Hairy hols

 Morning all,

An early list this week as I might not be here for a few days, depending on how things turn out. The nursery will still be up and running, but with some younger blood at the helm for a short while. Possibly time for a bit of a reassessment of how we go forwards from where we are and how to keep up the positive momentum, and eat a lot.

There seems to be so much big news about at the moment I am finding it hard to watch sometimes, I am looking forward to some head burying on the beach and overdosing on pasties. What with the budget, Covid scares, COP26, labour shortages, supply chain problems, energy price chaos, general price rises and all the rest, it is hard sometimes to pick up on something a bit more joyful to lighten the load. When you add in a spot of Harry Billinge, the war veteran, visiting the Normandy War memorial a couple of days ago and an episode or two of 'The Repair Shop' and I'm all over the place! Luckily I do have a holiday each day with a tea time online visit to our St Ives beach and a check over of any potential retirement homes that have come on the market. Fantasy can then take me on a bit of a break as I work out what we might do. There was a very exciting one last week, that we are going to have a look at, on a bit of a walk next week, but it is a bit old and has probably too many restrictions on it. Set in 23 acres, with distant sea views to the north and the south, it is an iron age hill fort. Ok so you can't actually live there, but what a fun thing to have. Perhaps I'm on my own on this one! I have done a bit of research and it has bronze age and iron age features and it has never been excavated, hours of fun.

Back to reality and good old nursery life, it's been another hectic week with a little flurry of half-term orders, plus a lot of pot mulching and wooden tray maintenance going on. We are knocking off a few winter site jobs already, the windbreak poplar leaves are mostly down and have been raked up before they block the drains down the sides of the tunnels and the irrigation acid tank has had its fencing upgraded and signage refreshed. Good jobs to get under the belt. I'm almost looking forward to having no income for a few months, just to get a few more of those things out of the way, so we can feel under some level of control again. It seems a long time since I felt even remotely in control of anything. We over did it a bit last winter, with new loo's going in, new electrics and heating in despatch and the potting tunnel, everything took so much longer than expected and was double the cost, plus all the usual winter jobs we had to get through as well. It didn't help that last winter was pre-vaccination and tensions were high with lockdowns and NHS worries. This winter, I'm trying to be a bit more modest in my ambition and hopefully it will be a bit more relaxing and prepare us better for next season. Although covid is still a worry, it is not the untamed beast it was a year ago, and hopefully that situation will continue to improve. We have all our covid secure practices and facilities already in place here so no rushing around trying to make things right, it is already our 'new normal'. How we took for granted those earlier carefree days, I do hope they return at some time before my brain pops.

Autumn wooden box collections are now nearly done

Most of our wooden trays have now been collected up, but if you have a collection of trays ready to go, please do drop us an email and we will call in a pick them up as soon as we are in your area. At a replacement cost now in excess of £10 a box now, we can't afford to lose too many. Just been informed of another timber price rise, so definitely need them back!

Availability list highlights

Things are getting quiet now and most plants are looking for their winter rest. There are still a few stars shining out there, but fewer each week.

The long flowering Cyclamen coum varieties are coming along with the odd flower opening already. This coum series we are growing, flowers continuously from September to April given reasonable winter conditions, it is really hardy although the number of flowers open at any one time is more subtle and modest than some of the very showy modern and less hardy pot cyclamen. A favourite of ours,

Some of the Helleborus niger varieties are in bud and flower already, Christmas has come early. Helleborus orientalis are looking strong with the occasional bud showing. A slightly enlarged range from us this year with the introduction of the Pretty Ellen range of a red, white and a pink.

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries