Hairy Show

Morning all,
Still plenty of colour and fab looking stock so definitely don’t hold back!
Even more hectic this week. Not only lots of lovely orders but several fetes to sort out, more young plants arriving, Caroline’s dads 90th lunch to prepare (120 close friends around), Richard & Pollyann’s 25th Anniversary bash to dad dance at and the National Plant Show to prepare for. Nothing like a bit of pressure to get you going! We knocked up a border style display of flowering stuff at the party marquee entrance last night so everyone will get a dose of hairy pots on entry just before the far less welcome glass of lemonade. There’s been quite a build up to this weekend and I’m sure everyone else is far better prepared than me, I have just an hour or two before getting tarted up and I’m not even sure I can still get in my suit. It is so old I’m told the style has come back in fashion, and any way the retro look is always trendy isn’t it?
So we are setting up our stand on Monday for The National Plant Show which runs over Tuesday and Wednesday, not much to do there either. Plants are ready but couldn’t start our printing catalogues until the updated logo came through for our 2015 Carbon Smart Gold Award on Thursday so still got a few of those to feed through the printer and hand tie across the thighs of Hampshire maidens. The old ways are the best. Casually slipped in there that we got our third Carbon Smart Gold Award did you notice that, very pleased, nice to get noticed sometimes.
That’s it, must get the printer going then get cleaned up and prepare to be jolly, it’s a tough life. Maybe see some of you at the show next week.

Availability highlights
Don’t miss out on a great fresh crop of Geranium Black Beauty, masses of bud coming and a some blue flowers opening. The Garden Pinks (Dianthus) are beginning to bud up nicely with the odd open flower. Most of the varieties we grow have a delicious scent, classic garden flowers. Still plenty of fresh Erigeron karvinskianus shooting all over the place with masses of bud.
Phlox Flame varieties are showing fantastic growth, lots of bud and a first taste of colour. Don’t miss these beauties. Purple, Purple Eye and White Eye are the first three showing actual colour in the bud and the others are close behind. Veronica buds on lovely compact plants and colour beginning to show.
Delightful Catananche looking lush with flower stems and buds appearing on both colours. Very attractive plants and very popular when buds and flower are showing. Sold very quickly last year so took a gamble on extra this year, don’t miss out. Digitalis Dalmatian varieties all now in bud, strong compact plants with spotted foxglove flowers in a great colour range. We lots of Achillea varieties this year, with flower shoots and buds most. The lovely Desert Eve range are very compact and showing plenty of colour, the others are less compact but all are really strong plants. The short Campanulas are in bud, a real taste of summer (carpatica blue and posharskyana) Our hardy Fuchsias are just beginning to produce their seemingly endless supply of buds.Summer sunshine in a pot, Coreopsis are looking brilliant especially the Sunfire. The odd open flower and loads of bud. Stunning amounts of bud and flower on both Oxalis varieties, great pot fulls.
Just coming into bud are our great range of Leucanthemums. Several varieties this year running alongside the ever popular dwarf classic Snow Lady. All stonkingly bushy plants, Lacrosse has pretty white petals with a little spoon shape on the end of each. Sante is a stunningly frilly double and Real Dream and Banana Creme both carry very attractive large daisy flowers of varying shades of cream/pale yellow.
Our Daylily range is throwing up its flower shoots now, summer must be just round the corner. Loads of Hemerocallis Black Prince this year, but likely to still disappear fast so don’t dither, get it quick!
Our lovely short Tiarella (Foam Flower) are showing plenty of bud and flower now, a very pretty cream show.Astilbes all have masses of bud showing with some just beginning to open. Dark red (Fanal) and dark pink (Rhienland). Great ground cover plants in a good range, the Ajugas are topping their lovely foliage display with their late spring flowers. A new Eupatorium (Baby Jo) for us this year, strong compact growth and now showing bud. Not many left. Delightful little flowers of Erodium’s are showing well with months of flower colour to come.
Herbs coming along nicely as the range begins to grow. The Basils are starting now as the temperature begins to rise. Lavenders are coming into bud, and some of the pretty and tasty thymes too.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries