Hairy and Reuseable

Morning all,

Bank holiday weekend, hooray. Nearly managed a quiet weekend, but we have a big microprop order to go out Tuesday morning that got delayed from a couple of weeks ago and it all needs tarting up again, loading and labelling, so no feet up just yet. Hoping over the three days for a little down time, especially as the weather looks more manageable, off to the local fancy eating pub tonight for a treat, so looking forward to that. The tiny portions help with calorie intake I'm told!

Sales have been ticking over but have not really recovered from the heat waves and ongoing hosepipe bans, it's a shame but at least it gives us a chance to catch up on tunnel clearing and potting which has been in full swing. I would like to say we are ahead of ourselves on the potting front, but I think it would be more accurate to say we aren't as far behind as usual! Whatever it is, it's better than before, which definitely reduces stress levels as the nights draw in and should give us even chunkier stock next spring.

This week was my quarterly therapy session with our NBIS group, I get off the site, meet up with other nursery folk, have the luxury of a pub lunch and hear about everyone else's woes before inflicting them with mine. It's great to unload to a sympathetic, if sometimes cheekily abusive, audience. As usual I picked up some valuable tips and info plus a general feel of how everyone was managing through these crazy economic times. Sadly the turmoil of the last few years has had its casualties with one of the group last week deciding to close their business before things got too far out of hand. Always a difficult thing to hear about let alone go through, so our thoughts are with all those affected especially the management team and employees who are out of a job at very short notice.

A surprise like that, as a business owner, brings home just how many people are reliant on how well Caroline and I do our jobs. We are going to have to get to grips with how best we handle the current economic chaos to try and keep the business not just afloat but moving forwards. 

Costs are going nuts, not just for the business but for all our staff too and I desperately want to keep prices from racing away to silly levels and denting sales. It's going to be a very difficult balance to make and I think we are going to have to be flexible on all fronts. Despite making efficiency improvements each and every year, we still have a few more tweaks to add in this coming year, which should partially mitigate what I expect will be a significant wage rise in the spring, All our other major costs have increased on a scale we have never seen before, compost, wooden boxes (up 160%), pots (up 22%), young plants, diesel and 3rd party transport costs, heating oil and imported electricity (likely to be up over 400% in January). I am thankful that we have in place so much reusable stuff, we rarely buy any growing/handling trays which must be 25+ years old now, the wooden marketing trays get multiple uses and last ages so only need partial replacement each year, the Danish trolley system works beautifully as a packing system (barring the occasional shelf collapse) and our relatively new transport fleet should keep us going for a few more seasons deliveries without too much more investment (famous last words). The turbines are making an increasingly valuable contribution too and hopefully we might be able to add a few solar panels to our renewable energy mix over the next year. One day some of those huge increases should fall back again to a degree and we can relax a bit but not just yet.

Availability list highlights

Japanese Anemones are flushing nicely with the occasional flower stem already. An ongoing flush of buds on the Geum Lemon Drops, don't miss out they won't hang about long. Potted an early batch of Cyclamen hederifolium which have surprised me by starting to flower already, An autumn flowering type they are both looking good,

Time flies and we have our first dwarf Chrysanthemums in bud. Lots more to come. Autumns flowerers are on the march with more and more fresh Asters coming into bud. Tiarella with it's pretty and short 'foam flowers' are looking great. Just a few of the purple/pink Erodium Bishops Form left. Neat, tidy and in flower. Goes on for ages. The late performing Cerostigma plumbaginoides have their first buds appearing and the odd deep blue flower opening.

Gaura looking fab with lots of buds. Blue flowered and compact Platycodon are ready to roll. Not got many left now. Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds and colour are visible. Crocosmia are going well. Showing colour now and looking great but not many left. Verbena Lollipop in flower again on nice compact plants.

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy amphibians

Morning all, 

Relief at last with cooler temperatures and some welcome rain. Luckily we avoided any torrential downpours we just kept catching the edge of everything. Definitely need a lot more but at least the ground is now damp under foot rather than baked hard. The plants are looking happier on the nursery with the moisture from the irrigation hanging around for much longer and reducing stresses all round. Working hours are back to normal and work rates recovering so back to trying to catch up. The race to autumn is on as we try to get on top of the tunnel clearing and get the potting completed in a timely manner, that rule of 'one weeks growth in summer being worth three in the autumn' haunts me at this time of year as we race to get mature enough plants ready to overwinter successfully.

Water levels in the main nursery pond had shrunk to an extremely low level last week, so we took the opportunity to strip out the water weed growth in there which was choking up the open water. A job we had been looking at for a couple of years now. Luckily the frogs, newts and toads have been finding there way in there ok to breed, but the lack of open water definitely reduced the activity of the dragonflies and damsel flies which used to visit and breed every year. Our tunnels make a great environment for the amphibians, loads of insects to feed on and plenty of damp to keep them healthy, especially when you think how dry our chalk gardens and fields are in weather like we have had. We are constantly uncovering and disturbing them as we work through the crops, they can give quite a surprise when they suddenly burst into life especially when you get a good sized frog or toad. The newts go for a completely different tactic, lying on their backs with their legs in the air showing their orange striped bellies and playing dead. Even if you flip them over they don't move, you can watch them for signs of life and nothing shows until you look away, look back and they have gone.

VW have just let us know that our electric car has been delayed again, now due late December, bit bored with it all now after now 4 delays and what will be at least an 18 month wait. Hey ho, worse things happen, but I do wonder about the havoc it must be creating with their finances.

Humming bird hawk moths are about now, I've spotted these amazing moths over the last few days doing their hummingbird impressions around some of the flowers in our trough outside the office. Sometimes you just have to stop and marvel.

Bank holiday coming up next weekend, then it's back to school for all the youngsters, can't believe it's that late in the year already. I had one customer mention preparations were already underway for Christmas! Shoot me now. Mind you I think we had better all be prepared for some budget trimming this time round, things are looking a bit tight on the economic front, although luckily small yummy plants have usually done OK even in the darkest of recessions in the past. Fingers crossed.

Availability list highlights

Still plenty of lovely looking stock despite the heat, don't hold back, get some bud and colour on those benches. An ongoing flush of buds on the Geum Lemon Drops, don't miss out they won't hang about long. Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds and colour are visible. Autumn's flowerers are on the march with more and more fresh Asters coming into bud.

Japanese Anemones are flushing nicely with the occasional flower stem already. Potted an early batch of Cyclamen hederifolium which have surprised me by starting to flower already, An autumn flowering type they are both looking good. Tiarella with it's pretty and short 'foam flowers' are looking great. Just a few of the purple/pink Erodium Bishops Form left. Neat, tidy and in flower. Goes on for ages. The late performing Cerostigma plumbaginoides have their first buds appearing and the odd deep blue flower opening. Gaura looking fab with lots of buds.

Blue flowered and compact Platycodon are ready to roll. Not got many left now. Crocosmia are going well. Showing colour now and looking great but not many left. Verbena Lollipop in flower again on nice compact plants. Fresh batch of the cerise/red Penstemon Garnet are in bud again, with colour flashes. Time flies and we have our first dwarf Chrysanthemums in bud. Lots more to come. Ever popular summer flowering perennial Salvia Amethyst Lips looking good.

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy reflections

Morning all,

Just a couple of scorchers to go and then thankfully some cooler weather to follow next week. Looks like a few thunderstorms might be on the cards but still no bog standard rain for the south on the horizon. The weather and water situation has definitely hit both our production and plant sales. We haven't been able to do the work we wanted, hours have been reduced and demand has slipped. Not a lot we can do about it in the short term so just have to do our best.

Sorry the list is a bit late this week, it has been hard to find the time to get out and check what's there! Luckily the irrigation system has just about coped, but I know how quickly it can all go wrong as the odd nozzle blows off or tap gets accidentally turned off, so we are always on tenterhooks and checking how things look as we work around the site.

I have had to start turning the news off as it there seem to be so many pretty catastrophic reports. I know ignoring them won't make them go away, but at least I can try on focus on some more positive aspects of life and get some energy back. The clear skies have meant great night time moon views this past week and hopefully we might get good sightings of the meteor shower due over the next few days. Nothing like some stellar activity to improve marvel levels.

Last weekend before trekking out on my first jive evening for 5 months, I did a bit of research online for a few tips to remind me what I'm supposed to be doing. In the end I picked up some decent thoughts on making the most out of my time here. For someone with a need for a degree of freedom in most things I do, to cope with memory, discipline and balance frailties, being able to adjust what I do on my own whim is a must. Modern jive is a dance which suits me, as I get to, more or less, make it up as I go. There are a vast number of moves (of which I can remember only a few) most of which are fairly relaxed about accurate feet positioning, they just need a good lead from the chap (or lead dancer). My main worry is usually about remembering a selection of different moves during the dance, working out what might come next and how to execute them. I have seen this problem affect the dancing style of many a chap, with the temptation to try and make it an olympic event of a dance, doing the widest variety and the most complex of moves in an effort to look like you know what you are doing. The best advice online I found, was not about the moves, but a reminder that the aim for the lead was to make his partner look and feel good. Each one will be different just as each tune is different, and picking up on what works for each is a key skill. A laugh or smile from a partner on the floor is the best reward, you have provided what they wanted and it encourages you to relax and do more. It definitely works on the dance floor and for many in life too. Aren't many of the happiest and most dynamic people those who are driven by doing things for others. I know the financial situation is pretty scary, but money isn't everything, there are other rewards out there, we just have to recognise and enjoy them. 

Availability list highlights

Still plenty of lovely looking stock despite the heat, don't hold back, get some bud and colour on those benches. A surprise flush of buds on the Geum Lemon Drops, don't miss out they won't hang about long. Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds and colour are visible

Autumns flowerers are on the march with more and more fresh Asters coming into bud. Japanese Anemones are flushing nicely with the occasional flower stem already. Potted an early batch of Cyclamen hederifolium which have surprised me by starting to flower already, An autumn flowering type they are looking good,

Tiarella with it's pretty and short 'foam flowers' are looking great. Just a few of the purple/pink Erodium Bishops Form left. Neat, tidy and in flower. Goes on for ages. The late performing Cerostigma plumbaginoides have their first buds appearing and the odd deep blue flower opening.

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 left now. Crocosmia are going well. Showing colour now and looking great. Verbena Lollipop in flower again on nice compact plants.

Loads of bud and pretty little flowers showing on both Calamintha compact varieties. Fresh batch of the cerise/red Penstemon Garnet are in bud again, with colour flashes. Time flies and we have our first dwarf Chrysanthemums in bud. Lots more to come. Ever popular summer flowering perennial Salvia Lips series are doing their thing, Amethyst Lips looking the best. Plenty of bud to come on the little alpine Lewisia, already showing colour in attractive mixed pastel shades

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Hairy future

 Morning all,

Having trouble finding very much to be excited about, everything seems to be going wrong, Russia messing about with everything, China now joining in the fun, climate change still looming large, government in turmoil and unfocussed as they slag each other off to become leader, inflation going nuts, and now interest rates stepping up, with warnings of more to come, I am wondering what's next?

We are raring to go now with all three small vans back on the road, after the one new Fiat was held up at the menders for over 8 weeks waiting for parts. Mind you the next day did have the inevitable follow up setback, with two punctures on the other Fiat, one quick, one slow and on opposite sides of the van. All sorted now so no worries.

Struggling a bit at the moment coping with life's realities. All the old looking people on the TV turn out to be younger than me, which can't be right, and I struggle to believe the price of a cup of coffee these days. I suddenly don't recognise any of the names of the hip bands, when we both used to be fairly up together with at least some of the genres Why isn't it proper music anymore and how can Mick Jagger be nearly 80. How come the new millennium started so long ago and why did I waste so much time training to cope with the millennium bug!. Where has all the time gone and what is an exit strategy! Many of our friends have taking early retirement and are swanning about keeping themselves busy, mostly buying caravans it seems. There is still so much to do here, how are we going to fit it all in? I suspect a day off might help, it all gets a bit much by this time of the year.

A replacement pair of elasticated waistband trousers heralds an evening out tomorrow. Haven't been for a jive evening since March when we got so busy and the loss of my only good pair to the nursery has hampered my return. Not sure I can remember how to do it, but I'm told it's as easy as falling off a log, and with my dancing skills looks a lot like it too!

Great England performance last Sunday and some lovely Commonwealth Games coverage, both generating fun and positive vibes. Certainly the men's football game could learn plenty from the ladies, as they could from many other sports (rugby, hockey etc). The lack of respect in the men's game for the officials, the behaviour and attitudes on the pitch and in the stands are so out of line with proper sport and life in the outside world. Given a chance we can be positive and upbeat, yet there is so much pressure to push us in the opposite direction. Now may be the time when we need to harness some of that positivity and fun in order to see us through some tough economic months. Most of us are still very privileged to have what we have and going without a few luxuries is something we can bear with a smile given the right approach.

Availability list highlights

Plenty of lovely looking stock, don't hold back, get some bud and colour on those benches.

Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds are visible. Autumns flowerers are on the march with more and more fresh Asters coming into bud. Japanese Anemones are flushing nicely with the occasional flower stem already.

Potted an early batch of Cyclamen hederifolium which have surprised me by starting to flower already. An autumn flowering type they are looking good. Tiarella with it's pretty and short 'foam flowers' are looking great. Just a few of the purple/pink Erodium Bishops Form left. Neat, tidy and in flower. Goes on for ages.

The late performing Cerostigma plumbaginoides have their first buds appearing and the odd deep blue flower opening. 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. Crocosmia are going well. Showing colour now and looking great.

Verbena Lollipop in flower again on nice compact plants. A surprise flush of buds on the Geum Lemon Drops, don't miss out they won't hang about long. Loads of bud and pretty little flowers showing on both Calamintha compact varieties. Fresh batch of the cerise/red Penstemon Garnet are in bud again, colour flashes.

Time flies and already we have our first dwarf Chrysanthemums in bud. Lots more to come. Ever popular summer flowering perennial Salvias Lips series are doing their thing. Plenty of bud to come on the little alpine Lewisia, already showing colour in attractive mixed pastel shades Summer favourite the hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple looks strong and bushy and swelling buds are visible.

Have fun, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries