Airy Hairy

Morning all,
Still plenty of fabulous stock coming along this week, so still not much room for rambling again this week.
Looks like it’s going to warm up a bit later next week which should bring out a bit of colour and hopefully the wallets. Birthday celebrations for Caroline went well, just finished wading through the Danish pastries left over from the big day. Went out for a pizza with some friends on the day and there’s still birthday tea to come with all the family on Sunday. I did better than spinach this year, I succumbed to years of pressure and gave her the latest i-spinach, or something like that. The nursery continues to whizz along, lots of sales, still potting and already getting the stock started for next year’s sales. It’s certainly all go. At least the run of bank holidays has come to an end and we can get back to fitting it all in over a full week rather that a short one, that will leave the two of us to do a bit less over the weekends and maybe even take a day off. Actually we did take a few hours off last Sunday for an emergency retail thrash, I sadly lost my favourite most comfy work trousers when my toe caught one of the numerous holes and ripped a huge gash rendering them unwearable. I know Caroline thought them overly shabby before but I like a bit of character in my workwear and although possibly a little too much flesh was on show they did the job. Needless to say the opportunity was not missed to pick up other essentials but with my March birthday vouchers in hand it shouldn’t have proved too costly. I got the coffees in while C paid, she was chuffed to bits at all the ‘offers’ and savings she made but slightly embarrassed at the sight of the vouchers still in her purse afterwards. Just wait it’ll happen to you all!

Availability highlights
We have a lot more Achillea varieties this year, there are flower shoots and buds on most. The lovely Desert Eve range are very compact, the others are short but not quite as ground hugging. All monster plants,
A new crop for this spring is Digitalis Silver Fox. Lovely silver/grey foliage which is showing strong multiple flower shoots (white flowered). It doesn’t get too tall and looks perfect just now, although not a huge number left.Incarvillea has suddenly leapt out of the compost and started producing flower shoots and colour. Exotic in appearance. Candelabra primulas (x bullesiana) in bud, Mixed colours putting on a lovely show but needs a damp planting spot. Just a few Stokesia left in bud. The big flowers always surprise me on such short plants. (Memory of a goldfish)
Just coming into bud are our great range of Leucanthemums. Several varieties this year running alongside the ever popular dwarf classics of Snow Lady and Silver Princess. 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, Banana Creme and Broadway Lights all carry very attractive flowers of varying shades of cream/pale yellow. Our nice short Tiarella (Foam Flower) are showing plenty of bud and flower now, a very pretty cream show.
One of Carolines favourites is Sea Lavender (Limonium) which often gets overlooked. Perhaps just too subtle for some, but it has lovely reddening foliage as it ages as well as it’s wafty summer flowers. Just throwing up its flower shoots now. Salvia’s Sensation Blue and Sensation Rose are producing strong bud and good colour.
The dwarf upright Polemonium Bambino Blue is now in bud, the odd bold blue flower showing. Fabulous crops of Gallery Lupins, Delpiniums and Digitalis Dalmation will be on stream for just a few more weeks. Hollyhocks (Alcea) are also strong and bushy, ideal condition to sell and plant before they shoot for the stars.
Astilbes all have masses of tight bud showing, Dark red (Fanal), white (Deutschland), dark pink (Rhienland) and delightful pale pink of Peach Blossom. Geum’s are in bud and flower, Koi is particularly floriferous at the moment with its short stemmed orange blooms.
We have several more Veronica’s this season which are looking fab, Buds are appearing on nice compact plants, Inspire Blue (very blue), Red Fox (deep pink/red) and Baby Doll (lovely flouncy pink and short!).
Still plenty of fresh Erigeron karvinskianus. This year’s crop is much bigger and we have several batches to see us through the next couple of months. Other Erigerons are approaching flowering. Delightful little flowers of Erodium’s are showing well with months of colour to follow. The Phlox Flame varieties are showing fantastic bushy growth and lots of bud now beginning to show.
Herbs coming along nicely as the range begins to grow. Still not warm enough yet for those basil plants, they really need some warmth to get going, looks like they might start in another week..

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries