Cool and Hairy

Morning all
Where did August go? Everyone is suddenly going away and the cool nights are making me jumpy that we need to get more stock potted ready for over wintering. It was only a week or two ago and we were baking in the sun and wondering if it would ever end.
The cooler weather is quite a relief here, we are getting so much more done. Potting is bowling along and tunnel clearances are clearing the nursery up a bit which makes us feel better. I've had a tidy up of my Green Impact evidence submission for this year and sent that off before the deadline which is quite a weight off my mind. You can go through these things so many times updating bit's and bobs, changing the wording, adding another image or spreadsheet because you never really stop
adapting and hopefully improving with sustainability but at some point you have to draw a line. It is drawn, no going back now, we just have to wait for the assessors to come to check it all out in a few weeks time. I think we are on for a gold award this year as long as I don't get caught out as being a bit too creative with my evidence! I missed out on a few points by not getting a new A+ fridge in time, but the old one is a family heirloom and Caroline is struggling to come to terms with pensioning it off after all these years. We have checked that the temp control is accurate and the electric consumption and both are not too bad, any savings made would take quite a few years to make up the cost of a new one. Mind you it would be good to have a white one rather than a rust spotted one! I will have another nudge in a few weeks.

WOODEN BOX RETURNS
If anyone is ready to send back their collection of empty wooden boxes please do let us know. We already have a few on a list which we are going to drop into next time we are in the area. Over the next month or so we would like to collect as many as we can, so we can get them out of your way and cleaned, dried and mended before the cold damp winter arrives. Thanks.
Availability highlights
The late summer flowering Anemones are looking great in the gardens and we have some looking good now. Some with bud coming and a nice fresh batch of the deep pink Hadspen Abundance showing colour on reasonably short plants. Anemones are always a tricky one as the natural tendency is for the plants to go tall. looks fab in the garden but not so easy in a pot.
A few of the Asters are beginning to show signs of flowering. Fantastic plants of the mildew resistant Asmo are throwing up plenty of bud, compact and chunky, just beginning to open their pale lilac flowers. Lady in Blue and Rosenwitchel are both also in bud, nice compact plants with colour showing on some. The ever popular Monch is also there with bud showing and the odd open flower.
We have a fresh batch of the pretty Foam Flower Tiarella wherii in bud and flower. They will make an attractive display for several more weeks yet before resting overwinter, ready to do it all again next spring.
Our summer/autumn flowering mini garden Chrysanthemums are on the list again this week. They produce masses of small flowers on naturally bushy, compact plants and usually flower until the first frosts. All varieties are in now in bud with colour about to burst.
We have a few trays of fresh Tradescantia (Innocense and Rubra) looking good and having a late summer flush of bud and flower. We don't have many. Viola Konigin Charlotte traditionally flowers in the spring with its deep violet colour and stunning scent, but we find it does produce a pretty smattering in the late summer too and sure enough that is what's occurring now. The pretty Viola Rebecca are showing another flush of bud and flower, looking smart.
We have a few left of our Verbena bonariensis in bud, another one that wants to go tall but we have managed to keep them in check for a bit longer but they won't hang about long. Nice vigorous batches of the compact Geum Cooky and Koi are both showing bright and eye catching colour.
The massively popular Erigeron karvinskianus Stallone is sprouting plenty of flower buds, full of promise and dainty colours. Both Erodium varieties are in bud and showing a few open flowers, neat and floriferous. Foliage starts to be of interest at this time of year and there are some good shows of colour from the Carex Evergold, Ajuga, Heuchera, Lamium and Euphorbia.
Have a good week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.