Tuesday 7 March 2017

Light and Hairy

Morning all,

Spring is definitely upon us and the stock is bursting forth, now we could just do with some pleasant weather to boost the throughput and get the lovely stock here into everyone’s garden. Although it can look very pretty in our net sided tunnels the bank balance will look ugly later if we don’t ship it out at some point. Not panicking yet but the spurt of growth put on over the last few days makes you realise things are really on the move.
I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear I completed the hat-trick of mechanical meltdowns last week after the potting machine died on two fronts. There was a quiet lull in the weather last Sunday so I got the sprayer out for a quick splurge on a few patches of weed around the edges of a couple of tunnels before we potted into them this week. A nice quick job to fit in around the others lined up for a well planned productive day. As I filled the sprayer with water and tested the electric pump, water ran out from where it shouldn’t. A whopping split in the spray-line pipe just where it goes into the motor housing. An obvious point of stress, it always bends at that point and it was bound to happen one day. Spent an hour on-line finding the part number and sourcing a replacement by which time I had recovered my cool and returned to the offending kit and set about dismantling. It took a while, going down several blind alleys, taking out the wrong bolts and odd bits dropping off, but eventually I was able to disconnect it all, shorten the line and reassemble, with hardly any parts left on the bench at the end. All now working perfectly and just the one day lost!
The new LED lights are doing wonders for our electric consumption, February was down 27% and March so far 36%. That’s £204 towards the £10,000 cost! Smugness all round. The daily meter reading hasn’t been this exciting for ages. I’m off to our sustainable business network meeting next week so looking forward to some back slapping there. We also have a session due on helping us through our Green Impact entry which is due in on 24th March ready for assessment and auditing. We have completed all the Bronze level stuff and made a start on the Silver so just need to check we are on the right track. I’m even looking forward to the audit, the young folk running it are so enthusiastic and up for it, I am hoping to soak some of it up.

2017 Catalogue
Links for the 2017 flipbook catalogue (and a pdf version should you need to print it out) with lots of pictures of most of the perennials we grow are;

Flipbook http://online.1stflip.com/dpyl/367v/    (Best viewed on desktop or laptop but not currently on mobile phones)

Pdf   https://www.dropbox.com/s/nasnx3xy8r1nfdy/Catalogue%202017%20complete.pdf?dl=0    (This is a big file due to the large numbers of images in it. We would encourage you to use the flipbook instead saving more of the world’s resources)

Availability highlights
A lovely flush of growth on many lines showing how life in the garden is returning after the winter break. Chunky Lupins and Delphiniums are looking great, full of vigour and promise.
The ever popular Erysimum Bowles Mauve are already showing bud and the odd splash of colour. Bud also appearing on Apricot Twist, Fragrant Sunshine, Pastel Patchwork and the lovely Red Jep.
Pulsatilla have shot up in the last couple of weeks with masses of bud now showing, a bundle of colour in the making. Brunnera are fattening up quickly and looking cracking, buds of those delightful forget-me-not blue flowers are appearing now.
Helleborus Crown Purple are now throwing up their flowers, we have limited stock so don’t miss out. The other colours are in shorter supply and selling through quickly, there are a few buds appearing now on some of these too, but not enough for us to guarantee a full tray.
Dicentra spectabalis have burst through, their flower buds already in evidence. The white form has arrived now as well.The Pulmonaria are coming one well with bud and stunningly blue flowers on the Blue Ensign which is the most forward and the variegated Opal and Mageste both looking smart with bud and colour showing. Polemonium Heavenly Scent are looking great, really chunky and bushy, attractive burnished foliage and with the first flower shoots and bud showing.
Both colour forms of Campanula persicifolia Takion are already throwing up flowering stems. A compact and early flowering selection, it will flower on into the summer if old shoots are removed.
Vibrant green and lush foliage of Doronicum is bursting forth and the buds of the yellow flowers are just appearing.
Have a good week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.


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