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