Hairy Easter Everyone

Hello again, it’s only me,

After a fabulous Thursday basking in the sun it’s grey and flippin’ cold out there. Still at least it’s not raining or worse. After such a mild early winter and lots of plants looking very advanced it’s all gone on hold it seems with this cool run of weather. It certainly doesn’t feel like it is coming up to Easter but there it is.
Slightly early with the list this week in anticipation of some extra sales activity next week, we live in hope. Actually I have quite a few orders in already so the week is filling up. We always try to avoid delivering on Good Friday but please bear with us if we have to slip one or two out then, we will be trying our best. I suspect the cool weather and the day off for most on Easter Sunday will put a slight dampener on order sizes, but that is quite understandable and I won’t be upset, honest. If there is anyone out there thinking of ordering for the coming week could get their orders in as promptly as possible then we can try and make sure we get around everyone as efficiently and quickly as we can. Any later orders may be disappointed, although if you get desperate it is always worth contacting us, you never know we may be coming close by with a space on the van.
Lots of potting underway as we dream of some upcoming nice warm growing weather to grow even more lovely plants. We are starting to get going on some extra weekend work now to keep up with the demand, so no more hockey and I’m missing out on the highlight of the week, getting off the nursery to get the groceries in. Managed to get through the week without knocking the broken finger about too much but it doesn’t like this cold weather. Slightly restricted in the jobs I can manage but overall not as disabling as I feared, which is just as well with the withdrawal of a load of benefits announced this week. Had a nasty moment earlier in the week when I feared more dramatic loss of upper body mobility but it turned out I had put on both my mega thick fleece jackets without noticing. Mental capacity now perhaps more of a concern.
New trick learnt this week. The office printer refuses to print nicely first thing in the morning, chewing up the paper as it passes through causing repeated paper jams. Very frustrating as you try and rush out an early order and everyone is standing about waiting. It can go on for ages until things warm up enough and then it will happily print all day. One morning in desperation I got a fan heater and held it up to the device and within seconds it was cured. It’s worked several times now so feeling quite smug and it’s still cheaper than turning the temperature up overnight in the office!

Availability highlights

Still early days yet, but there are a lot of early signs of plant activity. The ever popular Erysimum’s are doing really well. Two of the most popular varieties, Red Jep & Bowles Mauve, are looking great, dark green foliage, bushy with bud showing. The Bowles Mauve are showing a little colour as the first buds open, this variety just goes on and on flowering until the frosts.
Polemonium Heaven Scent shows great early colour in the garden and the flower shoots and buds are just appearing above the lovely bronzed green foliage. Pulmonaria’s looking good, attractive foliage and showing bud and some colour.Signs of activity from some of the Primula’s now as spring approaches. The denticulata varieties are showing their early buds and the odd splash of colour. Pulsatilla’s are now coming through nicely with their buds developing nicely. The overwintered Lupin’s, Digitalis and Delph’s are all looking full of promise and vigour. Monster Lupins, very pleased with these. Fritillarias are nicely showing now but only a few left.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries