Good morning all.

Apologies for a slightly late list this week. A few challenges his weekend after a back twinge or two ended up with me left in casualty this morning, feeling a bit fraudulent, tired and sore. Disturbing all those busy people with such a silly compliant was a bit embarrassing but I was in a bit of trouble. Anyway to cut a long story short, they were sympathetic and brilliant and now I’m back here and nearly vertical again. My back still hurts but after a good dose of diazepam I don’t care! I may be a bit flippant this week, so apologies now, especially for anyone I meet at the National Plant Show on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have to blame it on the drugs.
The stand for the show is luckily all sorted and should look ok I think, catalogues knitted and some samples of the new 2015 labels ready to show. The bamboo skewers are not quite right, I’ve got some of the right length and some the right shape but the sample proper new design doesn’t get here for a bit. It will still give a good idea what we are up to. I will post some images as soon as I get a minute in case you don’t make it to Stoneleigh (or I don’t).
Hopefully the world cup isn’t affecting trade too much. I did hear a reporter saying how the England players couldn’t afford to lose against Uruguay and I did worry that they may become destitute if the result went the wrong way. Somehow I think they will be ok. Otherwise I have seen some great matches with unusually some very sporting behaviour. Love the new high tech improvements, goal line camera technology and especially the shaving foam lines the referees are using. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best.

Availability
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around t he corner. There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery & vigorous, at the top of their game. Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant. Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches. The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud. Just a few left now.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the f irst pink flower buds appearing and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up its subtle flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana). Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left. Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. A new batch of the compact Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again.

Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana (very dark pink flowers) and Roman (pretty pale pink and now a few very tasty fruit), both have long flowering and fruiting seasons. Quality control in despatch means any ripe fruit is taken care of to prevent red juice contamination of the van!

Have a good one from all at Kirton Farm

Hairy Cider Sampling

Good morning all.

Very busy week, for a change. Lots of orders and young plants starting to arrive for next year’s output. In the back of my mind I always imagine a short break between this year’s sales and next year’s production when we can pause for breath. Unfortunately that gap doesn’t actually exist and we don’t really get a relaxing break in activity until the potting is more or less finished in September. Not complaining really, a good run in sales is always very welcome.

The ongoing label design is progressing nicely so we should have some test samples at the National Plant Show in a couple of weeks. As this will be our first trade show for a few years I was determined to be well organised and put aside last Sunday as my catalogue production day. All the computer preparation and updating was done and card, paper and string in stock, just the printing and weaving to do! Having got all the chores out of the way early I was relaxed and ready to roll. Print the first page and the printer stops. Spent a couple of hours trying to trick it into starting up again (the spare isn’t able to do double sided printing so was no use) without success. Sadly a relaxing Sunday turned into something else and my trust in all things IT evaporated again. I ordered the replacement consumables which came on Tuesday, meanwhile on Monday the printer started up again for Caroline’s computer followed by mine later in the day! Anyway most of the printing is now done so a bit of a relief there. Bit nervous about going to a new show, not quite sure what to expect and it’s a long way from home, especially after I’ve been confined here for so long.

I am actually getting to escape this afternoon for a 25th anniversary party at an old friend’s orchard. Home brew cider, live music and a hog roast as well as lots of happy faces, can’t wait. Good job there are no important football games on tonight. Back for Caroline’s dads Fathers Day lunch on Sunday should be a relaxing recovery day should any excesses occur the night before! See, there is more to life than playing with plants.

Availability

Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner.
There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery and vigorous, at the top of their game.
Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong and shooty, and showing bud. V. bonariensis also available again.
New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing, and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Platycodon Blue is very strong this year with first buds appearing. A great, deep blue stunner. Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana).
Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left.
Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower and fruit now and looking great. Tuck in.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Brilliant Mary, Mungo and Midge

Good morning all.
A good soaking here this morning stopped the garden drying out too much! Power tripped out again during the lightning but soon restored. Makes you feel a bit vulnerable at times, the irrigation controller needed resetting and the rather sensitive trips on the water pumps checking. It’s a good job we are on site 7 days a week.
Another very busy week, lots of orders and a visit from a new bank manager (good timing, just when we had no time for much of a polish up). I received an image of the new bamboo skewer sample made for our potential new labels yesterday, looking great. The first label designs should be seen early next week so we will get a good idea of how it could all come together. You can never tell with designers, will they come up with something shockingly good or shockingly inappropriate? Naturally I am anticipating the former. I suspect the shocking bit will actually be the cost. Assuming it comes together we will have a sample to show off at the National Plant Show later in June.
Swallows fledged today, now flapping about the yard with mum and dad, just three in the first brood, but I suspect they will lay again soon. House Martins still pitching up and not even settled in yet, although they tend to go for just the one brood.
Hat Fitz and Cara on tour, ‘outback country blues’ this week’s favourites. Just brilliant, get out there and see some live music. www.hatfitz.net/ There is apparently more to life than nurseries, just not much time or money left to do it. Can’t remember their names very well at the moment so Mary, Mungo & Midge works as an alternative for me.

Availability
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery & vigorous, at the top of their game. Coreopsis Sunfire, Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
Plenty of colour and loads of bud on all of the bushy Salvia varieties this week, great pot full’s of colour. The shorter Sensation series all look brilliant, although very few of the white form left now. The dark stemmed taller Caradonna variety is very dramatic and becoming increasingly popular with trendy garden designers.
Another trendy one is the Echinacea which are all now in bud, although not a huge number left. Get them while they’re hot! While we are on the trendy train, the shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong and shooty, not far off flower.
Strong, short, fresh stock of Digitalis Dalmation are just starting on flower production, ideal just now.
Fresh stock too of the Digitalis mertonensis, purpurea Sutton’s Apricot and p. Alba. Just ask if you would like them in flower. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.
A couple of new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner. Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
Achillea’s are showing their first colour, including the new delightful compact Desert Eve series.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away. We have a few of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the f irst pink flower buds appearing, and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.Platycodon Blue is very strong this year with first buds appearing. A great, deep blue stunner.
Still plenty of buds and the odd open flower appearing on the Centaurea dealbata, stonking plants ready to roll. Erigeron Azure Beauty has buds opening. The short Sea Breeze varieties looking verdant with bonkers numbers of buds.
New batches of bushy Lupins, fabulous, Delphs and Hollyhocks (Alcea) also raring to go but won’t hang around long.

Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower now and looking great.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Kirton Hairy Flowering

Good morning all.

Very busy week again, partly down to the shortage of days. Luckily Caroline’s birthday celebrations went well despite a lack of a strategic plan from my end. A meal out with friends, music (and me), lots of cake, cards and presents hit the mark. Big thanks to all those who rescued me!

Not much room for news this week with so much stock coming on song, but just enough to report that the new perennial label designs for 2015 are coming along brilliantly. A new design of bamboo skewer is being discussed which will slot through the bespoke, specifically bar-coded, recycled plastic label, giving it much improved stick-in-ability. The design also uses less plastic and looks like being so flexible it will allow us to top up the range producing small quantities of matching home printed labels. Can’t wait. We should have a sample to show off at the National Plant Show in later in June.

Availability
Early colour and loads of bud on all of the bushy Salvia varieties this week, great pot full’s of colour. The shorter Sensation series all look brilliant, although not many of the white form left now. The dark stemmed Caradonna variety is very dramatic and becoming increasingly popular with trendy garden designers.
Strong, short, fresh stock of Digitalis Dalmation are just starting on flower production, ideal just now.
Fresh stock too of the Digitalis mertonensis, purpurea Sutton’s Apricot and p. Alba. Just ask if you would like them in flower. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.
A couple of new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are budding nicely now and a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great.
Achillea’s are just showing their first buds, including the new delightful compact Desert Eve series of which the pale yellow and terracotta are now showing first colour.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. By far the most popular variety has been ‘Slap & Tickle’, way above ‘Romance’, ‘Candy Floss’ and ‘Coconut Sundae’. Is there a message there?
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away. We have a few of the white form as well this year which is also in bud.
Astilbe varieties are now in bud, looking fresh bushy and vigorous.
Coreopsis Sunfire, Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
The obedient plant, Physostegia Crystal Peak, is thick and green with bud appearing at the top.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing, and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) which, for the first time for us, is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Strong and dramatic are the tall flower spikes of the Thalictrum diptocarpum, an impressive show of early summer vigour.
The classic Alchemilla mollis are showing their first flowers of subtle yellow.
Still plenty of buds and the odd open flower appearing on the Centaurea dealbata, stonking plants ready to roll.
Erigeron Azure Beauty and Pink Jewel have their first buds appearing. The shorter Sea Breeze varieties are poised too, looking verdant with bonkers numbers of flower buds.
Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
New batches of fresh bushy Lupins are looking fabulous, Delphs and Hollyhocks (Alcea) also raring to go but won’t hang around long.
The stunning clear pink flowers of Geranium sang. Striatum are opening together with the striking white form.
Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower now and looking great.
Some of the pretty Thymes and Lavender are in starting to flower now and the Basils are getting going as temperatures rise.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Kirton Birthday Spinach Treat

Good morning all.

Slightly over ‘a drop of rain’ this week, but today has not been as damp as forecast so hopefully the sales won’t be hit too hard over the last of the spring bank holidays. Might have a beer tonight as it’s a holiday.

Too many flowers to talk about to mention the toiling of this week. In summary very busy, bit tired, but looking forward to finding a present for Caroline’s birthday next week. Might need something good to make up for the lack of 30th anniversary frivolities. Luckily some friends have organised an evening out in a Winchester pub to see a local singer, so that’s the social side sorted, just need something more exotic than the bag of spinach I got one year (it was organic).

Availability

Strong, short, fresh stock of Digitalis Dalmation are just starting on flower production, ideal just now.

Echinacea varieties already producing a few buds, but not a lot left as the popularity of these plants has mushroomed.

New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap. There are just a few of the taller classic white May Queen left in colour.

Achilleas are just showing their first buds, including the new delightful compact Desert Eve series of which the pale yellow is now showing good colour.

The more traditional style Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also producing bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. By far the most popular variety last week was ‘Slap and Tickle’, way above ‘Romance’ and ‘Coconut Sundae’. Is there a message there?

Catananche are coming into bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away. We have a few of the white form as well this year which is also in bud.

Liatris spicata are stonking plants with potential for numerous flower spikes, the first of which are appearing. Astilbe varieties are now in bud and looking fresh and vigorous.

A good show of fresh flowers on the Primula vialli, looking very exotic, for a primula! Only a few left, don’t miss out.

Early flower and loads of bud on all of the bushy Salvia varieties this week. The short ‘Deep Rose’ looks almost luminous. The dark stemmed Caradonna variety is very dramatic and becoming increasingly popular with garden designers. Coreopsis Sunfire has plenty of bud nestling in its fresh green foliage, with Sunray and Corey Yellow close behind.

The Dianthus deltoids varieties have their flowers opening, tiny little things but really eye catching, especially the red varieties of Flashing Light and Brilliancy.

The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing.

Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) which, for the first time for us, is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.

Strong and dramatic are the flower spikes of the Thalictrum diptocarpum, an impressive show of early summer vigour. The classic Alchemilla mollis are showing their first flower shoots of subtle yellow.

Still plenty of buds and the odd open flower appearing on the Centaurea dealbata, stonking plants ready to roll.

Erigeron Azure Beauty and Pink Jewel have their first buds appearing. The Sea Breeze varieties are poised too, looking verdant.

New batches of fresh bushy Lupins are looking fabulous. If you would rather have the strong older stock which is in bud just let us know.

Geraniums are showing colour, Brookside with flowers open and bud and colour on the G. cant. Karmina (very dark pink).

The stunning clear pink flowers of Geranium sang. Striatum are just beginning to open together with the purple sanguinium and the striking white form.

Campanula glomerata varieties are showing plenty of bud and early colour but only a few left. Fresh bushy Delphs and Hollyhocks (Alcea) raring to go but won’t hang around long.

Fabulous, good looking, very strong and popular non-flowering plants at the moment include, Verbena bonariensis Lollipop, Sedum, Rudbeckia and Phlox varieties, don’t miss out.

Edibles

Meanwhile the strawberries are beginning to do their summer thing, first flowers now and fruit on the horizon. We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower now and look great even without the tempting fruit.



Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Morning all

Summer has arrived with some great weather down here this weekend. Quite glad that a drop of rain might pitch up next week just to freshen up the gardens again for plant sales to keep up their momentum.
Not much room to impart too many ramblings this week due to the large amount of fab looking stuff to bring to everyone’s attention. We had a new sample batch of pots in this week with strengthened rims which looked great, it will take a while to work through the system but it’s another tweek in the right direction to make life a bit easier for all. Another development that might come off in another area is a new label design which took several steps forward this week with negotiations and desig n advances from some unlikely sources including a specialist catering skewer supplier. It’s always a bit of a challenge when trying to overcome problems that others haven’t yet had to face, but I suppose that’s a price we pay for being a bit different,and it does allow my Blue Peter spirit to shine. Hopefully we might have something to show at the National Plant Show in late June in the way of some mock ups etc. Watch this space.
Concerts seem to be flavour of the month, another two this week, King King on Thursday, a brilliant young and very loud blues band and the sensational boogie-woogie Ben Waters Band last night. Ears and feet suffering this week.

Availability

Achilleas are just showing their first buds, including the new delightful compact Desert Eve series. Catananche are coming into bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away. Astilbe varieties are now in bud and looking fresh and vigorous.
A good show of fresh flowers on the Primula vialli, looking very exotic, for a primula!
Early flower and loads of bud on all of the bushy Salvia varieties this week. The dark stemmed Caradonna variety very dramatic and becoming increasingly popular with garden designers. Coreopsis Sunfire has plenty of bud nestling in its fresh green foliage.
The Dianthus deltoids varieties have their first flowers opening, tiny little things but really eye catching, especially the red varieties of Flashing Light and Brilliancy.
The more traditional style Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also producing bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) which, for the first time for us, is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Strong and dramatic are the flower spikes of the Thalictrum diptocarpum, an impressive show of early summer vigour. The classic Alchemilla mollis are showing their first flower shoots of subtle yellow.
Plenty of buds and the odd open flower appearing on the Centaurea dealbata, stonking plants ready to roll.
Erigeron Azure Beauty and Pink Jewel have their first buds appearing. The Sea Breeze varieties are poised too, looking verdant.
New batches of fresh bushy Lupins are looking fabulous. If you would rather have the strong older stock which is in bud just let us know.
Geraniums are showing colour, Brookside with flowers opening and bud and colour on the G. cant. Karmina (very dark pink).
The stunning clear pink flowers of Geranium sang. Striatum are just beginning to open together with the purple sanguinium and the stunning white form.
Campanula glomerata varieties are showing plenty of bud and early colour.
Fresh bushy Delphs and Hollyhocks (Alcea) raring to go but won’t hang around long.
Fabulous, good looking, very strong and popular non-flowering plants at the moment include, Verbena bonariensis Lollipop, Sedum, Rudbeckia and Phlox varieties, don’t miss out.
Purple foliage of Lychnis Firecracker, Heuhera Palace Purple and Ligularia Desdemona are impressive and striking pot full’s.

Edibles
The herbs continue to excite with a good range and the promise of the summer lines (mostly Basil’s) just around the corner.
Meanwhile the strawberries are beginning to do their summer thing, first flowers now and fruit on the horizon. We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower now and look great even without the tempting fruit.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries

Good morning all.

Another load of stuff crammed into a four day week. Deliveries flying out left right and centre and just about got round everywhere, another week under our belts. Looking forward to getting back that extra day in the coming week, we miss everyone on those ‘holiday’ days, the two of us struggle to get as much done on those days. Having the place to ourselves for a three day weekend is a nice change and a change is as good as a rest they say.

Having a better run of weather this spring has lifted confidence and spirits no end and suddenly we are thinking of the next batch of tweeks we can make to improve further the whole hairy pot deal. We have been following up some pot design improvements, which is a constant ongoing process. Over the years we have made the pots thinner and softer (less latex) to help out with quicker stronger plant and root establishment for the end consumer, but this has slightly compromised the life expectancy of the pot rim which tends to break apart first, creating a weaker feeling pot edge. The pots are all individually handmade so tend to vary a bit anyway but it looks like the idea of rim strengthening has been picked up by the Sri Lankan ladies who make them and we should see a gradual change in the pot rims over the next year. Unfortunately the time scale is quite long due to a combination of production time, batch sizes and existing stock clearance. They are still fab now, but will be even better later!

The coir pots can sometimes be a challenge to insert labels into due to their hairy nature, the labels don’t just slide down the inside wall or stick on as they would with a plastic pot. When the root -balls are established label reinsertion by customers can be tricky especially as plastic label design seems to have reduced the strength and length of the tongue. We are currently taking a look at having a bespoke set of labels made where we may be able to combine them with our stronger wooden label to help insertion and staying power. There are a number of other possible benefits which could come with this development, variety specific barcodes, QR codes, using more sustainable label materials and getting more hairy pot info onto the label, which could all help improve service and reduce some of our own printing demands. The balancing challenge may be the labour needed to combine the wooden and plastic components, I was wondering what to do on those long winter evenings. Still early days, watch this space.

King Somborne village hall was the venue for a blistering gig by a young reggae band from Leicester, By the Rivers. Sore feet and ears this morning, but well worth it. Off to my first Southampton game of the year later, last game of the season against Manchester United so hope to see some goals and maybe Ryan Giggs play his last game. It’s all go.

Availability

Achilleas are just showing their first buds, including the new delightful compact Desert Eve series. Stunning flowers on the Primula japonica Millers Crimson and a good show on the Primula vialli too. Early buds are plentiful on most of the bushy Salvia varieties this week.

Astilbe varieties are now in bud and looking fresh and vigorous.

Plenty of buds appearing on the Centaurea dealbata, stonking plants ready to roll.

Erigeron Azure Beauty and Pink Jewel have their first buds appearing. The Sea Breeze varieties are poised too, looking verdant.

Fresh and chunky Papaver Garden Gnome are showing plenty of bud, but there is limited stock and only a few left. Veronica gentianoides has loads of flower shoots appearing, displaying their delightful pale blue flowers.

Trollius Golden Queen is a late emerger but rushes up to bud once it is up, and here they are.

Lots Geraniums are showing bud and first colour, Brookside with the first flowers opening and lots of bud and flower colour on the cant. Cambridge (deep pink), Biovoka (near white) and Karmina (very dark pink). The clear pink flowers of sang. Striatum are just beginning to open together with the purple sanguinium, the stunning white form has a few buds appearing too. Campanula glomerata varieties are showing plenty of bud and some early colour.

New batches of short fresh bushy Lupins are looking fabulous. If you would rather have the strong older stock which is in bud just let us know. Fresh short bushy Delphs and Hollyhocks (Alcea) raring to go but won’t hang around long.

The first of the Salvias are throwing up their first flower stems and buds, with the promise of lots more to come.

Fabulous, good looking, very strong and popular non-flowering plants at the moment include, Alchemilla, Sedum, Rudbeckia and Echinacea varieties, don’t miss out.

Purple foliage of Lychnis Firecracker, Heuhera Palace Purple and Ligularia Desdemona are impressive and striking pot full’s.

Nature ramblings

More House Martins have pitched up, phew. Fattening tadpoles in the ponds and lots of newts out on the nursery. Springtime.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries