Hairy charge

Hi.

Thankfully there are signs of a slight cooling over the coming weekend, but it will be warmer again during the following week. Possible showers in a week’s time, yes please! Not sure if I am going to be able to cope with this if it does become the norm, it is just too challenging for an old fart more used to hot weather meaning 25C. Luckily, I have been in air-conditioned comfort all day as Caroline and I took the electric ID3 up to Lincoln to collect our new electric Renault 4 tonne delivery van. Just 2 months late, it still wasn’t finished when we arrived! 

Good job we collected it ourselves as there were a few little additions we had requested on top of their standard product. Present were the spare wheel (not standard issue these days, but very useful and time saving if you have a puncture) and an extra piece of rachet bar to hold the spare wheel in place, Missing were the side rails on the ramp, which stop the trolley wheels going off the ramp edge when loading and unloading, and the registration plates needed for the updated registration number we ordered but they were unable to sot out before collection. All promised on numerous occasions, remembered when pointed out and, to be fair, swiftly put right while we waited. 

They had a lovely coffee machine, so we were well pumped-up by the time all was ready! We had a full charge in the van, which in theory would have just about got us home, but it was going to be a bit tight so decided to add a bit while we recharged the VW, which also needed a top up. Pulled into the service station and being a good boy, I followed the signs to the van and lorry parking which unfortunately left me in a position where I couldn’t actually get to the chargers, the exit led straight back onto the M1. Caroline meanwhile found a super quick charger which took just 10 minutes to charge enough to get home. Grabbed a sandwich and cold drink and moved onto the next service station (Watford Gap), No good, tiny parking spaces by the chargers, too short for the van. Onto the next and getting slightly anxious as to how difficult this was all going to be, only to find a row of nice new fast chargers with good sized spaces. Hurrah. Out came the new electric ‘fuel card’ to try out for the first time and waved it in front of the card reader. The card screen was so scratched we couldn’t read it in the bright sun, but noises were emitting from the charger and on checking the van display it was charging fine and very quickly. No idea what we rate we paid as there was no display to physically see unless we downloaded a special app. Not to worry, in 15 minutes I was ready to go again. Left the service station without realising I had picked the wrong exit back onto the M1 instead of the A45. It’s all just too exciting. Sat-nav got me sorted at the next junction, but Caroline still hadn’t realised what was going on until she reached the next one along. As a consequence, I beat her home despite being restricted to 56 mph. Now it’s charging up, nearly for free, on our nursery charger and ready for the tracker and camera fitting tomorrow. We might get it on the road next week, although there are some ‘words’ being applied to the side at some point and we must take it off the road for a day or two when the reg number officially changes. In the end it should be on the road a lot, we have to start saving on fuel costs asap after a very challenging year. 

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Availability list. Summer must be here with bud on many of the Agapanthus varieties. The super popular Nemesia Wisley Vanilla is back on the list and there are more follow-on batches coming too.  Fabulous Echinacea in bud and showing a bit of colour. Very strong stemmed, especially the Lakota range. Small and compact the Lewisia Elise have plenty of bud already and will flower all summer long. The pretty Foam Flower Tiarella wherrii are now in flower and bud We already have several Asters in bud, which are usually something we associate with late summer!  Another later summer range are the mini garden Chrysanthemums which are already showing early tight bud. The early summer flowering Allium Millenium is now beginning to show a flash of colour. It’s a cracker, much tidier foliage and habit than the spring flowering Alliums, and it flowers for longer too. We have a couple of batches of fresh Digitalis coming into bud. Not many so don’t hang about. A couple of the summer flowering Crocosmia are now in bud, Quite a few Leucanthemum in bud now, the first of many flowers to come. We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. Garden Pinks (Dianthus) are back in bud again after recovering from our ever-hungry rampaging hares. More summer stars are coming out now with bud appearing on the Gaura and Salvia’s too. 

Herb sales seem to be booming this year; it must be all that healthy home cooking we are being encouraged to do. Lots of stock is coming through nicely now. Tarragon is back and the Mints have recovered nicely too. There are some super Sage, both Green and Purple. 

Take care out there, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.