Hairy drone footage

 

Hi

Not much point looking at the weather forecast, it's not great news. Not a total washout over the next ten days but definitely on the damp and sometimes cool side. I know it's coming up to pre-Easter week but please don't get too over excited, it is very early this year, the forecast isn't wall to wall sunshine and most outlets are shut on Easter Sunday. I know in theory I should be promoting mega sales at this time, but I'd rather keep my realistic hat on and see us all through to the other side of the next couple of weeks with our sanity intact!

We will be very busy next week I'm sure and we are gearing up for the usual organised chaos which comes when trying to fit a busy two weeks into consecutive four day weeks. Just to let you know that although we will do our best to get all orders out by end of play on Thursday we may well end up having to continue deliveries into Good Friday. The following week could be a challenge too for the same reason and Saturday delivery may be necessary if we get desperate. In theory with extra vans and drivers this year we could be ok but until events unfold we won't be sure.

We are back to a full contingent of vans now which is good timing, although we are still a bit nervous as to the reliability of this Fiat as it has been in the garage multiple times over the last 5 or 6 weeks. Fingers crossed all will be well.

Solar planning has been sent in, just waiting for any questions the planners may have and then hopefully it will be a reasonably short waiting game to see how it goes. It's not a big site, it is surrounded by hedging already and no one can see the site from any buildings or footpaths. It is only visible at a distance, briefly, from the road on the other side of the hill and even then it is the back of the panels rather than the front so it's not obvious. You just never know with these things.

One of the last requests I had from the lady putting together the planning paperwork was for 5 images, four from ground level facing in each of 4 directions to show the outlook each way, and an elevated shot looking down on the whole site and its surroundings. First four were easy and the last one would be a doddle with my nephews little drone. I used it a couple of years ago to take pictures of iron age field markings just above the nursery, which were showing really well, so getting it airborne again for one shot would be but a moments work. My entire Sunday was taken up getting this one shot. Firstly all the batteries were flat, then the remote controller wouldn't speak to my phone which worked as the screen and picture archive, because the charging cable didn't work as a communication cable, it needed a different one which I eventually found. Then the drone wouldn't take off because it hadn't been used for so long that it had lost its compass settings and had to be recalibrated. Back to U-Tube yet again to find out how, and it must have taken ten goes to get it to work. Eventually got it airborne just as the sun was going down, nearly lost it when the battery ran low, but did take some good images. Landed it, packed it up, back to the house, check the images in the phone gallery, nothing. Try to plug the controller back into the phone in an effort to find images only to find the communication cable gone. A tiny 10cm cable somewhere out in the dark lying on the ground. All for one image. By this time Caroline was a bit more relaxed than me and did manage to eventually find the images on the phone in the drone app, so the situation was saved, and I could reflect on a day 'well spent'?

Best part of the week which had all of us in fits (bar one), was a minor industrial accident, when Jack sat on a bumblebee. It fought back through his shorts administering instant pain and causing faster movement than we have ever seen from Jack before. Thankfully there was a big audience for this and much hilarity, with multiple jibes and calls for volunteers to suck out the poison which was responded to with horror, even by his wife! A visit on his own to the rest room with a can of Wasp-eze seemed to do the trick and he has been milking the story ever since.

Availability list.

Anemone blanda White have shot up, with buds and flowers well on show too. A great seller. White flowering Bergenia are now showing colour and looking their best. Brunnera macrophyla (perennial forget-me-not) are really chunky and showing their first blue flower buds, plenty to come. The bronzed green ferny leaves of Polemonium Heaven Scent look well and pale blue flower buds are now opening.

Ever popular Fritillaria meleagris (Snakes head Lilly) has pushed through and are already coming into bud and flower. Beginning to get a bit low on numbers now, so get them while you can. Bold white flowers of Ipheon Alberto Castillo are beginning to open as are the two other Ipheon's Tessa and uniflorum. Muscarii Blue Magic and Muscari latifolium now in bud and showing excellent colour, it's all go.

Allium christophii is shooting through and the excellent newcomer Allium Ostara is now up too and looking particularly smart. The ever popular Allium Purple Sensation is showing but only just.

Multiple Hosta varieties are bursting through now, with One Man's Treasure looking really smart with deep green leaves and very dark stems.  We have a great selection all propagated in our own micro-prop lab.

Pulmonaria Majeste are putting on a real spurt of fresh growth with flowers & buds are well on show.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.