Hairy Easter

 Hi,

That was a hectic week, despite the dodgy weather. All the orders got to where they were supposed to go, as far as I know, and all the drivers have now returned to base. We did have to resort to a few Friday deliveries in the end, partly due to demand and partly down to the storm that rattled through on Thursday which forced a couple of sites to sensibly close as a precaution. We had a bit of an anxious wait on Thursday evening to see all the drivers back safely as the combination of the wild weather and traffic chaos disrupted their routes, but all's well that ends well.

We would have coped comfortably with deliveries this week given better weather and having all the vans available, but as we feared, the Fiat van, that has been in and out of the garage over the past couple of months, was back in again by Monday afternoon having lasted just two trips out. On the bright side at least it did limp home having completed the day's work. Not heard anything from the garage yet about what happens next, we wait with baited breath.

We had a slim-line gang in today (in numbers anyway) so we could get some potting done and tidy up a bit after the busy week. Cleared lots more production space and ran the potting machine for its second full day of the week, so loads done. It actually stopped raining this afternoon which definitely cheered everyone up and it looks like we may get a couple more days of brightness to come over the weekend, before next week comes along with something a little damper. Maybe it will be better than forecast, there is always hope.

I thought we had got away yesterday with just a short power cut, a few trolleys blown over and stacks of crates scattered, but news filtered through this morning that a tunnel cover has split in several places which is a real pain. We probably won't get time to recover over the next few weeks, so we will just have to work around it and hope we don't get too many more wind events like that again this spring. With a bit of luck the rest of the tunnel will remain intact and we can use the intact end for the moment. The good news is that the turbines kept going and produced plenty of power, so we can pay for the new sheet after of a couple of strong windy days.

A change is as good as a rest as they say and despite some long days on the nursery I did manage to fit in a modern jive session on Monday night to distract the brain from all things planty. It was all a bit last minute but everything came together nicely and although I was a bit late, I made it just as the beginners class was finishing. All was well until I tried to pay my entry fee and realised I had picked up Caroline's shopping bag and not my own. So no money, no shoes, no drink. I nearly went home but they kindly let me in after I rounded up most of the fee from the car park money left in the car and hobbled round in shoes that were far to grippy for easy jiving. To be honest I don't think anyone would notice a deterioration in my technique or style as it starts from such a low level in the first place! Now what's my name again?

Availability list.

Erigeron Stallone always sells really well, Our first big overwintered crop has been selling through but now they have the added bonus of their firsts buds showing. They flower from early spring to late autumn, and in sheltered spots we have had the still going at Christmas!

Blue flowering Camassia Caerulea are now in bud. They won't be here for long with plenty already gone. Our last batch of Aubretia Regado Red are now showing a bit of colour. Very smart plants, it is another that won't be available very much longer.

One of the last of our spring bulbs to show up is Chionodoxa, which is now showing its pretty short blue flowers. The very late flowering Narcissus Lieka is at last in bud. A last hurrah for these spring hero's.

Brunnera macrophyla (perennial forget-me-not) are really chunky and showing their first blue flower buds, plenty to come. White flowering Bergenia are now showing colour and looking their best. Anemone blanda White have shot up, with buds and flowers well on show too. A great seller.

The bronzed green ferny leaves of Polemonium Heaven Scent look well and pale blue flower buds are now opening. Bold white flowers of Ipheon Alberto Castillo are beginning to open as are the two other Ipheon's Tessa and uniflorum. 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 well now. Multiple Hosta varieties are bursting through, with One Man's Treasure looking really smart with deep green leaves and very dark stems. All propagated in our own micro-prop lab, we have a great selection. Summer stars the Agapanthus are now making strong growth after their winter dormancy period. Like the Hostas they are all propagated in our microprop lab and have overwintered well. We don't often have very many, but we have made a bigger effort with them over the last year so we can get them as far as a hairy pot rather than selling them all to other growers!

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.