Morning all,
Potting for next spring now well underway with a good run at it last week. We have cleared another couple of tunnels ready for next week and assuming the next load of compost doesn’t get held up at the port this time we should get another good batch done next week. Time seems to be flying by, another delivery of predators released and another 1,000 million nematodes in the fridge ready to apply through the irrigation when the weather is right. The nematode multi application strategy appears to be doing a good job on knocking back any vine weevil population, we usually see a few adults as we are clearing or moving stock about in the summer skulking about under the pots but this year we haven’t seen any even under the favourites like strawberry and astilbe. We use a mix of 3 nematode species which is supposed to give us some control of a few other compost dwelling pests like sclarid fly, leather jackets and others so we hope to gain there too. It’s not a complete cure-all as we definitely still have leather jackets and crane fly adults about although that may be partly down to us only applying the nematodes 3 times in the spring and 3 times in the late summer/autumn when they are most effective against the vine weevil. Nice to feel we are getting back on top of this pest after the disappointing results from previously incorporating a bio-control fungus into the compost. Live and learn.
Spirits lightened this week after seeing on TV the brilliant pier conversion in Weston-Super-Mare into ‘Dismaland’ by Banksy. I had felt slightly alone in my dismay at the theme park holiday industry over the years but at least it now looks like I’m not alone! I love the fact that tickets are really difficult to get hold of, just adding to the overall experience.
As it happens I’m off tomorrow for our summer holiday, a day trip to Avebury on a guided walk from The Sanctuary along West Kennet Avenue to Avebury henge/village. It’s a monster of a site, dwarfing Stonehenge, just not quite as ‘constructed’ at its centre. Our tame archaeologist Brian is leading and I’m sure will entertain us with his usual enthusiasm and in-depth analysis. Surprisingly we could only muster a handful of participants for a potentially wet six mile wander through time despite the lure of a pub for lunch. Particularly looking forward to handling again the flints he found created using discoidal technology. After submitting his findings, the British Museum have summoned him and the flints for a closer look into what could be an important new Neanderthal site. He has been advised to write it all up for ‘Lithics Monthly’ magazine, as read by thousands of flint fanatics, to make it official. Fame at last. Must get a signed copy.
‘Horizon’ on the BBC iplayer to check out this week, all about the earliest Britons including stuff on the meseiolithic Blick Mead Spring site I rabbited on about last year. I thought no-one was going to get to grips with this one as, for a while, my blog about it appeared on page one of Google there was so little coverage. Let’s see what they have to say.
The Stypes new cd is out this coming week, got my copy already, it’s great if you like energetic noisy music, might get to see them in Marlborough this week as they perform a short session at a record store signing. They might like to visit Avebury, just down the road, I’ll drop them an email. Lithic’s are just so hip. Why am I so lonely?!
Availability highlights
The small yellow Kniphofia Little Maid looks very chunky and strong with buds now shooting through.
We have a last small strong batch of Lobelia Fan Blue just starting to produce its flower shoots for a late summer display. The mildew resistant 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. There is also Aster frikartii Flora’s Delight, mildew resistant again, slightly more purple than the ever popular blue Aster Monch and looking great.
Verbena Lollipop is still producing its compact flowers and looking good but only a few left. The very popular straight form of Verbena bonariensis is just unmanageable when it gets towards flowering in our smaller pots so we keep them short and bushy, losing out on the colour in the pot but producing wonderfully strong plants ready to plant out. Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for their great winter display. Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. There is a new flush of Oxalis triangularis growth and flower, looking neat and cheerful. The short neat Geum Koi is still going strong.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Tuesday 25 August 2015
Monday 17 August 2015
Hairy Stars
Morning all,
I hope you didn’t get too wet last week. We got a good drenching although luckily most of it was overnight so didn’t interfere too much on daytime fun on the nursery. Usual stuff, orders out, plants into pots or big modules, tunnels being cleared, it’s all go. When we get asked how things are going on the nursery the question is usually loaded towards ‘are you selling lots of stuff?’ and as sales start to slow it is assumed we can then take a well earned holiday in all that newly found spare time. Unfortunately there is almost more pressure at this time as we try and make the most of every day's warmth and day-length to get next year’s crops even more mega than the last years. At the same time we juggle sales, other holidays, summer casuals, and adjust everything to the weather of the day, what fun. Must admit we are both feeling a bit tired but not long now until November hols. A great motivator is when things go to plan and this week’s highlight was the successful release of our first batch of 1,000 million nematodes for the late summer/autumn bio pest control. Perfect weather, damp and cool over two evenings and the night’s drawing in meant they went on more or less in the dark, just what they like. My homemade nematode bubble-drum worked perfectly, aerating and stirring with compressed air the nematodes in the stock solution, before being sucked into the irrigation system and spread evenly over the nursery. A follow-up gentle rinse washes them off the foliage and onto the compost before they dry out.
Another late night on Wednesday when we got a surprise break in the weather and popped out into the field to watch the meteor shower. I must have seen over 15 over about an hour but with my head permanently looking up and some of them being very fleeting I may well have had a degree of blood supply curtailment adding to the overall visual effects. There were one or two monster ones which was all very exciting.
I must admit to a degree of simple naivety in my business acumen, I just want to do as good a job as we can manage and try and charge a fair price to keep the whole thing moving forwards. It still comes as a bit of a shock when I hear about businesses operating more ‘cunningly’. The milk price would be an obvious target but this time it’s nothing to do with growing stuff, its car parts. There is, I’m told, a company supplying many standard car parts to lots of manufacturers, franchisers and garages. They all apparently use the same parts for lots of vehicles and the supplier will have a single design of that part and a series of different boxes to pop the part into depending on which make of car it is required for. So those ‘genuine parts’ might not be as unique as you would think. It’s definitely an efficient system which I applaud but will those parts going to the more prestigious brands will be the same price is those going to the others? I wonder. How easily we can be deceived.
Availability highlights
The small yellow Kniphofia Little Maid looks very chunky and strong with buds now shooting through.
We have a last small strong batch of Lobelia Fan Blue just starting to produce i'ts flower shoots for a late summer display. Only one variety (delightful mini yellow spidery flowers) left this week of our new range of compact hardy Chrysanthemums. Great little plants with masses of bud already appearing, naturally branching with no need for pinching. 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. There is also Flora’s Delight, another frikartii variety, slightly more purple than the ever popular Monch.
Verbena Lollipop is still producing its compact flowers and looking good. The very popular straight form of Verbena bonariensis is just unmanageable when it gets towards flowering in our smaller pots so we keep them short and bushy, losing out on the colour in the pot but producing wonderfully strong plants to plant out.
Achillea Moonshine is back in bud and flower and we have nice chunky Red Velvet showing bud again too.
Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for a great winter display
Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. There is a fresh flush of Delphinium growth with buds appearing on many. There is a new flush of Oxalis growth and flower, looking neat and cheerful. The short neat Geum Koi is still going strong.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
I hope you didn’t get too wet last week. We got a good drenching although luckily most of it was overnight so didn’t interfere too much on daytime fun on the nursery. Usual stuff, orders out, plants into pots or big modules, tunnels being cleared, it’s all go. When we get asked how things are going on the nursery the question is usually loaded towards ‘are you selling lots of stuff?’ and as sales start to slow it is assumed we can then take a well earned holiday in all that newly found spare time. Unfortunately there is almost more pressure at this time as we try and make the most of every day's warmth and day-length to get next year’s crops even more mega than the last years. At the same time we juggle sales, other holidays, summer casuals, and adjust everything to the weather of the day, what fun. Must admit we are both feeling a bit tired but not long now until November hols. A great motivator is when things go to plan and this week’s highlight was the successful release of our first batch of 1,000 million nematodes for the late summer/autumn bio pest control. Perfect weather, damp and cool over two evenings and the night’s drawing in meant they went on more or less in the dark, just what they like. My homemade nematode bubble-drum worked perfectly, aerating and stirring with compressed air the nematodes in the stock solution, before being sucked into the irrigation system and spread evenly over the nursery. A follow-up gentle rinse washes them off the foliage and onto the compost before they dry out.
Another late night on Wednesday when we got a surprise break in the weather and popped out into the field to watch the meteor shower. I must have seen over 15 over about an hour but with my head permanently looking up and some of them being very fleeting I may well have had a degree of blood supply curtailment adding to the overall visual effects. There were one or two monster ones which was all very exciting.
I must admit to a degree of simple naivety in my business acumen, I just want to do as good a job as we can manage and try and charge a fair price to keep the whole thing moving forwards. It still comes as a bit of a shock when I hear about businesses operating more ‘cunningly’. The milk price would be an obvious target but this time it’s nothing to do with growing stuff, its car parts. There is, I’m told, a company supplying many standard car parts to lots of manufacturers, franchisers and garages. They all apparently use the same parts for lots of vehicles and the supplier will have a single design of that part and a series of different boxes to pop the part into depending on which make of car it is required for. So those ‘genuine parts’ might not be as unique as you would think. It’s definitely an efficient system which I applaud but will those parts going to the more prestigious brands will be the same price is those going to the others? I wonder. How easily we can be deceived.
Availability highlights
The small yellow Kniphofia Little Maid looks very chunky and strong with buds now shooting through.
We have a last small strong batch of Lobelia Fan Blue just starting to produce i'ts flower shoots for a late summer display. Only one variety (delightful mini yellow spidery flowers) left this week of our new range of compact hardy Chrysanthemums. Great little plants with masses of bud already appearing, naturally branching with no need for pinching. 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. There is also Flora’s Delight, another frikartii variety, slightly more purple than the ever popular Monch.
Verbena Lollipop is still producing its compact flowers and looking good. The very popular straight form of Verbena bonariensis is just unmanageable when it gets towards flowering in our smaller pots so we keep them short and bushy, losing out on the colour in the pot but producing wonderfully strong plants to plant out.
Achillea Moonshine is back in bud and flower and we have nice chunky Red Velvet showing bud again too.
Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for a great winter display
Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. There is a fresh flush of Delphinium growth with buds appearing on many. There is a new flush of Oxalis growth and flower, looking neat and cheerful. The short neat Geum Koi is still going strong.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday 10 August 2015
Hairy Speculation
Morning all,
Really packed it in this week, still lots of sales which is great although a little distracting from the potting and propagation we are trying to get flying for next year’s crops. Luckily the potting compost and new module long-life trays got through the channel crossing holdups. Hardly any illegal’s tipped out of the compost lorry so no worries there. We had a nice crop of our summer casuals this week so managed to get quite a bit done. It’s all a bit on and off with this summers crew as they work out fitting in their lifts, days off and financial needs and when combined with the regular summer holidays I’m never quite sure what the turn out will be each week. Luckily when they are here lots does get done. I know next week we are a few short for some days so that will add to the exciting variety of challenges of managing a nursery in the summer.
We had our NBIS meeting this week, our quarterly nurseryman therapy session. Nice pub lunch, nursery tour, and a meeting sat in a field in the sunshine. We all unburdened our woes and triumphs feeling a lot better afterwards. We have been doing this for so long we can be very open with each other sharing our experiences good and bad with certain knowledge that we will get a sympathetic ear, plenty of opinions and a healthy dose of ridicule and laughter. Despite a year when the weather has been reasonably favourable in many areas for most of the season and many nurseries have sold through well, there is a real air of caution. Probably a sensible approach considering how much most of us lost over the previous few seasons, don’t get too over excited and overdo it. I wonder if you can guess what I did. OK I might have got a bit carried away on the young plant purchasing front but I did learn a lot! Speculate to accumulate and all that. The speculating bit I’m good at, the latter perhaps not so. Just you wait to see what appears over the next year, we’ll be flying. Managed a trip out last Sunday, needed a restock of summer socks. Went really well, Caroline got to use up her 20% off offer on quite a collection of essentials but in the excitement still forgot to cash in my birthday gift voucher. We’ve been out twice now since March and failed to cash in my goodies. One more chance before we go away on our hols in November. Why is it only when I’m out does the light catch the strays weaving from the ear top into the main crop, despite thorough checking before leaving the house. It’s not fair.
Availability highlights
Only a couple of varieties left this week of our 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. Achillea Moonshine is back in bud and flower and we have nice chunky Red Velvet showing bud again too. Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for a great winter display.
Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. 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 flowers now 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. Not many left now.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Really packed it in this week, still lots of sales which is great although a little distracting from the potting and propagation we are trying to get flying for next year’s crops. Luckily the potting compost and new module long-life trays got through the channel crossing holdups. Hardly any illegal’s tipped out of the compost lorry so no worries there. We had a nice crop of our summer casuals this week so managed to get quite a bit done. It’s all a bit on and off with this summers crew as they work out fitting in their lifts, days off and financial needs and when combined with the regular summer holidays I’m never quite sure what the turn out will be each week. Luckily when they are here lots does get done. I know next week we are a few short for some days so that will add to the exciting variety of challenges of managing a nursery in the summer.
We had our NBIS meeting this week, our quarterly nurseryman therapy session. Nice pub lunch, nursery tour, and a meeting sat in a field in the sunshine. We all unburdened our woes and triumphs feeling a lot better afterwards. We have been doing this for so long we can be very open with each other sharing our experiences good and bad with certain knowledge that we will get a sympathetic ear, plenty of opinions and a healthy dose of ridicule and laughter. Despite a year when the weather has been reasonably favourable in many areas for most of the season and many nurseries have sold through well, there is a real air of caution. Probably a sensible approach considering how much most of us lost over the previous few seasons, don’t get too over excited and overdo it. I wonder if you can guess what I did. OK I might have got a bit carried away on the young plant purchasing front but I did learn a lot! Speculate to accumulate and all that. The speculating bit I’m good at, the latter perhaps not so. Just you wait to see what appears over the next year, we’ll be flying. Managed a trip out last Sunday, needed a restock of summer socks. Went really well, Caroline got to use up her 20% off offer on quite a collection of essentials but in the excitement still forgot to cash in my birthday gift voucher. We’ve been out twice now since March and failed to cash in my goodies. One more chance before we go away on our hols in November. Why is it only when I’m out does the light catch the strays weaving from the ear top into the main crop, despite thorough checking before leaving the house. It’s not fair.
Availability highlights
Only a couple of varieties left this week of our 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. Achillea Moonshine is back in bud and flower and we have nice chunky Red Velvet showing bud again too. Helleborus are coming back on stream now as they gather their strength for a great winter display.
Absolutely stonking Ajugas in different foliage colours and forms. Fantastic ground cover and bursting with vigour. 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 flowers now 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. Not many left now.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday 3 August 2015
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
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
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