really start to motor and we can all get some sales going, the whole nursery industry is desperate to clear some stock and get some cashflow recovery especially after last year’s problems with all that rain. Locally we had one of the Fargro nurseries on the TV news letting the world know how difficult life is for the producers right now which was good to see although it doesn’t actually help. Several retailers have been in the media too this week with tales of low plant sales but at least many of them can fall back on some other revenue sources like the catering or indoor sales, the growers are simple stuck with tiny sales now and even if sales pick up, a further delay in income for several weeks before many of the invoices we hope to be sending out get paid. We are extremely grateful to those who are paying up very promptly and all the other support we have received but be aware, those who take longer to pay, that you may get some fairly desperate calls for help over the next few weeks so please be sympathetic where you can. These are unprecedented times for the plant production industry and if you want UK suppliers next year you may need to apply common sense and positive support to your plant suppliers, a bit of help now is bound to have a positive impact on future relationships.
Over the past couple of weeks the micropropagation side of the nursery, which supplies young plants to other growers, has already seen a reaction to the current situation with orders being cut at the last minute from many nurseries both small and large and this is for stock for retailing in 2014 and 2015. We are doing our bit, which hurts, by allowing the orders to be reduced to try and help although this is bound to have a knock-on affect on us later. We are trying to juggle things about to reduce the impact so hopefully it won’t be disastrous, it just adds to that list of current challenges!
Not all the news is downbeat. We went out to see our favourite piano player Ben Waters http://www.benwaters.com last night who was playing with Nine Below Zero a great rock and blues band. A nice distraction from the cold weather. Check out Ben's CD ‘A tribute to Stu’ which is just ace for old fart easy boogie woogie listening. All the Stones are on there with some great performances, one of our bestist favourite CD’s. And all the profits go to the British Heart Foundation.
Luckily it has warmed up enough this weekend to wrestle me out of my Chums fleece lined trousers which have been well used over the last few weeks. I haven’t needed the turbines to generate power the combination of Chums trousers, fleece top and gloves create a sparky atmosphere whenever I get near anything metallic. Washing hands usually creates the best display of light and vocabulary just after I have peeled everything off. Trouble is with the current short term memory loss it always takes me by surprise, I have come pretty close to needing some of Chums other products to prevent an accident.
Availability
We had a visitor last week who was an ex executive at Body Shop. She loved the whole hairy pot thing and was a regular retail buyer. She mentioned that our plant purchases were something that inspired coffee table conversation with her girlfriends and that was unusual for a plant purchase. It was great to hear that we are sparking interest and discussion it’s a real boost.
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great. Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour.
Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. STUNNING AT THE MOMENT. The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing some bud and a flower or two.
Still lovely bud and flowers on the Helleborus niger too but only a few left. Eco news
Very grateful at the moment for the turbine income and savings made through all our sustainable efforts, they are helping keep costs down which could be vital for survival.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
OK this weekend it has all kicked off, hasn’t it? A marked weather improvement at the weekend with gradual temperature improvements through the coming week. What a relief, Spring may be arriving. I hope for everyone’s sake things really start to motor and we can all get some sales going, the whole nursery industry is desperate to clear some stock and get some cashflow recovery especially after last year’s problems with all that rain. Locally we had one of the Fargro nurseries on the TV news letting the world know how difficult life is for the producers right now which was good to see although it doesn’t actually help. Several retailers have been in the media too this week with tales of low plant sales but at least many of them can fall back on some other revenue sources like the catering or indoor sales, the growers are simple stuck with tiny sales now and even if sales pick up, a further delay in income for several weeks before many of the invoices we hope to be sending out get paid. We are extremely grateful to those who are paying up very promptly and all the other support we have received but be aware, those who take longer to pay, that you may get some fairly desperate calls for help over the next few weeks so please be sympathetic where you can. These are unprecedented times for the plant production industry and if you want UK suppliers next year you may need to apply common sense and positive support to your plant suppliers, a bit of help now is bound to have a positive impact on future relationships.
Over the past couple of weeks the micropropagation side of the nursery, which supplies young plants to other growers, has already seen a reaction to the current situation with orders being cut at the last minute from many nurseries both small and large and this is for stock for retailing in 2014 and 2015. We are doing our bit, which hurts, by allowing the orders to be reduced to try and help although this is bound to have a knock-on affect on us later. We are trying to juggle things about to reduce the impact so hopefully it won’t be disastrous, it just adds to that list of current challenges!
Not all the news is downbeat. We went out to see our favourite piano player Ben Waters http://www.benwaters.com last night who was playing with Nine Below Zero a great rock and blues band. A nice distraction from the cold weather. Check out Ben's CD ‘A tribute to Stu’ which is just ace for old fart easy boogie woogie listening. All the Stones are on there with some great performances, one of our bestist favourite CD’s. And all the profits go to the British Heart Foundation.
Luckily it has warmed up enough this weekend to wrestle me out of my Chums fleece lined trousers which have been well used over the last few weeks. I haven’t needed the turbines to generate power the combination of Chums trousers, fleece top and gloves create a sparky atmosphere whenever I get near anything metallic. Washing hands usually creates the best display of light and vocabulary just after I have peeled everything off. Trouble is with the current short term memory loss it always takes me by surprise, I have come pretty close to needing some of Chums other products to prevent an accident.
Availability
We had a visitor last week who was an ex executive at Body Shop. She loved the whole hairy pot thing and was a regular retail buyer. She mentioned that our plant purchases were something that inspired coffee table conversation with her girlfriends and that was unusual for a plant purchase. It was great to hear that we are sparking interest and discussion it’s a real boost.
Loads of stonking stock at the moment, the plants are later than last year but looking great. Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour.
Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. STUNNING AT THE MOMENT. The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums Bowles Mauve already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing some bud and a flower or two.
Still lovely bud and flowers on the Helleborus niger too but only a few left. Eco news
Very grateful at the moment for the turbine income and savings made through all our sustainable efforts, they are helping keep costs down which could be vital for survival.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Tuesday 2 April 2013
Morning All
Sun is shining and it looks lovely out there from in here! Nice breeze and 5C so perhaps not quite perfect outside but at least it is dry and above freezing during the day, well it is down here in the barmy south. I am sure there will be lots of people getting out there and getting stuck into a bit of gardening before hitting the Sunday roast and falling asleep in front of the boat r ace. We have lots of yummy stock ready to satiate demand when it takes off in the next few days.
Great day yesterday with a win by Southampton over Chelsea which Caroline went to see. Glad they got such a good result it is nice to get some positive news during such a tricky start on the nursery. I listened on the radio while installing a ‘new’ extract-plate storage facility in the potting tunnel, more commonly described as a shelf! Looks good and gets us even more ready for the busy season to come. Got a round of irrigating done then had to drain the system to reduce the potential for frost damage, something we are having to do every time we water which is frustrating with the cold nights at the moment. Luckily it is reasonably efficient to do as we push out the water from the irrigation pipes with a bit of compressed air controlled by solenoids and a computer. The turbines power the compressor so it is reasonably cheap to run and most of the water does end up on the crop.
Managed an hour in the field with the new metal detector last Sunday. Despite multiple layers of clothing my hands stopped working and I had to retire to tea and hot cross buns in front of the log burner but not before uncovering my first hoard. I am attaching an image of my treasures and am debating with Caroline about the ebay potential, could be more in it than Nursery production! For those on tenterhooks I have to say a collection of rusty nails, an inch or two of chicken wire and a broken plough share tip are not quite what I had pictured but it is a start. One of the nails is quite an old square headed one so could be valuable, I will look it up. The new mini shovel worked well especially when I held it away from the detector. Might be a bit of a mud issue in the house, it is even messier than nursery work.
Beginning to run a bit short of logs and brain cells this week. The cold weather has depleted stocks of both. Opened the log burner with the special log burner opening tool at lunch time, loaded up the basket and burner with wood but couldn’t find the tool again to shut the hot door. Used the oven cloth thinking I must have taken the tool to the wood pile or left it in bottom of the basket. I’ll sort it after lunch. Eventually found it glowing spectacularly bright red in the ashes of the burner, Why put it in there? I’m going for a lie down.
Availability
Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour. Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. STUNNING AT THE MOMENT.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums are fantastic, especially the Bowles Mauve which already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
Last few Primula veris in bud, just a very few trays left.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing some bud and a flower or two. Still lovely bud and flowers on the Helleborus niger too but only a few left.
Eco news
Unfortunately the cold weather has increased hugely the oil consumption in our one heated tunnel and one frost protected tunnel. We have adjusted our heated production to be as late as we can make it assuming things are warmer later but it hasn’t quite worked out this year.
The turbines in March are spot on predictions despite a quiet start and we have again produced more than we have consumed during the month which is great.
Nature notes
Swallows and sand martins are being spotted in Cornwall, summer is just around the corner.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Sun is shining and it looks lovely out there from in here! Nice breeze and 5C so perhaps not quite perfect outside but at least it is dry and above freezing during the day, well it is down here in the barmy south. I am sure there will be lots of people getting out there and getting stuck into a bit of gardening before hitting the Sunday roast and falling asleep in front of the boat r ace. We have lots of yummy stock ready to satiate demand when it takes off in the next few days.
Great day yesterday with a win by Southampton over Chelsea which Caroline went to see. Glad they got such a good result it is nice to get some positive news during such a tricky start on the nursery. I listened on the radio while installing a ‘new’ extract-plate storage facility in the potting tunnel, more commonly described as a shelf! Looks good and gets us even more ready for the busy season to come. Got a round of irrigating done then had to drain the system to reduce the potential for frost damage, something we are having to do every time we water which is frustrating with the cold nights at the moment. Luckily it is reasonably efficient to do as we push out the water from the irrigation pipes with a bit of compressed air controlled by solenoids and a computer. The turbines power the compressor so it is reasonably cheap to run and most of the water does end up on the crop.
Managed an hour in the field with the new metal detector last Sunday. Despite multiple layers of clothing my hands stopped working and I had to retire to tea and hot cross buns in front of the log burner but not before uncovering my first hoard. I am attaching an image of my treasures and am debating with Caroline about the ebay potential, could be more in it than Nursery production! For those on tenterhooks I have to say a collection of rusty nails, an inch or two of chicken wire and a broken plough share tip are not quite what I had pictured but it is a start. One of the nails is quite an old square headed one so could be valuable, I will look it up. The new mini shovel worked well especially when I held it away from the detector. Might be a bit of a mud issue in the house, it is even messier than nursery work.
Beginning to run a bit short of logs and brain cells this week. The cold weather has depleted stocks of both. Opened the log burner with the special log burner opening tool at lunch time, loaded up the basket and burner with wood but couldn’t find the tool again to shut the hot door. Used the oven cloth thinking I must have taken the tool to the wood pile or left it in bottom of the basket. I’ll sort it after lunch. Eventually found it glowing spectacularly bright red in the ashes of the burner, Why put it in there? I’m going for a lie down.
Availability
Doronicum Little Leo full of life with stocky growth and strong flower buds showing.
Super range of chunky Aquilegias looking full of life and vigour. Pulsatillas are showing their first buds now.
Polemonium Heaven Scent is a great spring performer. The strong chunky dark bronze-flushed early shoots are SO attractive in this early period and the first flower buds are already nestling among the leaves. STUNNING AT THE MOMENT.
The Sedums look so fit at this time it is a wonder they don’t burst out and run about.
Erysimums are fantastic, especially the Bowles Mauve which already has plenty of bud and will flower endlessly throughout the summer.
Last few Primula veris in bud, just a very few trays left.
The border bulbs are looking strong, with most Camassia’s and Alliums up and the hardy Gladiolus Byzantinus looking perky.
Anemone blanda Blue and the White are both showing some bud and a flower or two. Still lovely bud and flowers on the Helleborus niger too but only a few left.
Eco news
Unfortunately the cold weather has increased hugely the oil consumption in our one heated tunnel and one frost protected tunnel. We have adjusted our heated production to be as late as we can make it assuming things are warmer later but it hasn’t quite worked out this year.
The turbines in March are spot on predictions despite a quiet start and we have again produced more than we have consumed during the month which is great.
Nature notes
Swallows and sand martins are being spotted in Cornwall, summer is just around the corner.
If you need a fax list please let us know, pick it up from the website or alternately send an email address.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
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