Hairy Olympic hope

Hi

So much to do and the list grows longer. Too hot for most of us which doesn't help, but I it will be nice for those on holiday who will be enjoying it. Very quick one today as we have a mass visitation this weekend from my side of the family which I am looking forward too loads, honest. When we arranged it I envisaged being a bit quieter by now and I could perhaps take a few hours off over the weekend but as usual the nursery seems to have other ideas. I suspect we may have a few chores for our visitors to get through in the end but hopefully we can have a nice relaxing moment or two over the two days. I have abandoned the Saturday potting with too many missing troops to sensibly run the machine and make enough space to pot into, but that has its advantages with less time pressure on us over the visitation and it keeps the overtime bill down.

We had some really exciting stuff happening this week with a new electrician coming on site to sort out our recycling rainwater sump and pump issues. Our initial installers did most of the ground-works and main installation but couldn't actually get it all to work together and I have been waiting a while to get the right person on site to untangle the electrical puzzles. Massive progress has been made over a couple of days on the electrical control systems and we have got most of it up and running, with solutions being found for all of the power and control issues. Naturally with this being me is did bring to the surface a load of other issues we knew nothing about. There were masses of leaks in the above-ground pipe-work with missing inserts, cross-threaded clamps, seals in the wrong position. All very frustrating but fixable with some rebuilding and tightening, or so we thought. After an hour or two of having the link between the two main storage tanks open we noticed water bubbling up through the track surface from at least 3 different leaks so the next task is to dig up the pipes to find those leaks which we suspect will be incorrectly fitting joints. One day this thing will work beautifully, just not yet! It's not even that it is going to save us any money it's just trying to do the right thing.

Meanwhile the Olympics are providing a great distraction from not just the nursery pressures, but the crap that is going on around the country and the rest of the world. So many lovely stories of individual triumphs and tragedies, a few surprises and plenty of entertainment, what a show. I'm almost inspired to put down the crisp packet and beer and go for a run or get on my bike, on the other hand perhaps at my age that might be a mistake. I'll stick with a light jive and fewer biscuits, that's enough for someone with my fitness and talent.

Availability list.

Summer is rushing by and the Autumn flowering Cyclamen hederifolium are just about ready with the some bud and flower already on show. Lots more growth and flower to come. Lovely foliage plants on show with Ajuga, and Euphorbia displaying nicely. Looking great are our new compact and very early flowering range of Asters is now on stream. The Alpha series has fresh green foliage and very neat domed habit carrying masses of flower.

Fresh batches of Scabiosa in bud, green compact and bushy with masses of bud on the way. Fresh batches of the summer and autumn flowering mini garden Chrysanthemums are coming into bud. Tiarella wherrii are back on the list and in flower again, and the premium variety Pink Skyrocket are also ready with attractive foliage and I am hoping for bud shortly. Exotic Oxalis Iron Cross in flower now.

Summer flowering Crocosmia are now throwing up bud and flower, Summer colour is there with the Gaura range doing it's thing. Just a couple of varieties left The really good bicolored Rosy Jane and lovely white Whirling Butterflies, New range for this year is the Helenium Hayday series, Strong and compact and already showing good colour.

Fresh crops of Erigeron karv. Stallone are ready with its tiny multicolour daisy flowers that keep coming all through the summer and autumn. We have had bud on these at Christmas some years. Salvia's of all sorts are now growing strongly. The hardy Osteospermum Tresco Purple are in bud and flower. Excellent bushy stock. Armeria Dreameria series of long season flowering Armerias are now showing plenty of colour with loads more to come. No white this year but a series of three pretty different pinks making a delightful show. The more standard classic Sea Thrift Many of the Leucanthemums are coming into strong bud now with flowers open on some.

The Balloon Flower Platycodon Twinkle Blue and Twinkle White are now well into bud with the odd flash of colour, So many other lines doing their thing at the moment, Veronica, Penstemon, Astilbe, Achillea,, Calamintha, don't hold back make the most of them while they are here.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.