Hairy Entertaining

Morning all,

Sorry, another slightly late list. We had a surprisingly busy week on the sales front and it put us behind on everything else especially with some holidays and several off sick. We had the added excitement this week of a few tours to cope with. One on Tuesday with a group from the local farmers club, a student group visit from Sparsholt College followed by 6 trailer loads from the county farmers group in 3 batches on Friday. It was a chaotic day while trying to juggle potting and tunnel clearing at the same time. Didn't finish the last presentation until gone 20.00 and then we had to socialise at the post tour barbeque back at the farm. With nearly 200 people it turned into a late night.

Now I'm taking a quick break from the potting team to get this away before it gets too late, but I need to get back in there so Caroline can get on with her micro-prop orders that are going out first thing on Monday. There was a time many years ago when our season would be over by now and we could think about a day or two of but no more. The cash-flow benefits as does our fitness which is great, but it would be nice to have a sit down and enjoy the sunshine,

Thankfully it looks like the season overall will be ok, despite the scary cost rises, it's been steady on the sales front which after the previous couple of years is quite a relief and I don't think I've over egged the potting during the spring so no plant give-aways this year! We had our quarterly NBIS meeting last week and it looks like tings are settling back to more pre- covid patterns for most nurseries but those cost and wage increases are going to have an impact on next year's prices, so be warned there is virtually no room any more to absorb these increases, they are just too big. We are going to stick to this year's prices as usual, until January, and we will do our best to keep the increase then, to as little as possible. We only increased this year by about 7% which was pretty modest in the circumstances and when compared to other nurseries price increases. I am ever hopeful that some costs will fall back again in time, but there doesn't look like much hope of that in the short term.

Must go, Caroline is calling for assistance on the radio and I've spent too long doing what I said was a ten minute job!

Availability list highlights

As sales step back from manic levels and spring really gets warmed up we are gaining ground on having a bit more in bud and flower, plus the herbs are becoming more available too.

Fresh crops of Dianthus in a good range of colours, bushy, lots of bud and well scented once the flowers open. Most of the Echinacea are running up their first flower stems with bud showing. Only a little way off showing colour but definite signs of action. Run out of some varieties now but purples of tall Magnus and Purple Splendour are still there.

Large white daisy flowers of our Leucathemum range are ready to shine. All are compact varieties. Summer flowering hardy Fuchsia looking good with buds on show for most. The tiny white flowered Hawkshead is always popular as are the garden favourite Mrs Popple.

Fresh batches of the Dreameria series of Armeria are bulking up on flower numbers. Selected for their very long flowering period and large flower size they promise to be a great new garden addition. Summer must be on its way with the appearance of the Oxalis. Both forms are now in flower with lots of follow on bud. Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds are visible, Gaura are producing buds now as are the Rhodanthemum both good selling summer favourites.

Penstemons are coming online now with buds now showing on the Garnet. Short buds are appearing on many of the Lupin varieties. They will romp away and produce another flush later when cut back. Fresh batches again of Digitalis and Delphinium but catch them quick before they get too big.

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries