Hairy weather

Morning all, 

Ok now a mild panic setting in as we have a second relatively quiet week, with an unsettled weather weekend to come. I suspect all of us growers got a little over confident and potted like mad during that period in the spring when stock was so short, hoping that we would see a similar summer to last year where sales just kept going. Now it would appear that footfall has dropped and there is an oversupply into the market as a whole. As a consequence the retail plant discounts are popping up here and there in an effort to stimulate a resurgence in sales activity and clear stock in store. Luckily for us we do have a very active summer sales period with having so many visitor centres on our books and they appear to be very busy and selling lots of plants, so we are not too worried, just a little disappointed that sales aren't more buoyant in the garden centres.

The strange thing is that we are sell really good volumes, regularly, onto those sites still stocking our hairy pots, especially the flowering plants which are showing so much bud and colour. I know in the summer they take a bit more looking after but I am sure it shows the increasing appetite for more sustainably grown and presented stock, so don't miss out on catching that environmental wave and keep those orders for hairy pots rolling in!

Weather extremes seem to be getting more spectacular and scary with the terrible scenes from Canada earlier this week, let's see if we can turn this into a positive event and make some more real changes, it won't be easy or convenient and sacrifices need to be made, but when we put our minds to it we can all make a difference, the covid crisis has shown that. 

Availability list highlights

Loads of plants ready to go and more bud and flower than you could shake a stick at! So please check out the attached list. Lavender Spear Blue, very bushy with loads of bud and the odd flash of colour, just perfect for those smelly lavender sales. New hardy Gerbera range in 5 lovely colours, just fab, real impulse plants and flower for ages. Limited numbers this year. Compact Achillea Milly Rock range has loads of bud, with colour Dainty Lewisia Elise in flower already. Flowers all summer in a range of pastel colours.

Tiarella wherrii (Foam Flower) is in flower with its short spikes of tiny creamy blooms. The compact Monarda Balmy range are just beginning to show flashes of colour, strong bushy plants with loads of bud. A popular summer star are the Platycodon which appear on our list for the first time this season. Twinkle Blue already in bud. Two Oxalis varieties up and flowering, Iron Cross with two tone leaves and red/pink flowers and triangularis with its deep purple foliage and contrasting pretty pale pink flowers. Both impressive.

All the Hemerocallis varieties are producing flower stems and bud, now with the odd opening flower, perfect to go now with loads of promise. Osteospermum Tresco Purple has been selling like hot cakes. We have several batches potted and bud is well on show. A late potted batch of Gallery range Lupins are showing great chunky growth and are producing flower bud. Not many in stock so don't hang about on these.

Lovely crop of Catananche with flower stems extending and tight bud showing. Papery blue flowers to come soon. Most of the Lobelia's are coming into bud, the odd flash of colour and attractive foliage to back up the buds. Lots of bud and some colour on our ranges of compact Leaucanthemums, Salvia nemerosa and Coreopsis. Summer favourites the Gaura are all coming into bud and flowers opening on many, a nice range of colours and good bushy stock.

Our Dianthus have been in bud a while now and the first flowers are now opening. All varieties are really well scented. Compact Campanula's (carpatica, Clockwise and posharskyana) are budding up, about to show off their summer displays. Our two forms of Erodium have lots of tiny open flowers dotted over the plant surface with plenty of bud to follow.

We have a nice batch of the stunning little black Viola Molly Sanderson in flower, compact and looking good. Still loads of bud on the Scabious range, which flower for such a long time, although numbers are quite tight. We are trialling a range of patio Verbena this summer which are showing loads of colour, great if you want to make a colourful impact in your plant display, but numbers are limited as this was only a trial.Other colourful impact plants on trial this summer are stunning compact Helianthus (very dwarf Sunflower!) and the Helichrysum Nevada range with its impressive display of bright papery flowers. 

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries