Hairy Good News

Morning all,

A good week past for getting things done. Feeling quite virtuous after taking on a few of those odd jobs that have been waiting for months to get done. We have only a few weeks before the next season kicks off again and it always catches me out as to how quickly that time arrives. By the time Christmas has interrupted the proceedings a lot of well meaning plans get pushed on another year as the plant preparation demands increase as the season rushes ever closer. Despite the windy feel to the week we actually found a couple of windows in the weather to get the three most heavily lacerated tunnel sheets off and replaced. The old covers are folded up on a pallet in the barn all ready to take to our recycling man just down the road in Romsey and the new covers on nice and securely. We might have to re-tension them a bit in the summer when it warms up to keep them taught, they last much longer if stretched well over the hoops.
We are well on the way to completing repairs to our collection of damaged wooden display boxes, which is great, we had accumulated several pallets of them over the last year or two, never quite finding the time to get them all done. I have now sourced the narrow replacement timber slats to repair the inner lattices too so not long before that big job is done and we are back to full box capacity ready for all those mega spring sales.
A rehash of the outdoor lighting has brightened up the end of the day activities, no more stumbling about in the dark trying to find our way back to base. The old PIR spotlights had past their sell-by date a while ago with most no longer doing their thing and to mount and plug in some far more efficient LED replacements was a joy. I did a bit of research on the lights and ended up at Screwfix who were supplying several makes but I plumped for a LAP range which seemed to have good reviews. With differing areas to light I went for a 10W, a couple of 20W and a 30W. They are all just right for what we were after, not really good enough for working under for long but perfect for seeing where you are going. The 10W is tiny but does a great job for lighting the area we were after, it keeps it safe and uses only a tiny bit of electric. Also got the electricians in to quote for fitting some LED replacement strip-lights I bought for the lab work cabinets and the office. They are nice and bright, great for the close up intricate work we do in the lab but without the irritating flicker of the old fluorescent tubes and reduce electric use by about 65%. The old lights desperately needed replacing anyway so not feeling too guilty about recycling those. I located an insulated tea urn too to replace our limping old one. Less heat loss and quicker heating should pay for itself within 18 months.
Need to find some hope in humanity after Paris, check out this touching moment featured in episode 5 of Russell Howard's TV show. Go to the last item which starts 26 mins and 10 seconds in. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06q9zv3/russell-howards-good-news-series-10-episode-5
In the words of the infamous John Otway song ‘Beware of the Flowers (because I’m sure they’re going to get you, Yeah)’
Minimum delivery reduction for the winter.
As the winter approaches our range falls away with the many deciduous varieties withdrawing into the relative warmth of the compost, but we still have a few evergreen hardy sorts doing their thing. I know it can be tricky putting together a minimum order of a full trolley (21 trays) at this time of year so if you fancy a few trays but can’t get to 21 we are happy to reduce the minimum to 12 trays for local drops and 15 trays for a bit further afield. Drop us a line and we will try and put together a few orders to make it work for everyone.

Availability highlights
Dainty flowered but hardy Cyclamen coum are showing bud now in all three separate colours and now the silvered leaved form too, They should flower from now until April. You don’t get the face full of flower of the pot plant types but a continuous classy steady show of hardy blooms.
The slightly showier hardy Cyclamen hederifolium types are also now in bloom. Bolder colours and more floriferous. Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for their great winter display. H. Niger, the classic Christmas Rose and its slightly earlier flowering cousin H niger Praecox are already producing some buds and very occasional open flower.
Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. We have some nice looking Heuchera too in a range of foliage colours.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries