Hairy Buttercups

Morning all,

Spring at last, a lot brighter even if the temperatures are still quite modest. I'll take that. The plants are certainly responding with a nice flush of fresh growth, even the herb range has recovered a bit although some of the lines that got clobbered overwinter like the Rosemary's are still a little way off yet.

We are at that time of year when there just aren't enough days in the week. I have plants ready to pot but just can't find enough time on the potting machine to catch up with where I would like to be. We are potting a lot, just not enough. Extra staff could help but then they need training and looking after and again we are just too busy to attend to that at this time. We could employ extras earlier in the year but we don't really need them then and I'm not sure the cash-flow would stand it. In the end I know through experience that we usually get most young plants into a pot, if not always done at the perfect moment, so I will try not to fret.

Next week is another bank holiday weekend so if you are in need of any stock please do send your orders in fairly promptly as I can already see that transport is going to be challenging next week. We are a driver and a half down (don't ask) and the Fiat van with the g earbox issue, is currently in pieces at the garage awaiting the return of the rebuilt gearbox. Hoping it might make a return towards the end of the week but not sure. We have some extra driver cover to paint over the cracks, but we may well end up having to send a few extra orders via Bleach of Lavant which takes the pressure off our vans but adds to tension in despatch.

Classic situation this week when we thought we were coping nicely when the Bleach lorry pulls into the yard expecting to pick up his 5 trolleys. He was 30 hours early, but their plans were obviously quite fluid this week, so we had to stop work on everything else and process and pack the orders to get him away. It worked ok in the end after a bit of an initial panic, the girls from our microprop lab came out to help and once the dust settled we ended the day being ahead of where we had planned. Every cloud and all that. It reminded me of a time many years ago when we used to deal with a large DIY multiple and their lorry collection times were always a complete lottery. Many a morning I would walk down the track and get that sinking feeling as I came round the corner to find their distinctive liveried truck parked outside the gate ready to load and we hadn't even made a start on the job. It used to take a while to process and load a full size arctic even with 50 people on site. Now we are smaller and leaner, generally managing to avoid that sort of challenge and most of the time feeling a lot better about what we do.

Nearly good news on our electric car, it has made it into production and would appear to be nearly ready. Still a few weeks before delivery and they still can't give us a date, but progress. Assuming we get it early June that will be a wait of 22 months since ordering, not quite the 12-14 weeks originally estimated. We will be on our third finance deal and unfortunately interest rates have gone the wrong way, but at least we will have a car with a decent range at an ok price. The same spec car in the newly launched model range is £12,000 more so it looks like we got a bargain. Let's hope it is worth the wait.

The sunshine this week brought out a fantastic display of buttercups in our 'lawn'. Very proud to have more flowers in our grass than in the borders. Don't get much time for gardening!

Availability list highlights.

Not much to report on the 'highlight front' other than we do have a reasonable amount of stock of perennials, it just isn't in flower. Anything with a hint of a flower has sold out over the last few weeks.

The herb range has recovered a bit this week but will be subject to alteration each week as demand this year seems particularly high.

Batches of all varieties both perennials and herbs are selling through very quickly, so the weekly list will change a lot from week to week. Always best to try and use the most recent list for your order otherwise there maybe a few shortages. If your weekly list doesn't come through just ask and I will try and send it again. The initial sending is via MailChimp but I know some computer systems will sometimes decide I'm junk and cut us off. If this happens I can't reinstate you myself onto MailChimp but I can send you a link so you can reinstate yourself.

Phlox paniculata are upright and strong and can't be far off budding. A great overwintered crop in a good range of colours. A batch of super strong Sedum Autumn Joy, a great one for the pollinators later in the summer.

Best wishes  from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.