Monday 18 July 2016

Hairy Juggling and Jiggling

Morning all,
Another hectic week around the world, it’s often very difficult to get to grips with it all, it certainly is in my simple head. While the world does its best to cock things up we are still bowling along here. The season moves along and we move from one plant in flower to another. I can’t believe we are already thinking about Asters coming into bud but it won’t be long. Potting is already under way for Autumn and next Spring as we try to keep on top of the flood of plant material coming in, some goes directly into a pot and some into modules of varying sizes depending on the crop and the predicted potting timings. It’s always a bit of a juggle to develop and fine tune the production schedules and introduce new varieties, together with the available time and space on the nursery. At the same time as we are juggling, weeks just slip by, but as each year passes we find new ways to save a bit here and there while improving crop output and hopefully slipping in a
bit of profitability here and there. One day.
We have started the process of ordering a new roof structure to cover the lab this week so with a bit of luck we should get that sorted before too long. Still not sure of the cost yet but I bet it will be cheaper than I expect, just like the van repairs of the last three weeks! Ouch. The other projects I have in mind (new cold-store and media store for the lab, new lights etc ) might have to wait a bit until time frees up a bit, but I can’t wait too long or all the money from the spring sales will have been sucked into more stock before I can fiddle some out. In a few weeks sales will dip and a panic sets in that we might never sell anything again, then the battens are nailed into the descending hatches and that’s it until next year. But then of course next year will be different and we will all make bucket loads of cash. I wonder at what age does that illusion resolve itself?
Availability highlights
This year’s hardy Fuchsia’s are wonderfully bushy plants showing masses of flower and bud.
The first of the summer flowering Crocosmia are producing flower bud as the spikes appear from the amongst the upright foliage. A great colour selection but not huge numbers left. The golden Sunglow was especially popular last year. I have a few Centaurea montana in bud, a new variety to us, Amethyst in Snow. White petals with a contrasting magenta centre. There will be more later now I can see its appeal! Verbascum Primrose Path looks delightful with its strong short stems of pretty pale yellow flowers.
We have some stonking Lobelia Salmon with their buds on show and a splash of pink at the top of their colourful stems. I have seen the odd flower head opening in the Eucomis. Short stocky pale yellow and exotic flower spikes.First buds and some opening flower in our crop of white Platycodon Astra are there. A dwarf Balloon flower, it’s a beauty. The first of the buds are showing on most of our mini garden Chrysanthemum range. There will be masses to follow of these non frost hardy stunners. Tight compact plants with very dinky flowers in a great colour range.
Fresh crops of Phlox are beginning to bud. Flame is a compact series, pretty mildew resistant in a good colour range. We have fresh crops of short and bushy Coreopsis Moonshine and Zagreb and the first buds have now appeared and a hint of colour appearing. Attractive feathery foliage under the small yellow daisy blooms, one of my favourites. Just a few Echinacea Magnus left showing strong upright flower stems.
Strong purple foliage of Oxalis triangularis contrasts fantastically with delicate pale pink flowers, a few Iron Cross left too. Two of our most popular lines this season are on stream and in bud. Erigeron karvinskianus are bushy and showing colour and Salvia Hot Lips are there with bud and the odd flash of puckering lips.
Coming shortly will be a widening range of Asters, bud and colour won’t be long away, we have several new varieties many mildew free/resistant and we are working on some earlier flowering batches for next year. Meanwhile we have a fresh batch of strong Aster frikartii Monch which are just lengthening their stem length in readiness for flowering. The Gaillardia varieties are producing masses of bud now, a blaze of colour to come.We have some very strong Anemone japonica varieties already producing signs of flower shoots, they must think it’s summer too. Seranade and September Charm looking particularly good. Bright gold foliage contrasts nicely with the deep blue flowers of Tradescantia Blue and Gold  making it a popular choice. Bushy and flowering the scrambler Campanula posharskyana looks bustin’! The compact Nepeta Junior Walker is proving popular, a much shorter form than other varieties but still loads of flower.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

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