Just seen the weather forecast for next week and Helen says "it's bonkers", so looking forward to that! Hopefully not too mad so we can keep up the nice run we have had, it's fantastic out there today.
Hope it's not too wild as we have a temporary office arriving on Monday and the new replacement on Wednesday. One is ready to go in a metal box, the other in over 500 wooden pieces on a pallet or two. I suspect one will be a bigger challenge than the other to move into.
Just hoping it all goes more smoothly than this week's potting which stalled on Thursday, just as we were looking to go full tilt before the weekend. The call over the walkie-talkie, "Derek the machine has stopped" is never a good sign, with an experienced team on the job they can sort out most issues that crop up and having to call me usually means trouble. At least the machine was nearly empty of compost so we didn't need to dig it out which is usually the first job, but Greg and I spent the next day and a half in it, trying to sort out a complete seizure. Frustratingly we managed to free it up after a few hours but we were left with a suspicious knocking and vibration as it ran. We loaded a bit of compost in it, to see if that might lubricate the process and tested it out for half an hour. It definitely didn't sound right so it was back to the tool shed to dismantle the thing even further, so we could try and identify the issue. After quite a wrestling match we got the crumbling and bent 'compost
gate' off (controls the amount of compost going into the lift conveyor) and discovered the problem behind it. At some point the bars on the lift conveyor, plus probably a foreign body or two, had ripped the metal sheet at the bottom, then later as the chain stretched and got a bit loose, a bar caught it and bent the whole sheet back on itself. It was just the bottom 4 inches so a modicum of judicial trimming and then tickling with the lump hammer got it all back in place and eventually running beautifully. With the compost gate reinforced and reinstalled as well, it is now running so quietly I suspect it was probably damaged quite a while ago and it all just came to a head with one big catch. We are now feeling pretty pleased with ourselves for getting it sorted, just don't remind me about the lost potting time.
A heart warming image accompanies this message, although those of you with a sensitive nature may not want to check out the attached image (Waitrose Doves). It's something we spotted on our way into get the groceries this morning. Someone doing the shelf stacking was either lacking imagination or feeling creative! Nice facial expressions too. "What are you looking at?"
WOODEN BOX RETURNS
If anyone is ready to send back their collection of empty wooden boxes please do let us know. Over the next few weeks 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. 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. We have some stonking September Charm and Honerine Jobert at the moment. Autumn flowering Cyclamen hederifolium are coming into flower.
We have a fresh batch of compact and chunky Leucathemum Banana Creme with strong bud showing. Pretty little Tiarella are in bud and flower now. Fresh batches of Salvia Sensation in blue; and white are in bud and about to show colour. 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. Looking and smelling great. We have a couple on fresh patches of Achillea in bud on short stems, the red Paprika and silver leaved Moonshine.
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. Starshine, Lady in Blue and Rosenwitchel are both also in bud, nice compact plants with colour showing on some. The massively popular Erigeron karvinskianus Stallone is sprouting plenty of flower buds, full of promise and dainty colours. 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.
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