Antiqued Hairyness

Morning all,
After another delightful week weather wise, today has come as a bit of a shock. A cold northerly makes it feel a tad wintery and the boilers are chugging away in the prop tunnel trying to keep those young plants growing. Unfortunately the new office is still on pallets in the barn, ideally I should be tucked up in a new highly insulated and cosy hideaway rather than freezing my extremities in a leaky and cold portacabin. Just too much to do at the moment to get started, so it will have to wait a few weeks until we are all caught up elsewhere.
A few more chores satisfyingly completed this week, the boilers all serviced and fine-tuned, just in time for the cold snap and the phone system mended at last. Slightly bizarre ending to the phone saga, we accidently mended it ourselves! The base stations for the cordless phones all pass through a small network switch which had its power cable accidentally removed, all the cordless phones went dead, but on plug re-insertion all returned to normal with the previous faults cured. If in doubt turn it off and on again! Just need to pick the right bit to turn off. What a relief.
Several new frost proof taps installed around the nursery to make the winter freeze ups a bit less damaging and watering-in the potting less stressful when the spring arrives. Three tunnels have been emptied out of stock for a good clean up with just a few more to go. Some of the evergreen stock is already tidied and bark topping applied, to help suppress the liverwort growth that can detract from the plant appeal and add costly time onto the springtime despatch work. We have added yet more insulation to the prop tunnel heating system in an effort to further pin back the oil consumption. I'm hoping the returns will be swift, although it may well be a couple of winters before the payback time is reached. Jam tomorrow, but a warm glow of smugness inside today.
The lab store got a well needed coat of wood preservative to keep the damp out and looks very smart, we went for a radical change to a dark colour and ended up with an unexpected distressed/antiqued effect which looks just fine. We'll give it another coat as soon as we get a run of a couple of dry days, to achieve the necessary coverage and that will be another job ticked off the list.
Can't hang about, got to get the dinner on before dashing out for a big night out at a quiz in the village hall. It's all go, or at least, it might be later.

WOODEN BOX RETURNS
Thanks to everyone who has rustled together their boxes ready for return. We have a really good number back here now, all cleaned and stacked to fully dry out, with loads of pallets already tucked away in the barn. We have visited most sites now and our van trips have dropped away, so we won't be coming by quite as often, however please do keep in touch and let us know if you have a batch to go and we will try and get round to you at some point.

Availability highlights
Helleborus orientalis in a variety of colours are now well under way, for that winter interest and early exotic colour. Stonking bushy plants which are from a strain (Crown series) that has a high percentage of first season flowering. I hardly dare mention it, but there are a few odd plants threatening to flower already. I haven't put them on the list as being in bud as there aren't
that many yet.
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 autumn too. Looking and smelling great.
The late summer flowering Anemones are still looking good in many gardens if not too battered by the recent winds, and we have some looking strong.
Compact and chunky Leucathemum Banana Creme with lovely bud showing and the odd splash of delightful pale yellow. Many of the Asters are still in bud or flower. The massively popular Erigeron karvinskianus Stallone is still sprouting plenty of flower buds, full of promise and dainty colours. If the weather is not too harsh we have had these still flowering at Christmas before now.
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.