Hairy planning

Hi. 

How great to see the sun again, the roads have dried out and plant sales seem to have taken off. We’ve had a very busy week on the delivery front, with several repeat orders, when one delivery in the week simply wasn’t enough! Although we love our orders to be placed early, if you get desperate, we will always try and fit in a few late ones if we can. There is sometimes spare space on a van or even a spare van at the end of the week, so it is always worth asking. No promises, but you never know. Having said that the next 2 or 3 weeks are likely to be very busy indeed, with the run up to Easter, the magic golden orb appearing in the sky, and two four day weeks are all going to make it a fun time for all. Good luck with that! 

Lots more stock is appearing from our own prop department and plenty of young plant deliveries have come in this week. The improvement in growth and health of the incoming stock is quite noticeable with the longer day length and increase in sunshine really perking thing up. It actually feels like spring has arrived.  Cue the snow. 

I’m trying not to look too hard at the main news as the troubles in the Middle East start to cause energy hassles. When margins are so tight, big increases in fuel costs for transport and heating are not what you want to hear. We had two heating oil tanks filled this week, both were running low, I dare not look at the price. I would have loved to be all electric by now, but the investment cost to do everything is just too high and the payback period too long for someone of my ‘experience’. Don’t tell Caroline but I have started making electric van enquiries again. This is one investment I’m sure would pay back pretty quickly due to our position as a net exporter of power. The rules on tacho and driving hours etc are due to be relaxed for electric vans, possibly in June, so I am asking our low-loader van manufacturer what the timescale might be for delivery of a 4.25t van rather than their current 3.5t model. Although the cost is a little higher than diesel there is some financial help towards it and with plenty of cheap electricity being generated here it could be a way of mitigating the other fuel rises. It might be a challenge managing the recharging during the day for the longer trips, but we only need to charge enough to get home. Hopefully it will work ok, without costing us too much at the fast-charging stations. 69p/kw against 6p does tilt the viability! 

We are really pleased with the addition of the capillary matting into our boxes, it seems to be doing what we wanted and is proving reasonably efficient in the way we reuse them. I hadn’t really worked out the finer details of how we would actually manage the box cleaning and reuse of the mats, but the cleaning is easy and the mats simply go straight back into the clean boxes being used for the next order. Very quick reuse and we are not ripping through the stock of new mats too quickly.  What marvellous management that must be, to plan a new innovation so sensibly! Makeitupasyougo.com. 

Social media update 

Ok, hands up, this isn’t my scene, but the new young folk here have rekindled our Instagram account which we dallied with during the Covid era. Apparently, it has been ticking along quietly without any input from my end, but now there are new images being posted each week showing some of the current goodies out there on the nursery. There may possibly be a few other nuggets on there too, so take a peek during coffee break and see what is going on. To find it, I am told you can try our user name @thehairypotplantcompany  or use the link below; https://www.instagram.com/thehairypotplantcompany?igsh=MXhhMGxhcjgzNGYydA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 

Availability list. 

The very popular Anemone blanda are springing into action. Plenty of fresh growth, bud and flower with Blue shades and White Splendour currently available. A herald of springtime is Brunnera, the lovely blue perennial Forget me Not. Just the green leaved form left now, and they have early flower bud hovering among the freshly emerging foliage. Polemonium Heaven Scent are looking great, bushy bronzed bushy foliage with tight bud just appearing. We have rattled through a big batch of the delightful Snakes Head Lily (Fritillaria). Buds from the off and looking great. Muscari Blue Magic are also showing colour. All of the Ipheion varieties now have buds and a bit of colour. Ground hugging foliage and short flower stems.  Pulmonaria varieties are in bud and showing colour with more on the way. Camassia are beginning to bud already with the Caerulea form showing strong chunky buds which are often multiple. Most Erysimum varieties are already showing bud and the odd flash of colour, they stood up to the last frosts very well so are be plenty tough enough for outside life despite it still only being mid March. Cowslip (P.veris) think it’s springtime with expanding foliage, bud and a touch of colour. Don’t tell everyone, but we have a few Erythronium ready. They tend to be on and off the list in a flash as we don’t grow a huge number, they are just too fickle and have quite a short but spectacular window if they are in the right place. The first thing the Pulsatilla does in the spring is throw up their first flower buds, even before the leaves come. A few of the winter flowering Helleborus have colour or bud showing. And finally, the first Hosta’s have put in an appearance. Always a precursor to Spring proper, they are up and away. 

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.