Hairy hideout

Hi Everyone,

Bit of summer again today, but luckily for me it's cooling off again over the weekend. Good productive weather for the potting team who are back in tomorrow for a bit of weekend overtime in an effort to make headway into the mountain of stuff to do. Luckily the good plant sales have made tunnel clearing fairly quick and efficient so we haven't had to stop to make any new space, just need to find time after the orders are got under control each week. Not only do we have a few extra plants to pot to cope with the great sales, but we are still trying to get stuck into next Springs potting and with sales this week running at double the same week last year, the time just runs away from us and before we know it I'm asking for a weekend team to keep the cogs turning a bit longer. Each week I'm saying it will be the last weekend potting and at some point I will be right, just not yet.
I still can't really get my head round what is going on in the world and how so much has changed over such a short time. The ongoing stories from around the world on the virus and economic chaos are too much to take in for a simple man, so I'm keeping my head down and just getting on with what I can. Other than a couple of emergency trips out in the van I have only left the site once since the middle of March, which is scary when you think about how long ago that was. Luckily for me everyone has come here instead, to keep us occupied, and Caroline has dodged out for groceries etc every couple of weeks to keep us going. The milkman, weekly Riverford veg-box and monthly cheese and chocolate deliveries have kept the essentials coming in and suddenly it is the middle of July. Working 12hrs+ a day for 7 days a week doesn't actually leave much time to miss anything else, but it has been a bit intense without the usual other distractions that gave my brain a bit of a holiday during the week. No gigs, dancing, meals out and the prospect of doing it all comfortably again still a long way off I feel. To be fair I do get a daily holiday, at tea time when everyone else has slipped away. Once my mug of tea magically appears I'm on the Aspects Holidays webcam of our beach (Porthmeor) in St Ives for a few minutes R and R. Our house overlooks the beach from the far end, so it's a place we know very well. When I say 'our house', what I mean is it's ours for two weeks in November! It has of course been really quiet there up, until a few days ago. It is too far away for a day trip for most, so even in the recent heat-wave it was still pretty deserted. The crowds have been building in the last few days and today was the busiest I've seen it, so there are definitely people out there getting stuck back into things. That must be such a relief to the businesses and local population that rely on that trade to survive. I hope they hang on until we make it back there, we always love to support the local eating and drinking establishments while on our break and are desperate to do so again.

Availability list highlights
Yet another big run on herbs last week, so the list has shrunk again this week. This week's sales only just fell short of last week, which itself was huge. There are still a few lines to pick from and some lines returning, they are just not coming back as quickly as others drop off! There is still more stock on the way just not quite ready, so please don't be tempted to overdo your buying, there will be new stock as each week passes. The perennial range has shrunk a bit too under the relentless pressure, although I suspect that the number of other distractions for the buying public and lateness in the season will draw back sales a bit now, mind you I've been thinking that for a few weeks and it hasn't happened yet..

Main current highlights on the flowering stock front are;
Osteospermum Tresco Purple are on the list again in bud. Hopefully enough for several more weeks!
The Salvia Hot Lips and Amythyst Lips are back in numbers now. Loads of buds are appearing now, after my extra trimming to get super bushy plants.
Summer flowering Gaura are coming along nicely with buds on show and colour very close. The fab compact Rudbeckia Little Goldstar have just started to produce their flower stems, with tight bud appearing. A little while before colour shows but the promise is there.
Fresh Helleborous foetidus and argutifolius too are now on the list, ready to plant out now for a flower show this winter. Other Helleborous to follow shortly.
Smart, neat and fresh new crops of Achillea Moonshine and Little Moonshine are in bud and looking good. Ajuga's are looking great, especially Burgundy Glow.
Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.