Hairy Rats

Morning all,

The cooler weather has slowed sales a bit and next week might be even quieter with a bit of a northerly wind picking

up and dropping the temperatures. Hopefully it won't be for too long, I'm not too worried abou t the sales at the moment but it is miserable working out in that cold wind and it would be nice to shed some layers and rush about doing spring stuff. That's what we are up to today, the first potting compost delivery arrived this week so we have spent a couple of days on the potting machine filling up a few of the spaces that have appeared around the nursery.

The slightly scary thing about starting the potting now is that it signifies the ending of the winter jobs. All those tasks you felt would definitely get done this winter will now have to hold until next year if they aren't very close to completion already. The coming cold week may give us a few days to get a bit more completed and then it's nose to the grindstone with full speed plant production and hopefully sales.

We did complete one big job this week which was to finish the winter wooden box making. Hopefully we have enough boxes made now to see us through the rest of the year, with boxes coming back from yourselves quickly enough for us to refill and despatch again.  We get about 4 reuses a year from each tray, but we are very reliant on getting as many boxes back as soon as we can, to keep the ball rolling in peak season. I know the boxes look lovely but please don't be tempted to stack up the empties as part of your display. They cost us £10+ each to make so you can appreciate that it would be very easy for a lot of value to be tied up if everyone used a few to fancify their displays.

One van in the menders this week. A new fault to us. The moulded plastic pipe feeding diesel from the top of the fuel tank to the engine was damaged beyond repair. The culprit believed to be a rat! They had seen it once before, gnaw marks, looking like rubbing wear but there was nothing there to rub it. New tank needed, ouch.

NBIS therapy session on line last week. It's a great group to be part of, everyone is very supportive , sometime a little over familiar, but it does exactly what it says on the tin, it constantly provides info and ideas to improve your business. Why there isn't a queue of people waiting to join I don't know, but numbers are dwindling as members retire etc, so if you know of any nurseries looking for some support point them towards the HTA.

2023 Retail price reviews

In view of our price increases for 2023, don't forget to review your own retail prices and let us know ASAP. 

Availability list highlights

Cooler weather is holding some crops back so still not a lot of colour around, and those showing colour are selling through fast. Polemonium Heaven Scent is a stunner and looking great just at the moment. Finely cut bronzed green foliage is really smart and the pale blue flowers are now budding up. Grown in our own micro-prop lab it's not one you see everywhere.

Also from our lab are some very smart Brunnera varigata with nicely marked new leaves. Flowers will follow very soon. Primula grandiflora Rosea have suddenly appeared and already showing a little bit of colour. You don't get much leaf until later in the season but short multiple stems of bright pink flowers.

Dicentra spectabilis are pushing through and instantly showing early bud, The white form are fractionally behind the pink but also straight into bud. Muscari Blue Magic now in bud. Anemone blanda Blue Shades has suddenly made an appearance and already showing colour.

Scilla sibirica with it's fabulous blue flowers are just poking through with the odd bud showing. Very popular Allium's and Camassia are both showing well now. Both of these are best sold and planted in leaf or very early bud rather than in flower. They are almost unmanageable for transporting at the later stages and most alliums have rather tired foliage by the time they fully flower. Camassia Sacajawea has smart variegated foliage so looks good even without the flower.

There is a bit more colour beginning to show on the Aubretia varieties, plenty of bud coming too. We have some fab chunky overwintered Lupin's ready to plant out. This early crop is multi-shooting and will produce lots of flower later on but it won't be around for long. They get too big too quickly when it eventually warms up, so we limit the numbers grown to keep them growing within the pots!

Phlox paniculata has started to shoot strongly. Again another overwintered crop in a range of colours (more to come). This looks like one of our best Phlox crops ever, we beat the pigeons last summer and got them to a really strong size by the autumn. Now we should reap the benefits.

Best wishes  from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries