What a beautiful day it was on Saturday, we could do with a few more like that to reduce the damp levels and get us all into the mood for some spring sales.

It has been an up and down week with a quite a few of the previous week’s challenges now sorted out. The wood-saw is up and running again, computer ok and I located and received delivery of three new tunnel covers and a new twin skin inflation fan at a bargain price. A new iron is in place but the scales are still reading far too high. It wasn’t quite all plain sailing, after resetting the turbine blade tips a couple of times in the storms over the holidays we had to do it all again on Monday when another power blip during a storm put all three turbines out with each having deployed a blade tip. Caroline was up the masts as soon as the rain stopped and the wind dropped a bit so we only lost a few hours output. Caroline to the rescue again.

One of the laminar air flow cabinets in the lab needed a major refit this week after the fan motor seized. Several hundred pounds later we have a new fan and filter fitted and running and on the bonus side the new motor is more efficient than the old one so in a few years we will have clawed back some of the cost and the carbon footprint shrinks again. A nice little batch of timber came in on Friday to help rebuild the few tunnel doors that succumbed to the recent breezes. Luckily we took a decision a few years ago to forgo solid doors on most tunnels so it is only the main work areas that still have this luxury, otherwise we would have had a big job on after the past few weeks.

There are definite signs of spring with some of the early bulbs that are definitely showing strongly, just enough to provide that encouragement that better times are just round the corner.

Hoping for a window of calm in the weather on Tuesday to get a tunnel cover or maybe two replaced, ready for the pricking out to get started. A heated propagation tunnel with only a single skin and a holey roof wouldn’t be the best start to our carbon savings for the year and 
we only have a couple of weeks before the pricking out gets underway and the temperature gets raised. No pressure there then.

Since the demise of The Woking Show and GAN a couple of seasons ago we haven’t ventured far from our doors to show off what we can offer, so in an effort to show that we are still alive and kicking and have something quite special to offer, we have a booked a stand at the National Plant Show at Stoneleigh in June. A two day affair of increasing importance for many wholesale nurseries it is something we must have a go at despite my reluctance to make too much of a fuss about all the ace things we have done. Although it seems like ages away I know I should be planning as much as I can now, because June will rush upon us as soon as the sales kick off. However I suspect I will give up that sensible line in favour of the usual ‘seat of the pants’ preparation we always used to do for the other shows. Why change the habits of a lifetime?

If you would like to see a quick preview of the new 2014 catalogue try the following link which takes you to a downloadable version https://www.dropbox.com/s/gm72fckfp2f2wbm/herbaceous%26herb%20catalogue%202014%20Oct%2013%20full%20DL%

20no%20pr.pdf

Availability

I know it’s very early in the year but the wild weather has at least kept things fairly mild so we have some very nice looking stock at the moment should you wish to do a little restocking for the New Year, ready for the start of mega 2014 spring plant sales.

Growth is generally fairly tight as is usual at this time of year but there are definite signs of growth and even the odd bud or two on some lines.

This seasons Euphorbia’s are looking great and many of the Erysimums are already showing signs of budding up. The Helleborus niger have a few buds too and the primroses are showing their spring colour already. Our new dwarf spring daffs are up and chunky, although I only have a few.

Box returns

Lots of boxes have been successfully repatriated so thanks for the great response to the appeal I sent out for their return. I know there are still a few out there so please do let us know if you have any ready to collect and we will schedule them in f or collection when we are next close by. Alternatively if there aren’t too many we may elect to pick them up on the next delivery in the up and coming spring rush!

Cheers.

Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries