Shorts and Hairy

Morning all,
Lots done again this week, plenty of orders, loads of pricking out completed and lots of clearing up done. The summer is whizzing by and we are looking to get the stock potted for the autumn, winter and early spring but the chaos at the ports has put a bit of a hold on that. Our compost delivery vehicle is caught up in it all so no delivery yet but hoping for better luck next week. It’s no great problem really but it does make you think about all the other stock and deliveries that are parked up on each side of channel.
Harvest on the farm is now well underway, the tractors and trailers are thundering down the track today as they get stuck into harvesting the grass seed crop behind the nursery, it’s all very exciting for us onlookers although pretty intense for those taking part. Caroline always gets a bit nostalgic about it as she recalls her harvest work a few years ago driving 10 tonne lorries from field to barns. Pictures of the time show that big hair and short shorts where ‘in’ which might indicate more than a few years but none the less the memories are good, mine too. I seem to recall my favoured quiff at the time was peroxide and spiky whereas nowadays I’m unlikely to remember my own name and the hair has paled naturally or abandoned me. Those were the days.
Great band this week, Rob Heron and the Tea Pan Orchestra www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-KC_Dr6dGc well worth seeing live if you get the chance. What a lot of talent there is out there, just playing in a local pub, £6 to get in, a real treat on the ears and the soul.
Must go see if Caroline still has those shorts. Have a good week.

Availability highlights
Eucomis autumnalis coming into bud and flower now, a compact summer display of its delightful pale yellow columnar flower spikes.I have just started listing a new range of compact hardy Chrysanthemums. Great little plants with masses of bud already appearing. They are naturally branching with no need for pinching in a lovely colour range. The odd flower is now just flashing a bit of colour.As well as the new Chrysanthemums we have also introduced some new mildew resistant Asters. The Aster ageratiodes varieties run a fantastically long flowering period from late July right through to November, forming neat mounds of dainty flowers. The slight downside is the restricted colour palette which currently falls in a white, pale blue, pale mauve range, but they are all real charmers. The first buds have appeared with the occasional open flower. Platycodon Astra Blue is in bud with some colour appearing. Intense blue colouring.
The summer flower stems of the Crocosmia are now emerging. Orange upright flowers of Mistral looking good and the golden varieties of George Davidson and Columbus now also showing splashes of colour.
The Garden Pinks (Dianthus) have plenty of bud with colour showing on many. Most varieties we grow are scented. Lovely compact plants of Verbena Lollipop now showing colour. Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour.
We have one last batch of Rudbeckia Goldsturm looking monstrously strong and the first flower buds are appearing. A great garden favourite.There is a fresh batch of the Oxalis coming into bud again, short and chunky and loads of bud.. Our hardy Fuchsias are producing their seemingly endless supply of bud and flower.Summer sunshine in a pot, Coreopsis are looking brilliant, plenty of colour on the Sunfire and the larger flowered Corey Yellow, plenty of bud and the odd flower open on the feathery leaved golden flowered Zagreb.Now in bud and flower are our Leucanthemum Banana Creme, it has very attractive large daisy flowers of varying shades of cream/pale yellow.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries