Hairy and nail biting

Hi,

So much coming into flower at the moment I don't have much waffle room this week, which must be a relief.

Caroline has already left for her big football game tonight, with Southampton playing the second leg of their play-off match with everything poised at 0-0 from leg one. Could be a Wembley final next weekend if they win. Hopefully all goes well or it could be a long weekend.

Good news on the van this week with Fiat head office agreeing to replace a part rather than continuing to try to reprogram a sensor management solution, under warrantee, to cure our long running issue. Not only has it been in 7 times over the last 5 months but they have had it for 7 weeks on this occasion. In theory we might get it back on Tuesday or Wednesday providing they remember to put it through its MOT which ran out last month. Fingers crossed we get back to full strength soon.

We could have done with it this week, it has been really busy which was a relief, other than the extra juggling excitement added, with so much more to despatch. Double the volume of the previous week was a bit of a shock, but everything left the site ok and fingers crossed it all got there in one piece.

Much against the image of a nurseryman's lifestyle, gardening is not a pastime either of us take much part in really, having spent all day and 7 days a week sorting out plants, the thought of doing it for pleasure doesn't really register. We have a very relaxed garden as you may tell from the cover picture which just illustrates how much beauty you can get from a modest amount of effort. The daisies and buttercups are spectacular at the moment and the cow parsley is at its peak!

Gig tomorrow night with a boogie-woogie/swing band playing at King Somborne village hall. Could be a lie-in on Sunday if it's as good as it sounds. Bit anxious about the colourful suit the singer is wearing in the promo shot, I prefer the music to do the talking. That said, I know we are very lucky to have such an active music scene in the village, Somborne Sessions have run a season of concerts for many years and it's supported strongly by the locals, which is how it should be.

Availability list.

Summer stars the Agapanthus are now making strong growth after the winter. Lapis Lazuli is already producing buds. The first batch of frost sensitive Salvia Love and Wishes is now ready to roll. The first of its endless summer flowers are already on show with so much more to come. Salvia's of all sorts are now growing strongly and producing the first of many flowers.

Masses of bud and colour to come with the Bidens summer range. Already making an eye catching show they look fab. The earliest batches of Dianthus are producing flower stems and tight bud. All are scented varieties and very bushy. Fresh batches of Aquilegia have been saved from the bunnies or deer, not sure which, and now looking great with early signs of flower activity and colour.

Summer colour is on its way with the Gaura range doing it's thing. Hoping to have a good run of availability over the next few months but they are selling so fast there may be the odd short break.

A new crop this year is Nepeta Kitten Around which I saw at the Ball-Colgrave open day last summer. It is really very compact in the pot making an attractive flowering plant, not too straggly. It gets a bit bigger in the garden once established but looks great in the pot before then. I just have the one batch this year to test it out, maybe more next time.

A few trays are ready of the new Gaillardia Guapa series we are trying out. Strong and compact the first buds are already there. There will be more colours to come later. Many of the Leucanthemums are coming into tight bud now. The scrambling Campanula posharskyana is chunky and now producing plenty of bud.

Rhodanthemum's are also in bud, although I don't have huge numbers just yet so don't get carried away. We have some fresh batches of several short bushy Erysimums in bud, just the flash of colour here and there. Last few Lupins for this year, get them before they get too big or sell out! Phlox subulata varieties are all producing loads of bud and colour, a great early performer in a nice range of colours. Multiple Hosta varieties are looking great. All propagated in our own micro-prop lab, we have a super selection.

Favourite border classics Verbena bonariensis and Lollipop are back on line. I have several batches on the way so we can keep the plant size in the pot manageable. Fresh crops of Erigeron karv. Stallone with its tiny multicolour daisy flowers that come all summer long are back on the list. No bud just yet but flower shoots are appearing.

On the herb front summer has arrived with our first batches of Basil and Lemon Verbena now ready. I am always a bit cautious with volumes on the earlier batches as they are not keen on cold weather and we sometimes get caught out. Fingers crossed the forecast is right and we should get away with it.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.