Hairy Fire

Hi,

Sorry, I missed out on my Thursday list send out. I just ran out of days this week, This is always a tough fortnight with two 4 day weeks on the trot pushing many tasks into a shorter timeframe and at a busy time of year too. I am not complaining, selling plants is what we are supposed to be doing and we all seem to be in a good run at the moment. This weekend might be a bit disrupted with a pretty wild night due tonight and very windy tomorrow with lots of rain further north. I think we are due some of the worst wind which is making me a bit tense, the hedges are laden with lovely fresh young foliage which I suspect will get ripped to shreds over the next 24 hrs. There is already quite a lot of broken shoots on the ground and it's hardly started. Fingers crossed it's not too bad. Hopefully the tunnel covers will still be there, I'm hoping we have replaced all the dodgy ones.

We have matching vans in the yard this week looking very smart. They are not ours, just a couple on hire. One is to cover the extra work at the moment, the other is to cover for the Peugeot which is in the garage again. Engine fault code that can only be read by a Peugeot garage machine, and they can't fit us in until the end of next week. Probably another warrantee job so not too much to pay but not exactly filled with confidence with the service or the van. Warrantee nearly up (100,000 miles) so what will happen when that runs out I dread to think. We have tried to get it sorted at our fab commercial lorry garage but they hit a brick wall (not literally). It's a shame because the low box design on the back and high payload works so well. Good job we are not busy, what fun.

Great but scary to see that the environment is still hitting the headlines, I am wondering if there is a bit more momentum gathering with the general public and even the politicians actually looking like they are embracing more urgency to move in the right direction. Sir David is talking about significant changes needed within 10 years and 16 year old Greta Thunberg saying she wants adults to act like their house is on fire, because it is!

There is still a shortage of herbs I'm afraid. This list is developing and expanding slightly and there are loads more on the way but we just need them to get growing a bit more before releasing them onto the unsuspecting world. Must go and print some more wooden labels, I just can't catch up at the moment. Luckily the wind is turning the turbines so free green power to run the machine and lights.

Have a great week, hope there isn't too much fallout for you from this storm.

Availability highlights

Camassia Maybelle showing plenty of bud now. A bit more compact than others of this type, it is a lovely blue once open although still in tight bud as we speak. I've a nice batch of this but it will sell out this week I think.

Dianthus Scent First varieties are back on line. Buds are thrusting through on most varieties although I have only marked those clearly showing at the moment.

The delightful pale yellow Anthemis Sauce Hollandaise flowers are close. Buds just beginning to appear on very busy plants. The ever popular Erysimum Bowles Mauve are looking fabulous as we get into spring. Very smart and colour showing now as the first flowers begin to open. Selling through fast so don't miss out.

Although not in flower, the Hostas are mostly up and looking smart. A fab range with the leaves just beginning to unfurl. The compact low growing Achillea Desert Eve range is now on line and coming into bud.

Lovely batches of the classic Geum Lady Stratheden and Mrs Bradshaw are ready to go. Buds are on their way,

We still have a few really strong Japanese Anemone for sale. Chunky over wintered plants raring to go. One of my favourites. Rudbeckia Goldsturm and the various Echinacea varieties are selling well. They will be a while before they produce flower but they are great plants.

I have the first few Erigeron karv. Stallone in bud with a sprinkling of open flowers, but please don't get too excited, I don't have many in this first batch. There are thousands on the way, this is just a taster!

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy and 'Action'

Hi,
Happy Easter to one and all. Brains a bit fuzzy after the organised chaos of a pre-Easter week of
deliveries. Looks like the weather is going to be spectacular over the weekend, I hope it all goes well for you.
Back to cooler temperatures after that but that probably suits us fine. It should be warm enough for some quicker growth but not too hot and everyone thinking it's summer time already.
It's been a very hectic few weeks and quite a contrast to last year when the miserable cold start meant that this past equivalent week was our first busy one. There was a lot of stock sitting around looking for a home and a few anxious weeks juggling a faltering cash-flow. Still juggling the cash-flow but hopefully not for quite as long this year. All part of the fab career lifestyle we chose!
We managed to get most, but not quite all, of the deliveries complete before the end of play on Thursday thanks to heroic efforts in despatch and by the drivers who all had their challenges this week. We lost one van for a few hours with a puncture near Coventry and another is now in the garage to be sorted out after it went into 'limp mode' near Cambridge and displayed a few exciting lights on its way home. Luckily on both occasions all the orders got delivered and everyone got home safely which is the most important thing.
We got stuck into some very satisfying tunnel clearing and productive potting today and we have a team in on Friday and Saturday to do a bit more. That leaves me Sunday to catch up with the label printing and Monday to make a start on the orders for next week with another small team. Hopefully this will get another '4 day week' off to a flying start. We won't be delivering on Monday but should be out on Tuesday, though possibly with one vehicle short. We'll see what develops. Apologies for the shortfall in the herb supply again. We have hit our 'hungry gap' with many of our over-wintered plants finishing and the fresh crops not quite there yet. A wider range will return as soon as we can coax some rampant growth into the plants. Again a bit of a contrast to last year when we were overrun with stock at this stage and ended up throwing some away when it got too big!
Slightly scary email today from a TV current affairs researcher who is looking into a piece on sustainability issues in the gardening industry for a big network. I provided a bit of background on what we have been up to over the years and tried to get over our pretty small size, trying to hit a balance between being helpful but not too enthusiastic. I don't want to be negative but they are going to have to work hard to get me in front of a camera, it's not really something I would look forward to and I'd have to get a haircut. I'm quite capable of making a prat of myself in normal day to day life without feeling the need for someone to record it and play it to the world. I'm hoping they will come across more influential and informed people once their research is complete. Let's wait and see what happens....

Availability highlights
Camassia Maybelle was showing nothing up until Wednesday then suddenly all the buds start to appear. A bit more compact than others of this type, it is a lovely blue once open although still in tight bud as we speak. I've a nice batch of this but it won't hang around long.
The ever popular Erysimum Bowles Mauve are looking fabulous as we get into spring. Very smart and colour showing now as the first flowers begin to open. Selling through fast so don't miss out.
The pink Pyrethrum rosea have just shot up their flower stems with bud on top, we don't have many of this pretty pink daisy, it's a classic cottage garden plant. The Pyrethrum Robinsons Red variety will follow very quickly. Another classic Jacobs Ladder are pushing up flower stems too. Both Polemonium White and the Blue are both in action.
The compact Erodium Bishops Form are beginning to put on a show, they go on for months producing their deep pink flowers. Although not in flower, the Hostas are mostly up and looking smart. A fab range with the leaves just beginning to unfurl.
The compact low growing Achillea Desert Eve range is now on line. The yellow variety is first in bud but the others are close behind. Campanula glomerata Superba and pers. Alba are starting to produce flower stems, with colour just round the corner. Lovely batches of the classic Geum Lady Stratheden and Mrs Bradshaw are ready to go. Bud is just around the corner, I have spotted a few but not enough to mark on the list yet.
We still have a few really strong Japanese Anemone for sale. Chunky over wintered plants raring to go. One of my favourites. Rudbeckia Goldsturm and the varoius Echinacea varieties are selling well. They will be a while before they produce flower but they are great plants.
Have a great week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy Easter

Hi,
An earlier list this week after a special request for it. I can't promise it as early as this every week as I tend to run out of hours during the busiest weeks, but I'll try.
It's so early that I can't think of any exciting news or pearls of wisdom to impart and I'm sure as it is the pre-Easter build up period, you won't have much time to read anything anyway.
Apologies for a bit of a shortfall in the herb supply. We are hitting our 'hungry gap' with many of our over-wintered plants finishing and the fresh crops not quite there yet. A wider range will return as soon as we can coax some rampant growth into the plants. This year has seen another surge in sales thanks in part to the continuing anti-plastic vibe, which has added to the pressure. Don't get me wrong we are not complaining, but it does add to the list of things to think about in the early hours! Bring on the sunshine.
Looks like a cool week to come which isn't going to rush things on much, but the sun is due to show up for quite a while which should keep up footfall. Don't hold your breath but the forecast for the holiday weekend at the moment is warmer.
Just a quick word to say what a great job you are all doing out there in plant sales land. Long may the season continue. Have fun.

Availability highlights
The ever popular Erysimums are looking fabulous as we get into spring. All looking very smart. Colour showing on most varieties now as the first flowers begin to open. Selling through fast so don't miss out. The Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum May Queen is now elongating into bud. Lovely simple big daisy flowers always make this a popular plant, but it is on the larger size so won't hang about here long. Now the shorter double flowered variety Freak is available with the first buds showing. Very double white flowers with a slightly ruffled fluffy effect.
The compact Erodium Bishops Form are beginning to put on a show, they go on for months producing their deep pink flowers. Primula japonica Millers Crimson are back on again after a bit of a false start a couple of weeks ago when a few popped their buds up and the rest held fire. I don't have as many as I would like this year so they will not hang around long on the list. The ever-giving Salvia nemerosa varieties are all coming into or are very close to bud. Compact and attractive they will repeat flower through the summer especially after a tidying hair cut of the old flower stems. The leaf aroma is not my favourite but you can't have everything!
Although not in flower, the Hostas are mostly up and looking smart. A fab range with the leaves just beginning to unfurl. The attractive grey leaved Achillea Moonshine is producing bud now, it will be a little while before they are big enough to colour up, but they are full of promise. The popular Achillea Paprika is showing signs of the occasional flower stem but not quite enough the mark it on my list.
Campanula glomerata Superba and pers. Alba are producing flower stems, with colour just round the corner. The dinky Geum Koi and Cooky are now showing their first bright orange flowers.
Our own sourced wild primrose (Primula vulgaris) are still going strong and still producing fresh buds and flower. The last few spring flowering Pulmonarias are showing lots of bud now with most now showing pretty opening flowers. Attractive variegated foliage of Ajuga Burgundy Glow and Sugar Plum make an attractive backdrop to the spikes of early mauve/blue flowers.
We have several new trial varieties this season and the first of those are available next week. The Scabiosa Flutterby series are an improved selection of the Butterfly Blue type. Compact and long flowering, available in blue, white and pink they should be a winner. Blue and pink are ready now and the white will be very soon. Last of the over-wintered Lupins on the list this week, with only really Gallery Rose left and a handful of Yellow. Fresh crops on the way if I can keep the pigeons off them, they seem to have a taste for Lupin this spring.
Have a great week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Old and Hairy

Morning all,

Another manic week, we sold out of quite a few flowering lines which always leaves me slightly panicky. Should I have grown more or should I be relieved that the weather has been with us and they sold? Lots more stock to come over the coming months so the list will continue to change and develop with lots of opportunities to sell more!
Not too much other stuff to report over the last 10 days really, I haven't managed to get off site since the spring rush really got going. I am welded to the wooden label printer in any spare moments, trying to keep up with demand from despatch.
We put out our first batch of pest predators last week, although it got so cold I can't imagine they were very active. It is always a tricky decision as to what to release and when as they are quite expensive and just to let them go in open ended tunnels always seems a bit of a potential waste. We just have to try to make their start on the nursery as easy as we can by positioning and releasing them in the best environment we can find and trust they get on with it. To be fair after several years of using them we do find that the background level of pests does seem to be well controlled with just the odd outbreak needing further spot treatment form either more predator or some spray.
Richard our new driver has been learning the ropes getting used to our smaller delivery vans. We both had a bit of a senior moment earlier, difficult to believe but he is even older than me, when he couldn't get the satnav to turn on and I went over to help but couldn't get it to go either. Brilliant, just as we were sending him off into the blue yonder the thing dies on us. Having called for help from a younger brain we realised we were trying to turn on the reversing camera not the satnav! I think I need a lie down.
Caroline has slipped away early tonight with her brother to go and watch Saints lose to Liverpool. I'm sure she'll make up the time over the weekend, she has got a van full of micro-propagated young plantlets to fill for first thing Monday so that should keep her out of trouble.
We could have had a chat about Brexit but I'm afraid I need to press on with my label printing. so I'll leave you to enjoy the press coverage of all that stuff, while I put my headphones on and get stuck in. Sometimes it's nice to have your own little world to live in.

Availability highlights
The ever popular Erysimums are looking fabulous as we get into spring. All looking very smart. Colour showing on most varieties now as the first flowers begin to open. The Shasta Daisy Leucanthemum May Queen is now elongating into bud. Lovely simple big daisy flowers always make this a popular plant, but it is on the larger size so won't hang about here long.
The compact Erodium Bishops Form are beginning to put on a show, they go on for months producing their deep pink flowers. The ever-giving Salvia nemerosa varieties are all coming into or are very close to bud. Compact and attractive they will repeat flower through the summer especially after a tidying hair cut of the old flower stems. The leaf aroma is not my favourite but you can't have everything!
Although not in flower, the Hostas are mostly up and looking smart. A fab range with the leaves just beginning to unfurl. The attractive grey leaved Achillea Moonshine is producing bud now, it will be a little while before they are big enough to colour up, but they are full of promise. The popular Achillea Paprika is showing signs of the occasional flower stem but not quite enough the mark it on my list.
The earliest of the Campanula are coming into bud now. We are sadly out of the Takion White now for a week or two, but we have a very nice batch of the Takion Blue. Campanula glomerata Alba and Superba are both producing flower stems, with colour just round the corner.
The dinky Geum Koi are now showing their first bright orange flowers. Verbascum Phoenician Hybrids are just beginning to throw up their flower stems. A bit of warmth and they will romp away. Our own sourced wild primrose (Primula vulgaris) are still going strong and still producing fresh buds and flower. The last few spring flowering Pulmonarias are showing lots of bud now with most now showing pretty opening flowers. Attractive variegated foliage of Ajuga Burgundy Glow makes an attractive backdrop to the spikes of early flowers..
The deep violet spring flowering and super scented Viola labradorica are looking great after their winter haircut. Euphorbia purpurea are looking great with short strong arching stems producing their early spring display of yellow bracts over the purple foliage. E. robbiae are following close behind. Do watch out for the milky sap which is an irritant. Chunky Lupins on the list this week, having been cut back over winter they are now leaping into strong bushy growth.

Have a great week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.