Hairy comfort

Hi,

House and conservatory lovely and tidy after Mums timely visit. The art to keeping young is keeping active, well that's our excuse! It turned out to be a well timed reset as Caroline had a couple of old friends pop in during the week to catch up with each other and pretend to be young again. Everyone seemed to have a good time so definitely well worth the chaos a midweek event tends to throw up.

A good week on the nursery with only three vans and my car in the garage. Turbo trouble for one of the older vans, hoping it is just the sensor, fingers crossed.

Big day today with the last of the tunnels housing our oldest dregs of the overwintered stock, getting cleared. It usually takes us until the end of September to get round them all so getting there before the end of August is a cause for celebration, we may well have some Rich Tea biscuits for coffee break next week, at least for one day. We try to completely clear out each tunnel once a year, to give a really clean start to the fresh summer potted overwintering stock, so to get round all 36 tunnels does take a while. The last few tend to be in a bit of a state by the time we get there, but this year we got round so quickly that they weren't too bad. It is one of those parts in a chain of events that leads on to more little improvements further down the line, with potting getting done earlier, mulching start earlier and plants getting bigger before the winter. In theory, if it works out ok, everything gets done slightly more efficiently which save a bit more on time, so making better use of each hour which this year is costing over 8% more.

Some glorious personal retail results this week as work pressure drops a bit and thoughts turn to more exciting things. Last year the main wildlife pond on the nursery suffer a lack of oxygenation after we thinned out the choking plant growth in it, and then had no rain and blistering heat afterwards. Although growth and insect activity has recovered well since then, we wanted a small splashing device just to keep oxygen levels at optimum levels. This week a floating solar powered fountain arrived and is doing a perfect job. It is just a floating 6 inch pad of mini solar cells with a central spurting bit probably reaching 10inches high. It runs when there is light and stops when there isn't and just gently splashes away. A bargain at about £15. Hope it lasts more than a week!

As you will have realised I am a sensitive soul and have really struggled to find comfy trousers over the past few years. The fashionable cut for chaps has been on the narrowing side and not to my liking. Gone are the days of suffering for fashion (skin tight PVC trousers and peroxide hair are a long way off!) I will not put up with it. Consequently despite numerous trial purchases from different sources, I have been wearing my ancient kit to death and Caroline refuses to go out with me anymore as I reverted to wearing either my comfy but tatty work ones or my slightly odd Rupert Bear smarter ones (don't ask). Anyway, M&S have just bought out a new style with not just elasticated waist bands, but a smart and generous leg cut. I can't believe how comfy they are. That's me sorted for another 10 years, fashion can do what it likes again, I'm done. 

Availability list.

Plenty of fast growing stock at the moment with some lines only available for a few weeks before they get too big and have to wait for the main spring sales period after we have completed their overwinter manicure (cut back and mulched). We have a few bits and pieces in bud and flower and a few of the autumn/winter lines come along (check out the lists attached).

The autumn flowering Cyclamen (hederifolium) is now showing colour and should do so through the next couple of months before the C. coum varieties take over. There are a few buds on the Anemones and the Asters are getting close to colour too.

Masses of colour on the new batch of Erodium Bishops Form which should flower for quite a while yet. Foliage colour looking smart on Ajuga and Heuchera always popular autumn lines. The ever-giving Erigeron karv. Stallone has moved into another fresh batch with still more bud on show. We have had this in flower in December in the garden in previous years (assuming the weather is not too abusive).

A slightly odd collection to see in bud and flower are the Phlox paniculata and subulata ranges but there they are. The paniculata range is shorter than 'normal' as they are this summers potting so haven't yet reached full size but they are strong and bushy and giving a hint of next year's potential show.

Lots of Helleborous now coming on line showing lots of potential for later in the winter and early Spring. There are already a few odd flowers on the H. niger Christmas Carol so Santa can't be far away!

Wooden box collections

If you have any of our wooden boxes ready to return and aren't expecting to order anytime soon, then please do drop us an email and let us know. A rough idea of numbers might be handy but not essential. We will get to you as soon as we have a vehicle with space in your area. Thanks

Take care out there,  from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.