Just a quick one this week, I need to go and dry out after a damp couple of hours out in the fresh air getting the new office completely watertight and secured down. It looks like some windy weather coming up after a damp night and after getting the felt on the roof on Friday I needed to nail over the edges to make sure of no edge leaks or wind damage. There were also 3 more windows to glaze to complete the waterproofing of the building so I can get on tomorrow and finish off the internal trim and get the floor down. All very exciting. Added bonus with a free exfoliation courtesy of stretching the roofing felt around the edges as well as a natural rinse in rainwater. Every cloud etc.
We collected some useful second-hand office furniture on Friday so all set up for some smarter organisation once we get all the other services and facilities installed.
Looks like the coming couple of weeks might be a bit cold, doesn't look too bad, sales can still tick along with a bit of jolly sunshine after inspirational frosts. All of our stock is pretty tough, we keep it under net sided tunnels to keep the foliage quality good, but nothing is heated. We may well be a little ahead of one or two of our more northerly customers which may have a bearing if things do get really cold, but on the whole we do have a nice range of stock showing plenty of potential for the warmer days just round the corner.
Must go, the wood-burner and a cup of tea beckon.
Availability highlights
There are a few vivid purple flowers beginning to show among the super hardy Primula Wanda, there will be loads more as we move towards spring. Our wild primrose (P. vulgaris) are also bursting into flower already. We saved the seed from the wood on top of our hill and it was worth the effort.
We have a few spring flowering bulbs showing signs of good growth and even the odd bud on a few (Crocus Remembrance,and Scilla). Lots more to follow.
We have tried in the past to grow snowdrops (Galanthus) from autumn bulb planting with little joy, so last spring we decided to have a go with some 'in the green' bulbs to establish over the spring and summer, ready for a more natural looking clump to emerge the following spring. It works out as a bit of a long term crop but the clusters appearing now are looking much more as they do in the garden. I suspect they will thicken out more as the weeks pass but then we shorten the season when they are
in bud and flower which would be a shame.
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 mostly from a strain (Crown series) that has a high percentage of first season flowering. I hardly dare mention it, but there are a few plants in bud already. I haven't put them all on the list as being in bud as there aren't that many yet and stocks are beginning to run a bit low anyway.
The winter and spring flowering Cyclamen coum varieties we grow are now showing colour. The strain we grow has an exceptionally long flowering season with colour usually showing from November through to March and even April. They rarely get swamped with masses of flower at any one time, they just keep going on, producing a pretty and dainty show for ages. We still have a few of the hardy autumn flowering Cyclamen (hederifolium) left with attractive evergreen silvered winter foliage. We have a load planted in the garden by a hedge and they make a lovely winter ground covering.
The ever popular Erysimums are looking fresh and strong as we approach the spring. I have marked a few varieties with bud although it will be a little while before they show much colour, but the promise is there. I'm not sure for how long they will continue flowering but we have late potted batches of Armeria maritima (both the pink and the white forms) which are in flower with more bud still coming.
Compact and chunky Leucathemums are evergreen throughout the winter. There are several varieties looking very strong. Foliage starts to be of interest at this time of year and there are some good shows of colour from the Carex Evergold, Ajuga, and Euphorbia.
Have a great week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.
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