Hairy Haze

Morning all,

Happy Bank Holiday weekend to one and all. It's so busy I'm not sure which direction to turn first. Looking forward to Sunday when I get the nursery to myself (and with Caroline too of course) so I can gather my thoughts and get all those jobs out of the way that slipped under the radar earlier in the week. We've got a small gang in on Monday to try and get a few more bits sorted ready for the following short week. It's funny how a bank holiday is supposed to be a relaxing treat when in our game it has the opposite effect! Still we shouldn't complain as long as everyone has a good time in the garden.
GDPR stuff
Just a quick word on the dreaded new GDPR regulations that have just come into force. We have been swapped with so many emails from all sorts of people, some we know and a lot we have never heard of. I have the feeling that a lot of 'advisors' have done very nicely out of the fear installed in many. Overkill seems to be the name of the game, maybe to help justify the fees involved. Having heard the regulator on the BBC saying that the changes are to stop naughty people seriously misusing data on a regular basis and not for beating up well-meaning small businesses we are trying not to panic but to take a sensible considered approach. We constantly review on site security and office processes generally to keep on top of things and please be reassured that we do take all personal data collected here seriously and would not share it with anyone else unless it was needed to facilitate the smooth running of your account. The only promotional emailing we do is this weekly update and if at any time you want to be removed from the list you only have to ask by replying to this address. Your contact details are currently on this list because sometime in the past it was requested, we do not cold call or cold email anyone, that would just be too pushy for the way we do things here. We have added an unsubscribe note to the bottom of this weekly email just as a reminder of what to do when I get too dull to continue this regular contact. That's it. I'm off back to the potting machine.

Availability highlights
Many of the Echinacea are beginning to bud up now, a week or two from flower but on the way. The purple spikes of Liatris spicata won't be long, buds are there on stonking plants. Oxalis Iron Cross is showing a smattering of red flowers and bud among it's striking two tone foliage and now the purple foliaged triangularis has made an appearance too with tight bud already on show. On the theme of striking foliage, Tradescantia Blue and Gold is doing its thing. Blue flowers are opening among the bright yellow strappy leaves. Very sunny. Achillea Paprika is now showing plenty of flower buds as are the grey/green foliaged Terracottta. The dinky little flowers of Dianthus deltoidies Flashing Light are about to burst open, don't miss out, masses of bud and the odd flash of cerise flower. Gaillardia showing plenty of bud and some colour now, very summery.
The garden pinks Dianthus are nearly all in bud and starting to smell delicious. We have a few of the taller old favourites, Doris, Gran's Favourite and Haytor White as well as the more compact Scent First range. The massively popular Erigeron karvinskianus Stallone is sprouting flower buds, probably a couple of weeks away from colour but full of promise. Both little tidy Erodiums are in bud and showing a few open flowers, neat and floriferous. Summery yellows are coming out now with several Coreopsis in bud, including the more upright and feathery foliaged Zagreb. Summer arrives with bud appearing on the Rhodanthemums and Salvia Hotlips showing bud and the odd flower. Campanula carpatica Alba bud has also made it's summer debut, I nearly missed it. Difficult to miss once they open, bright large white flowers on compact plants. Subtle cream flowers of the pretty Foam Flower (Tiarella) are showing nicely with plenty of bud to come.
The pink flowers of Armeria maritima are back on the list with a fresh batch smiling in the sun, still some white available too. Astilbe's are suddenly all there and coming into bud. Looking great. All the knockout dwarf Leucanthemum are holding swelling buds, not long before they start to open. Two pale yellows Broadway Lights and Banana Creme, the white frilly Lacrosse and the bright white of Snow Lady and Silver Princess. Big bold blue flowers are about to appear on the Stokesia. It always surprises me how big they are, not may left now. Hostas are showing well now, a fab range from our own home propagated stock. The Digitalis are looking strong and chunky with flower spikes appearing. Dalmation and mertonensis are more compact, Foxy and Suttons Apricot tall but strong and in colour.
Have a good week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.