Hairy Onions

Morning all,

With a bit of luck the weather over the ‘holiday’ weekend is improving and next week looks ok too, so no excuse not to sell lots of lovely plants to an enthusiastic and growing market. It’s been a steady start to the year so far, no great panics just yet but it’ll be interesting to see what a bit of spring sunshine and warmth achieves. I suppose the building excitement towards the general election could distract a huge percentage of the population as they stay in to watch all the fascinating media coverage but that’s a hurdle we will just have to all battle to overcome.
We survived the first ‘four’ day week intact, mainly due to the dodgy weather over the last week taking the edge off demand and of course our excellent staff and superb management! Just next week to see out, before getting back to the luxury of that 5th day. We’ve have had teams in on Good Friday and Saturday getting things sorted but should be just the two of us on Sunday and perhaps a small gang making a start on things on Monday so that we get the week off to a flying start. We will have to see how it all pans out but there is the prospect of a few Saturday morning deliveries if things get out of hand so please bear with us. Making hay while the sun shines and all that.
I thought I had been caught out this week with an April Fools moment when one or two of our ‘experienced’ staff started telling us about Onion Johnnies. The story went along the lines of remembering in the good old days the French farmers cycling around in their berets and stripy tops, selling their strings of onions. They called all these chaps Johnny the Onion Seller and they were a common sight around these parts. It is such a clichéd image we young ones just laughed, but they insisted it was a big thing all those years ago. Anyway having ridiculed them mercilessly it turns out to have been completely true. At their peak (1929) there were 1,400 Onion Johnnies from Breton in northern France and they sold over 9,000 tonnes of onions a year. It was easier to get to the UK than it was to get to other markets (Paris etc) because the roads were so poor. They even helped set up Brittany Ferries to make the crossing easier. Although our ladies claim not to remember the peak, there were still 1,100 tonnes sold this way in the early seventies. They stored the crop in rented UK barns and stayed over here until the crop was sold (July-December). What a lot of effort to sell your crop. At today’s retail price that would be an income of about £5,000 and that includes growing the crop, transporting it here and storing it, as well as 6 months living expenses. Just shows how retailing has moved on and veg is now really such great value.

Availability
Fritillaria (snakes head lily) are the best we’ve ever had, loads of shoots buds beginning to open. We don’t have a huge number so don’t hang about on these beauties.
Erysimum Bowles Mauve is showing well and is always such a favourite and a great long lasting garden performer. New batches of Apricot Twist and Pastel Patchwork are back on the list with nice tight buds appearing. Polemonium Heaven Scent is looking great and the first flower shoots are being held above the lovely verdant bronzed foliage, be quick they won’t hang around long, not a huge number left.
Those spring markers Primula denticulata and Pulsatlla vulgaris are beginning to come to life. Both are showing early signs of bud appearance. I haven’t marked all of them as in bud as it is early and I don’t want everyone over excited! The Lupins are putting on their first flush of fresh, bushy, early growth, they are monster plants. We always have to sell this batch fairly smartly as they will outgrow the pot too quickly if left until the warmer weather.
Doronicum Little Leo is a good early performer, lots of fresh green foliage with buds to follow shortly, I’ve seen the odd one or two already but plants are disappearing fast.
The Pyrethrum (Tanacetum) varieties are bushy and strong, the fresh ferny foliage provides a nice pot full.
The overwintered Phlox varieties are beginning to show their first strong shoots as spring draws close, more varieties are appearing as they emerge from winter slumber. Dicentra spectabilis has just burst through and there are a few early buds showing.
The first few herbs are now available as spring growth begins. It is still early days for mega growth, we want to keep them tough and not too soft to put up with the last of the winter cold.
It must be spring many of the Hostas are showing their first shoots through the compost surface.
Have a good Easter, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries