Hairy trepidation

Morning all

Bit tense here about the predicted record temperatures for early next week. It has been tough enough this week keeping everyone healthy, cool and hydrated but mid to high 30's is scary. I'm hopeless in the heat which doesn't help. We do have air-con in the micro-prop lab to control temperatures in the growth room and work area, so that should be fine, but the rest of us are going to have to adapt things to cope. A combination of early starting, time off, working in only shaded and fanned areas will hopefully see some work safely done before we give up and hide in a darkened room. Fingers crossed they might have overhyped the forecast, plus it also is due to cool dramatically on Wednesday, so I'm trying not to panic unduly.

We have had a little extra help this week with a very good work experience young chap called Max from a local school, who has impressed us all with his application, work and communication. It is a shame he has picked the hottest two weeks of the summer to work on a nursery full of polytunnels, but it has worked out very well. We also started a new lady from Ukraine in the lab on a part time basis while she and her family settle into the UK. We luckily had a relative of hers to help on day one with translation, so things got off to  a very positive start. She is massively overqualified to be working for us, but until she gets the language skills up together and moves on, we get the benefit of her efforts. Hearing a little of the recent family background makes our own worries appear rather trivial, but I'm glad to say they appear to be looking at things with a surprisingly positive and bright approach.

This last couple of weeks I have been harvesting Erigeron seed from my little collection of stock plants in the end of one tunnel. This weather has been perfect for ripening the tiny flower heads although they can be a challenge to pick. I can understand now why they charge £100 per gram for this one. They flower continually from one end of the season to the other and the seed heads mature in a similar way with the added 'pear characteristic', one minute they are not ready and the next they've gone past it. The tiny fluffy seed-heads are not only tricky to spot among the flowers but and as you approach them the slightest touch on another stem flicks the whole lot on the floor before I can get finger and thumb to them. It's a good job we are not retail as the language can get a bit colourful. I developed a trick earlier in the year of standing a couple of pots on top of some seed trays so that they sowed themselves directly into the tray. After a bit of rearranging of the deposited seed I left them to germinate. This worked brilliantly for producing plants for late summer and overwintering, but I now need dry seed to sow in the spring, hence the twice daily trip to the stock plants for a bit of swearing.

Availability list highlights

With the predicted heat wave early next week, we are very likely to delay most deliveries until later in the week, for the wellbeing of staff, plants and drivers. Hope this will work out ok.

Plenty of lovely looking stock, don't hold back, get some bud and colour on those benches if it's not too hot!

Erigeron karvenskianus Stallone are back on the list, plenty of bud and flower again and raring to go. Gaura looking fab with lots of buds, as have the Rhodanthemum, both good selling summer favourites. Blue flowered and compact Platycodon are ready to roll. Not got many yet but more to follow.

First summer buds of Crocosmia are just poking through the leaves. Close to colour now and looking good. Time flies and already we have our first dwarf Chrysanthemums in bud. Lots more to come.

Last batch of Nemesia Wisey Vanilla is ready to go, with bud, colour and best of all that strong vanilla scent. Just a few left. Ever popular summer flowering perennial Salvias are doing their thing,

Fresh crops of Dianthus in a good range of colours, bushy, lots of bud and well scented once the flowers open. 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 Tom Thumb.

Plenty of bud to come on the little alpine Lewisia, already showing colour in attractive mixed pastel shades. Nice short plants of Achillea Moonshine in bud and looking strong. The compact Milly Rock range has recovered from a nursery hair cut with a fresh flush of compact leaves and buds.

Summer must be on its way with the appearance of the Oxalis. Both forms are now in flower with lots to follow. Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds are visible,

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries