Hairy transport

Hi. 

Just a quick splurge this week as there seems to be so much stock out there currently in bud or flower that I am supposed to be promoting! The plants have already reacted very positively to the cooler weather, as have the rest of us. We have yet to see any significant rainfall here, just one overnight spell of light rain that did manage to create the odd short-lived puddle. Fingers crossed the forecast is right and we are going to get to see some more over the next couple of weeks, even if it does turn out to be a slightly damp Bank Holiday weekend. 

If we are going to recover any late summer/autumn sales we need the ground to be more receptive to being worked and accepting some new exciting plants. This week has been a tricky one to navigate with a positive hat on. On the plus side, on the vehicle front, we have finalised the new van livery design which we were planning on applying to our three vans with plenty of mileage still left in them. It has taken several weeks, and the designer has thankfully been very patient with us, now it’s a matter of cleaning, printing and sticking, all of which is being done by a specialist so hopefully it will all be straight and not too lumpy. 

The downside was the news on Tuesday that the newest Fiat, at two and a half years old, needs a new engine, turbo, oil pump and cambelt after some sort of catastrophic sequence of events involving a failed £50 oil pump. Initially the breakdown which happened 2 months ago was put down to a burnt-out starter motor as it just stopped at a roundabout and refused to restart. We now end up with a £15,000+ bill and we still haven’t got it back. The three-year warrantee period still had 6 months to run but we had gone 11,000 miles over the 100,000 warrantee limit, so absolutely no help from Fiat, not even a gesture of goodwill. I can think of a gesture or two I would like to make to Fiat, but I think not buying another one is about as far as I can go. This model was the one they didn’t put a dipstick in, other than the one behind the steering wheel, it relies on a sensor which sometimes works but more infuriatingly doesn’t react for hours when you top it up. 

The young folk here have put together a short feedback form which I am going to attach to the next couple of weeks emails, feel free to let them know your thoughts, they are very keen to hear from you all. 

Social media updates To find our Instagram content try our username @thehairypotplantcompany  or use the link below; https://www.instagram.com/thehairypotplantcompany?igsh=MXhhMGxhcjgzNGYydA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 

Availability list. 

It’s time for the autumn flowering Cyclamen hederifolium to fly the flag. They are raring to go with verdant growth and already flashing colour, with plenty more bud to come. We have a rose form and a white, both look good although the rose is currently slightly chunkier. We sold out of these very early last year, so I’ve potted a few extra this time. Don’t hold back! We have a lovely compact batch of Verbena Lollipop now in bud. A couple of new lines for us this summer are Liriope Big Blue and Monroe White, both now showing a few buds. Just in case you haven’t had enough sunshine this summer, our summery yellow Kniphofia citrina is budding up nicely. Flowering all summer long, the Gaura Rosy Jane (bicolour) and Whirling Butterflies (White) are looking great. Brightly coloured Helenium Hayday is available in multiple colours. It is very compact in its first year but really comes into its own in year two with absolutely masses of long-lasting flowers on taller sturdy stems. A class act in the garden border. Blue and white varieties of Platycodon are looking great, with colour and plenty of bud. We have some Persicaria in bud as well as the ever-popular Nepeta. Kitten Around is very compact with smaller flowers, while Walkers Low, despite its name, is taller and more vigorous.  The last couple of batches of Veronica Anniversary Blue and Anniversary Rose were given a Chelsea Chop and have come back with a flourish showing loads of fresh bud. There are some short bushy Coreopsis in bud again, ready to make a late summer splash. We have a new Geranium on the nursery this summer. Jolly Bee’s had always been too expensive for us to grow in the past, but module prices for this one have dipped low enough this season for us to lash out on a few. Slightly scrambly in habit, it’s mid-blue large flowers just go on and on. A cracker. Small and compact the Lewisia Elise have plenty of bud already and will flower all summer long. There are several Asters in bud doing there late summer show.  Late summer flowering Rudbeckia Goldsturm are producing buds now. A very hardy Rudbeckia which we have cut back and regrown to create shorter flower stems than usual, but once planted it romps away, a garden classic. We still have plenty of summer flowering stock looking very well. A range of different types of Salvia’s, many in bud, Osteospermum Tresco Purple and Penstemon Garnet. Another later summer range are the mini garden Chrysanthemums which are already showing early tight bud. We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. 

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