Hairy adventures

Hi. 

I’m sorry this is a day late this week, both Caroline and I had an afternoon trip to the London Barbican Centre on Thursday, for the HTA Grower of the Year awards dinner. We went up by train and didn’t get back into bed until 2.00 in the morning, so if I’m making even less sense than usual that will be the reason.

I was going to jump straight in and get this out this morning, but the sun was out with no wind, so we had to down tools and get one of the tunnels reclad. On top of this I had a visit from one of our waste providers who showed so much interest in our waste streams, production and marketing I had to do a quick tour. It is always nice to see people surprised at the effort we go to in order to get things right, on the design of our products and the organisation of the workplace. 

Then there was a lengthy call with NFU Energy who I had asked for advice from a couple of weeks ago about how we could reduce our ever-increasing standing charges on the electric supply. It’s all go. 

Our London trip was a big adventure (I don’t get out much) with trains, the Underground, street walking through the city during evening rush hour, a first time Uber experience and the excitement of catching the last train home. It all worked out ok and the dinner was fine, even if we left marginally deflated. 

We did receive a lovely card certificate saying we were ‘Highly Commended’ in the Sustainability Initiative category, but we missed out on the big prize to Allensmore who did really well sweeping the board over the evening, winning several categories as-well as overall Grower of the Year. 

I’m not sure if we missed something in the small print, but the judging was apparently based on a rather limiting application form, rather than a more in-depth investigation or a visit to the nursery, It’s a shame because a visit here usually confirms our mad obsession with all things sustainable whether big or small, and introduces lots of innovative solutions we have had to come up with to solve problems along the way.

Hey-ho, live and learn.  We did however have a few other wins over the evening which made all the effort worthwhile. Firstly, we bumped into the ever-young Neil Grant who I was at college with back in the very early 80’s, and who had just been elected Vice President of the HTA, I got to sit next to the delightful Ed Byrne (Irish comedian) for 10 minutes while he waited to compere the evening, and managed to consume two main courses after a couple of people failed to show up. It had been a long time since lunch.

September sales have been buoyant this year, which is quite a relief after a very challenging season. Vans have been trekking all over the country making deliveries and picking up a few boxes too. We will get a bit more into the box collecting next month as sales slide a little and we get a bit more van time and available space. The electric van has been busy again this week, picking up the slack from the newest diesel Fiat which is now closing in on 3 months off the road while it waits for a new engine to be delivered. Apparently, they have a queue of vans at the same dealer all waiting for an engine delivery, so it may be a while longer yet. At least it delays the bill arriving. 

Exciting news from NFU Energy. Apparently OFGEM are looking at adjusting future standing charges to a level which doesn’t over penalise small renewable generators like us. We currently export about 80,000 units a year and only import 4,000, but with the pitiful payments for the exported power, the upcoming massive standing charge increases will more than wipe out our income, which is a massive disincentive to generate power on a modest scale like ours. At present you can have your standing charges set to zero if you export 100% of your power, but not if you use even only a tiny bit of it yourself. The proportion of export at which reduced standing charges apply may well change in the coming months, so we have been advised not to tie ourselves into a fixed cost contract for standing charges, just in case it changes in our favour. Sounds like sensible advice to me, I’m very glad I phoned them to ask. 

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 plenty of colour, with lots more bud to come. We had a huge run on these over the last couple of weeks, so there is already a big hole in stock levels. Rose colour is getting low but there are a few more of the eye-popping whites.  Our long flowering Cyclamen coum are also ready, although it is a bit early for them to go into full flowering mode, they are more bountiful in winter and spring, but there are already buds on show for some. We secured earlier batches of seedlings this year, so we have grown these more diminutive beauties to a bigger size, which should help promote more sales.  There are loads of Asters in bud doing there late summer show.  We have a great range of winter flowering Helleborus on sale. Not much flowering activity yet, but they are best planted ahead of the winter to settle in and get ready for their winter/early spring flourish.  Flowering all summer and autumn long, Whirling Butterflies (White) are looking great. There are other Gaura are also in bud. Fresh batches of Echinacea are throwing up healthy growth and flower buds, just in time for a late splash. There are some fantastic short bushy Coreopsis in bud again, ready to make a lovely late summer splash. We still have plenty of summer flowering stock looking very well. A range of different types of Salvia’s, many in bud,  Still plenty of fabulous looking herbs in a wide range to inspire some autumnal cooking adventures. It’s a bit late now for the annual Basils, Coriander and alike, but there are still plenty of perennial varieties raring to go. 

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

Hairy contracts

Hi. 

Sales are still bowling along, for the time of year so still busy getting deliveries completed during the week. We are starting to pick up a few batches of empty boxes from those who have already finished their main sales. We already have a few requests for more collections which we will get round to doing if we can squeeze them on the van along with other orders. We will get round to everyone eventually, but it may be a few weeks before all are completed, please bear with us as we try and organise it as efficiently as we can. 

Lots of juggling at the moment, trying to clear more production space to fit in the last of this year’s potting. We have a couple of machine compost fills left in stock for tomorrow and then it’s back to space clearance for everyone. The final compost delivery should have been here this week but apparently, we are not the only ones to have transport breakdowns! Luckily it wasn’t our load, but it was the vehicle that was due to come to us. They have rescheduled their deliveries, and we are now booked in for Sunday afternoon so we will be ready for a quick start on Monday.  

As we get marginally quieter, one of the jobs to get sorted is to fix the next nursery electricity contract which renews at the end of the year. Not great timing as the short-term electric prices have shot up over the last few months. But luckily with our wind turbines, tilting solar panels and battery storage we only import a fraction of the power we actually use, so it doesn’t have a major impact. However, the ongoing huge rises in standing charges are now hitting us hard. We have been given a number of quotes from our energy broker, they are recommending going for a 24 or 36 month contract to take advantage of an anticipated falling unit price over the whole period. They have also pointed out that there are a few suppliers offering a fixed standing charge price and well as a fixed unit price. This is an interesting offer because most ‘fixed price’ contracts only fix the unit price and they can still increase a large part of the standing charges during the contract as they increase, these are described as ‘pass through’ charges.  

In theory most of the standing charge increases are for upgrading the distribution system which is understandable, but it seems unfair that having invested a lot in small scale renewables we are then charged so much just to have a supply available. It has now got to the point where the standing charges are going to be more than the income and savings we make from our installations. We have been caught out by not putting in mega-sized kit which would earn more from similar standing charge rates. Our standing charge for this year is £5 per day, which was 50% more than the previous year, this will increase again to just over £11 a day if we take the best fixed 36 month offer. Having researched costs through the NFU standing order calculator this looks like a cheap deal! That means our annual bill will be £4,000 standing charge and less than £1,200 for the electric imported. Adding the standing charge into the unit price means we will effectively be paying over £1.20 per unit imported, while we earn 6.5p for each unit exported. After 3 years it could be a borderline decision for us, to actually go off-grid. We have a backup generator to supply us over any periods when we are not covered by the solar, wind and batteries and the loss of income from any exported power would be negligible. I think my brain is going to go pop. 

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 plenty of colour, with lots more bud to come. We had a huge run on these over the last couple of weeks, so there is already a big hole in stock levels. Rose colour is getting low but there are plenty of eye-popping whites. Don’t hold back! 

Our long flowering Cyclamen coum are also ready, although it is a bit early for them to go into full flowering mode, they are more bountiful in winter and spring, but there are already buds on show for some. We secured earlier batches of seedlings this year, so we have grown these more diminutive beauties to a bigger size, which should help promote more sales.  There are loads of Asters in bud doing there late summer show.  We have a great range of winter flowering Helleborus on sale. Not much flowering activity yet, but they are best planted ahead of the winter to settle in and get ready for their winter/early spring flourish.  We have a charming compact batch of Verbena Lollipop now in bud and colour. Flowering all summer and autumn long, Whirling Butterflies (White) are looking great. There are other Gaura are also in bud. Another later summer range are the mini garden Chrysanthemums which are already showing bud and a spot of colour. Fresh batches of Echinacea are throwing up healthy growth and flower buds, just in time for a late splash. There are some fantastic short bushy Coreopsis in bud again, ready to make a lovely late summer splash. We still have plenty of summer flowering stock looking very well. A range of different types of Salvia’s, many in bud,  We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud, in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. Still plenty of fabulous looking herbs in a wide range to inspire some autumnal cooking adventures.  It’s a bit late now for the annual Basils, Coriander and alike, but there are still plenty of perennial varieties raring to go. 

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

Hairy livery

Hi. 

There is something strange going on, we are very busy selling plants. I know that is supposed to be our job, but it has been so quiet this year we had forgotten what it was like to be riding a wave of some serious economic activity. It couldn’t be timed better after a very long season of less than steady trading. Rather than fading away into a rising overdraft we are now going out on a flurry of enthusiasm, into a growing overdraft! There is a difference, honest. It wasn’t quite as busy as last week, but still up on last year, and we still had time to clear some more production space and get the potting machine going. Here’s hoping this keeps up for another few weeks, the weather looks to be playing ball for once this year, so fingers crossed.

September is that month in the year when lots of our hard-working staff take a break. Holidays are that bit cheaper as the kids return to school and the temperatures here in the UK are generally still very pleasant. Consequently, we never get quite as much done as I would like, but we all need a break at some point. I’m certainly looking forward to my two weeks in St Ives this November. Surfs Up. Ok, perhaps Grubs Up would be more accurate. 

Lots of van activity this week. H8 our newest Fiat that died 2 months ago, has been moving around the yard at the garage as we keep an eye on its tracker, but we have now been told they are still awaiting delivery of the replacement engine, so don’t get our hopes up for a quick return! We are hoping the electric Renault will be a lot more reliable, it has certainly pleased us so far, despite having to do quite a lot of research to locate the charging stations that can accommodate a van of our size. The newer larger installations are usually fine, but some older ones are hopeless. Both the new Renault van and our 7.5 tonner both received a dramatic facelift this week with the application of a new livery. 

The design has taken weeks of tweaking to get it how we wanted and overall, we are pleased with the results. Advertising wise, isn’t going to change the world, but it adds another level of professionalism and identity into the presentation of our stock as it arrives. Not only that but you can now see it coming and get the kettle on! We may well apply this look to a couple of the others, if we think they will stay roadworthy long enough. 

All three wind turbines are going again after a full service and a couple of oil seal replacements. The team from Natural Energy are brilliant, so knowledgeable about the model of turbine we have and very proactive with hands-on practical advice whenever something goes wrong, which to be fair isn’t very often. They come and service all three in a day, once a year, with very detailed reports on the condition and likely replacement timing of all the wearing parts. We are on a fairly placid site compared with some, we are windy but not too wild, so quite often they will delay replacing parts if the wear looks minimal. I appreciate professionals who do things when they need doing and not just because the computer says YES.  

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 plenty of colour, with lots more bud to come. We had a huge run on these over the last couple of weeks, so there is already a big hole in stock levels. Rose colour is getting low but there are plenty of eye-popping whites. Don’t hold back! Our long flowering Cyclamen coum are also ready, although it is a bit early for them to go into full flowering mode, they are more bountiful in winter and spring, but there are already buds on show for some. We secured earlier batches of seedlings this year, so we have grown these more diminutive beauties to a bigger size, which should help promote more sales.  There are loads of Asters in bud doing there late summer show.  We have a charming compact batch of Verbena Lollipop now in bud and colour. Flowering all summer and autumn long, Whirling Butterflies (White) are looking great. There are other Gaura are also in bud. Another later summer range are the mini garden Chrysanthemums which are already showing bud and a spot of colour. Fresh batches of Echinacea are throwing up healthy growth and flower buds, just in time for a late splash. We have a very compact batch of Achillea Milly Rock Terracotta in bud. There are some fantastic short bushy Coreopsis in bud again, ready to make a lovely late summer splash. We still have plenty of summer flowering stock looking very well. A range of different types of Salvia’s, many in bud,  We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud, in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. Still plenty of fabulous looking herbs in a wide range to inspire some autumnal cooking adventures. It’s a bit late now for the annual Basils, Coriander and alike, but there are still plenty of perennial varieties raring to go. Take care out there. 

From all at Kirton Farm Nurseries. 

Hairy finalists

Hi. 

That was a crazy week with all production plans going out of the window. So much for finishing the potting early this year, we were so busy putting orders together we haven’t looked at any other work. Only having four days in the week gets us off to a busy start anyway, but sales volumes were huge for the time of year, demanding the attendance of all available drivers and usable vans, and smashing all previous September weekly records. Sadly, it won’t rescue a very difficult season, but it does make you feel there is hope out there. Fingers crossed all the gardeners out there pitch up with their credit cards and do a bit of spending with you all! 

With no potting done so far this week and an extra batch of compost ordered to come with our peat-free spring bulb mix, I suspect I may have spoken too soon in predicting an early finish. The Erysimum and Aubrietia young plants should be the last arrivals for potting at the end of the month, and with luck we should still get the rest completed before they arrive. The couple of weeks I had put aside for tunnel recovering will now have to run alongside the updated potting demands. I had a scout around this week and found six covers damaged beyond repair and ordered up the replacement sheets. That hurt, I certainly don’t remember them being that much when I bought last years, mind you we only replaced three last year. Generally, they last us between 7 and 10 years so they are still cheap when broken down to the annual cost, and a gang of four can usually remove and replace two in a day given the right sunny, warm and still weather. There is a general rule here that applies whenever we cover our tunnels, it’s always beautifully still until the moment you unroll the sheet and then out of nowhere the wind erupts, adding an extra element of excitement to the whole job. One breath at the wrong moment, the sheet catches on something and snags. What fun. 

Exciting news arrived this week, that we are a finalist in the HTA Grower of the Year Awards, unsurprisingly in the Sustainability section. We are invited to attend the presentation dinner & ceremony at the Barbican Centre on September 24th (after the HTA conference), so having booked a train seat and a ticket, we may see some of you there! Lots on next week, with turbine repairs and servicing, possibly the return of the broken-down Fiat which has been missing for two months, and some stickers to put on a couple of the vans. Watch out next week for a new look to a couple of the vans! 

Over the bank holiday weekend, I went up the hill with my hedge trimming kit to clear around the turbine bases to allow easier access for the climbing turbine engineers and took my binoculars with me after a tip-off from Caroline that here maybe something exciting to see, A first for me, a flock of Yellow Wagtails, gathering for their return to sub-Saharan Africa, feeding on the bugs left on the rape stubble. Ace. 

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 plenty of colour, with lots more bud to come. We had a huge run on these last week, so there is already a big hole in stock levels. Don’t hold back! Our long flowering Cyclamen coum are also ready, although it is a bit early for them to go into full flowering mode, they are more bountiful in winter and spring, but there is already the odd bud on show. We secured earlier batches of seedlings this year, so we have grown these more diminutive beauties to a bigger size, which should help promote more sales.  There are several Asters in bud doing there late summer show.  We have a charming compact batch of Verbena Lollipop now in bud. Flowering all summer and autumn long, Whirling Butterflies (White) are looking great. Another later summer range are the mini garden Chrysanthemums which are already showing early tight bud. Fresh batches of Echinacea are throwing up healthy growth and flower buds, just in time for a late splash. We have a very compact batch of Achillea Milly Rock Terracotta. There are some fantastic short bushy Coreopsis in bud again, ready to make a lovely late summer splash. 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, just a few colourful Bidens and Penstemon Garnet. We have plenty of Scabiosa in bud in a range of colours, another long flowering summer star. 

Still plenty of fabulous looking herbs in a wide range to inspire some autumnal cooking adventures. It’s a bit late now for the annual Basils, Coriander and alike, but there are still plenty of perennial varieties raring to go. 

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