Hairy imports

Morning all,

August Bank Holiday approaches, so one last summer fling of a week coming up I suspect. Quite a few orders already lined up and I'm sure a few more to come. Potting will have to go on the backburner again until this one is out of the way. We are going to run the potting team for a few more Saturdays yet, but hopefully the end is sort of in sight, we might even let everyone have the Bank Holiday off which would be a treat.

Took delivery of another container of hairy pots on Monday which gives us a pretty big collection to go at for the rest of this season and into next. It is always a bit of a gamble trying to judge how many pots we will need and when we will need them as I have to order them months in advance in order for the village team in Sri Lanka to get through the production process. When things took off in the Spring I must admit I did stick in an order for an extra container load, as it looked like we might need them. As it happens demand did quieten and we probably could have managed without, but better safe than sorry. They keep for ages when tucked up in their boxes in the barn, so no worries there, but at £35,000 a load it does make a dent in the cash-flow! There is a silver lining, the villagers were delighted to have the extra work over a period where there was so much disruption to their other income streams, although they were a bit panicky over the explosion in container transport costs. In the end we did well to get the pot stock in when we did, as there are now big problems getting anything out of Sri Lanka as the container ships aren't calling in there anywhere near as often at the moment and costs have soared again. Hopefully by the time we need the next load things will have settled again and costs dropped back a bit, but stories of container costs increasing from £1,200 to £12,000 are making us a bit nervous.

All this stressy stuff was put in perspective this week with some sad news of a couple of horticulturists passing on. Will George the long term chairman of our NBIS nursery 'therapy' group slipped away last weekend after a long illness and will be missed by so many. He was the driving force of our group and kept us all on our toes, challenging us when we lacked confidence and ambition and always encouraging us to make the most of our expertise, assets and opportunities. He was also an expert in so many other fields, with his steam train exploits, real ale experience and spoon playing expertise!

The second loss was someone we didn't know ourselves, but a long term employee of another nursery we work with. He had been at work out in the fields last Saturday, went home, sat in the sofa and quietly passed away. Such a shock for everyone and a bit of a wake-up call for anyone not making the most of every day. Our thoughts are with all those suffering with such sad loss, things are already challenging enough without adding more to the load.

We are living each day as it comes, looks like a curry tonight and sod the consequences for an early start tomorrow. Take care out there.

Availability list highlights

Oxalis Iron Cross with two tone leaves and red/pink flowers. A fresh short bushy batch in bud and ready to go. Anemone Pink Cloud is a new one to us this year and is suddenly thrusting up its chunky short flowers stems and bud. Loads of promise for a neat strong showing over the next few weeks. Very few left now. Summer is still in sight with the Armeria's still with flowers coming.

A couple of Campanulas are still flowering nicely on strong plants. Posharskyana and Clockwise are the best. Still have some strong hardy fuchsia looking smart and colourful. The dainty and upright white flowered Hawkshead look fab. Asters are coming along with bud now appearing on Lady in Blue and Starlight. More to come over the next few weeks. 

We have some colourful foliage plants in stock. Sliver leaved Stachys and Artemesia, purple leaved Heuchera, plus a couple with paler marbled foliage. Euphorbia are there in a range of colours too and the stripy golden grass Carex Evergold. We have some really strong and colourful Ajugas to watch out for. The variegated foliage of Pulmonaria Opal and Mageste are very smart, ready to build up a head of steam for their spring flower display.

Both Gaillardia Messa Red and Messa Yellow varieties looking strong and showy, but not many left. On the list this week is the popular Cerostigma plumbaginoides, showing its first buds and the odd flash of deep blue flowers, Penstemon Garnet are still putting on a good show and we are moving into a fresh batch of Sour Grapes which aren't quite as colourful yet, but show plenty of promise.

Osteospermum are still selling well. We have several batches potted in three varieties and all have flowers opening. Summer favourites the Gaura are all coming into bud and flowers opening on many, a nice range of colours bushy plants. Our two forms of Erodium have lots of tiny open flowers all over the plant surface with plenty of bud to follow.

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries