Good morning to all.

Still busy, busy busy. Still a relief! Still early days yet but don’t miss out, get stuck in!
Nearly a day off last Sunday for Mothers Day lunch with an array of mothers and offspring. Weather was perfect and Caroline did us proud with a delicious roast chicken with all the trimmings, not bad for a veggie! Desserts galore to follow but sadly it was all too delicious and there were scant leftovers for me to scavenge on the rest of the week. Took young nephew Daniel out with the metal detector and a shovel for a bit of treasure hunting after the feast and came back with an impressive haul for just half an hour’s work. The young are nice and keen so all worked out well with me doing the scanning and Daniel doing the digging. Unfortunately our haul was only impressive in size, I think we hit on an old fence and gate with lots of nails, wire and hefty hinge kit. At least we found something to dig up anyway which was the best bit.

April fool’s day passed without incident as far as I noticed, I worked long hours on a nursery but I think that classes me as a different sort of fool.Lots of positive feedback over the last couple of weeks about how excited everyone seems to be over our hairy pots and on top of the encouraging sales everyone is feeling quite excited about selling plants again. Well done everyone. There seems to be quite a build up of eco stuff in the news at the moment which keeps everyone on their toes and hopefully just makes people think a bit more about how they live their lives. The energy companies look like they may about to be rumbled and are starting to offer some better deals over the longer term, just beware that they may still be trying to lull you into a false sense of security. We found it very beneficial to shop around for electric supply saving loads on what we were paying a few years ago. On top of our meter monitoring and energy saving measures it is possible to make significant savings every year. It adds up and helps the planet too. Do it. Not just at home but at work too. Very pleased that this winter the mild temps have meant that we haven’t have the central heating on at all, we might have succumbed at Christmas but luckily we were without power for five days and the boiler wouldn’t run! The compensation for the days off is still not all paid (well done SSE) but it should cover most of the year’s bill which is handy.

Availability
Inspirational flower and bud appearing on many lines as well as healthy spring foliage bursting forth elsewhere.
Fabulous Polemonium Heaven Scent are coming into their own with a delightful bushy show of bronzy green foliage and the very first signs of the early flower shoots beginning to appear. A spring stunner.
Snakes Head Lily (Fritillaria) looking dainty as the first buds open.A few English Bluebells showing early buds.
Lots of pink and white colour on the delightful Dicentra spectabilis.
Allium varieties are really strong and chunky, perfect for planting out as are the trendy Camassias, which are beginning to bud. The ever favourite and long flowering Erysimum Bowles Mauve looks absolutely fantastic, bushy and budding strongly, first colour just beginning to show. Even better than last year’s stunners.
Flower stems on most of the Aquilegias now. Strong and good looking. The super dark Barlow Black is always a favourite.
Many Geraniums are beginning to show bud with Samobor showing its dark purple colour.
Campanula glomerata varieties are showing plenty of bud and some early colour.
The decorative comfrey (Symphytum) are showing good early subtle flower colours.
Pulsatilla rubra is budding well and showing good colour although not many left now.
The first of the Salvias (May Night) are throwing up their first flower stems and buds, the promise of lots more to come.
Brunnera varigata are producing their first spring buds and vibrant blue flowers, looking perky, what a great blue.
Digitalis and Lupin ranges are all looking mega fresh and vigorous all raring to go. The digitalis wouldn’t look out of place in a 3li pot, there are so strong. The Lupins are all raring to put on a big summer splash, perfect for planting now.
Both Armeria maritima varieties have plenty of buds and the odd dab of colour, always a popular neat pot full. Ajuga Burgundy Glow are producing lots of flower shoots.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries