Hairy Easter

 Morning all,

That was a very hectic week. Not only the biggest of the year so far , but fewer days to get it all done by. We spent today trying to get some order back onto the nursery, a spot of tunnel clearing, pot spacing the larger plants and full bore potting. We have just enough peat-free compost left for the Saturday morning potting team and then we await the next delivery which will hopefully be early next week. Not quite sure how we will fit potting into next week as I'm predicting another crazy 4 day week after what looks like a run of more than one dry day on the trot, combined with the4 day holiday weekend, getting everyone in the gardening mood. Back in the old days when all centres opened on Easter Sunday I can remember panicky calls on a Sunday afternoon asking if we could get some stock out to them early on the Bank Holiday Monday! At least with most closed on the Sunday it does buffer demand which will hopefully make it more manageable for all.

I had planned to get this list out earlier but we had such a full day on Thursday and big  team in today, so until they all went home I didn't get a moments peace. It didn't help that the water recycling building team had to stay on later than expected in an effort to rescue our track-ways. Not only did they stay until Thursday but they are coming back again one day next week after they were unable to get enough track stone delivered at the end of last week. My dreams of having a rainfall recycling system up and running by now have been dashed due to the electrician not being available to wire it all together for another couple of weeks. Patience is a virtue and all that.

We are having discussions with a solar panel installer at the moment about designing our next project. We could get it all done and dusted quite quickly if I was happy to have a bog standard installation, but you know me I like to make life a little more challenging. We don't have any suitable building to cover, so ours would be a ground mounted system on some old outdoor production beds we can no longer use. They orientate them to the sunniest aspect and mount them at the optimal angle to catch as much light as possible. But being static, the angle set is only perfect at one moment in the day and one time of year so it is quite a compromise. You can get very clever post mounted panels which follow the sun, but the cost far outweighs the improved output. What I would like is a simpler system that just tilts a long row of panels to a more productive angle. Something a bit like the vent systems you get in commercial greenhouses. A whole row could be tilted with one motor and a long driveshaft/rod. The energy used would be minimal although the control system might take some programming, to get the best out of it, as you would want the angle changing during the day and adjusted for the time of year and angle of the suns travel. The company looking at it are into glasshouse erecting so are going to have a discussion with the glasshouse makers, to see if they have any ideas. Their main concerns are that it is secure, isn't damaged in high winds and that it isn't a tried and tested solution. They are worried that it may be difficult to guarantee the solution they come up with, but given a sensibly priced project we might like to take a punt and give it a go at our own risk. We are no strangers to taking an alternative route, it keeps life interesting! 

Took a moment last night on my walk home to have a look at one of our ponds to check out the tadpole progress. We usually have loads but this year we had a late spawning and it has all been a bit slow. We had problems in the drought last summer when the very overgrown vegetation ran it dry and we lost a lot of the plants. It gave us a good opportunity to have a big clear-out of the over rampant culprits, but it is taking a long time for things to recover. Now it has warmed up a bit there is more green growth happening, but now we have more open water which is better for seeing what's going on in there. There were plenty of tadpoles and masses of adult newts which was great to see. We know there are plenty about as we regularly turn them up under the trays and pots. They do their 'playing dead' act and for a moment you thing you've finished them off , but leave them alone for a short while and suddenly they have disappeared. They never seem to move when you are watching, only when you glance away.

Availability list highlights

Post-Easter week will be very busy, being nice weather and a four day week, so please bear in mind that we may deliver into Saturday morning if it goes nuts..

The compact Bergenia Diamond Drops are showing nice form and strong buds. Camassia caerulea is showing bud this week but I don't have many left so be quick. Achillea are beginning to show bud now. A little way off colour but it's on the way. Polemonium Heaven Scent are nearly all gone, still in bud but won't be here next time. Spring flowering Symphytum are in bud now, don't hang about there aren't many left. Phlox paniculata has started to shoot strongly. A strong overwintered crop in a good range of colours. 

Best wishes  from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.