Hairy shoes

Hi

Last blast of summer was perfectly timed this week and fingers crossed it will hold for Saturday and the big family wedding. Marquee in the paddock is up and everyone is very excited. Luckily we have been outside the main organisational maelstrom, which is probably just as well. I must admit I haven't actually made it into my suit yet as it has all been a bit hectic. Just hoping it hasn't shrunk since I last wore it at Tom's wedding which was probably 5 or 6 years ago. I have re-glued the soles back onto my favourite shoes so with luck I won't burst out of those either. I know it might sound a bit mean to be re- gluing soles, but these shoes are really special, it's funny what turns out to be valuable in life sometimes. These are red suede Jan Jansen's I bought a very long time ago and they are just not quite like any other shoe I have owned. He is a Dutch designer who started back in the sixties and has designed some astonishingly wacky and very artistic footwear, usually for women. Google him if you get a minute there are some wild designs. Caroline has a couple of pairs with floating heels (no apparent support under the elevated heel) which seem to defy gravity. This definitely a weekend to break them out.

Lots of boxes coming back in thanks, and not so many going out, but that's ok we have plenty to keep us occupied back on the nursery. Delivering vans into garages seemed to be the main event this week but we did make progress. The warrantee work on a gearbox seal of the newest one was completed in double quick time, and the cam belt was successfully replaced on the next one. That just leaves the oldest which is having a whole engine transplant to squeeze out a few more miles. That one has yet to return but fingers crossed we will get another year out of it.

Watching the weather forecast for the wedding I had noticed that Thursday and Friday looked like being the last warm, sunny and still working days for a while, as the wet and wind move in next week. I had a sudden revelation that we might have time to replace the covers on the 4 split tunnels that have been awaiting repair since late winter. We had two perfect days with, in theory, plenty of time to get all four done. Two each day to strip, prepare and re-clad is definitely doable if all goes smoothly. The wooden sides all looked ok initially but the second one we stripped off was way too rotten to reuse. We abandoned it and moved on to make sure we got two completed on day one. I organised a new batch of wood and set a team of 5 on stripping the old side rails and replacing with new while the morning mists dried off. It was touch and go but we got all four covered with about 10 minutes to spare. A good day and some lovely tight new covers.

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).

The autumn flowering Cyclamen (hederifolium) are now showing colour and should do so through the next few weeks before the C. coum varieties take over, although actually we have the pink and white forms already on the list as well and showing the occasional bud. These will usually flower from October through until well into Spring, with a tasteful sprinkling of flowers rather than being drowned in them.

The Asters are beginning to show some colour now as buds swell and open. Jenny, Starlight, Rosenwitchel are the most showy at the moment. Flora's Delight are showing well but I only have limited numbers available. Tiarella are looking healthy with plenty of flower.

We have plenty of Sedum Autumn Joy in bud this year for that classic autumn show and pollinator jamboree. We cut it back early to make it flower on a more manageable short stem, so beware it will be taller in the garden next year. There are some buds on a few of the Anemones.

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 is available again this week and should be around for ages as this is our big overwintering batch we are into now. If the weather is with us we often still have colour up to Christmas..

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 growing and giving a hint of next year's potential show. There are already a few flowers on the Helleborus niger varieties so Santa can't be far away! A new variety of H.orientalis for us is Halcyon Early Dark Red and it has surprised us by showing a few buds already.

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.