Hairy Christmas

Hi

Too many jobs on the go to comfortably stop for Christmas, but despite this the nursery is already feeling like an abandoned ship, with nearly everyone taking advantage of using up some holiday time. With so few sales at this time of year here, it is an ideal time really so I can't complain too loudly.

It was probably a long time ago, but I distinctly remember nearly everyone working right up to lunchtime on Christmas Eve, but those days are long gone. Many a Christmas eve afternoon I have rushed around town trying to find something to slip under the tree for Caroline, only to find most of the shops shutting early and very little stock on the shelves. What a difference having the internet makes, although I still find I've left it all too late. Luckily this year we have already done our main gifts, Caroline got a very cheerful little tray filler and I got a seeding machine! Good job I don't have to wrap those.

Both the above items arrived early this week and are already in position, wired up and plumbed in, very nearly ready for action. Just need a bit more instruction on how it actually all works in practice, but that will have to wait until the New Year. The bills from the storm of a couple of weeks ago are racking up. I thought we had got off lightly but with two tunnel covers, new timber sides and this week, the recovering of the irrigation tank, it all adds up. The discovery that the centre support pole had snapped and the weight of water on the collapsed cover had bent in the top steel edges of the tank, means we are going to have rebuild the top corrugated steel ring, replace the support pole and change the old impervious cover with an anti algae permeable cover to prevent similar events in the future. Future proofing is nice, but it does initially hurt!

The electrician has been in most days this week and made great progress with heaters repaired, twin skin covers now inflated and new machinery ready to run. Still loads for him to do before spring sales get going, but a great start.

Bit tired after a hectic social week with a very tasty nursery Christmas lunch at The Plough in Sparsholt, and for me, the Posh and Sparkly Ball at the Guildhall in Winchester. Despite not being allowed to dance in the main hall we took over most of the rest of the building and 360 revellers had a real good time. So much activity, joy and laughter, it is an inspirational event to attend, it just illustrates how much you can get out of life without breaking the bank or tearing up the planet. I spoke to one lovely dancer who was telling me about her very difficult year, suffering from breast cancer (luckily caught early), arthritis and osteoporosis, yet she was looking decidedly flushed and grinning from ear to ear having had such a good evening. All those natural chemicals released by a good dance were better than most painkillers and antidepressants, at least for a while (her words not mine). Get out there and do it!

Christmas is mostly set up here, definitely going to try and not be on the nursery every day, and have already booked in lots of relatives to visit us and hopefully make a start on decorating the recently re-plastered conservatory. Should get the tree up tomorrow, it is still in one piece even after 15 years, although it will be a new set of lights this time after the old set fell apart. Just that bit of tinsel to wrap around the tray filling machine and Caroline's festive joy will be complete.

Hope you all have a great break and we will see you all in the New Year.

Christmas closure timings

There will be one or two people about on the nursery from the 23rd Dec and 2nd and 3rd Jan 2025 should anyone need any emergency plants, but we will be back to full operation from Jan 6th.

Availability list.

I know coming into the New Year it's not a great time of year for a lot of outdoor plant sales, but just to get you in the mood for later we already have some very promising growth and bud activity. Some of the spring bulbs are poking through so will bee added to the list very soon.

We only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are now producing loads of buds and the very occasional flower is opening. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

There are a few trays of Wild Primrose (P. vulgaris) in bud already, with lots more to follow over the next couple of months. Another winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

In theory a late winter flurry of Erysimum bud and flowers usually gets everyone going on thoughts of spring, but this year they are already budding up! They have happily sat through the few frosts we have and are still looking remarkably fresh, green and bushy. The first of many flower-heads are already in tight bud and there is even the odd flash of colour.

Christmas wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy installation

Hi

That was an action packed week, some of it planned and some not. Last weekend's storm proved a little more intrusive than I expected, I hope it didn't knock you all back too far. I know a lot of attractions and events closed over what should have been a bumper Christmas weekend, so commiserations to all those affected and I hope the quieter weather now will help make it up a bit.

We had a bit of damage with a few branches down and trolleys blown over, but worst of all was the loss of two tunnel covers and the collapse of the cover over the irrigation storage tank, which was replaced only a few months ago. The tank covering team are due in next week to try and retrieve the situation above the tank, but it was up to us to sort out the tunnels before anything spoiled on the now open beds. The covers had come adrift where the wooden sides had partially rotted and the fixing strip broke away. Unfortunately the flapping plastic also destroyed the overhead irrigation spray-lines, but they are relatively easily repaired with a few new pipes and a pot of glue. Luckily the stars really lined up this week and we managed to buy in fresh timber and two new covers, re-timber the sides, refit the fixing strip and get the new covers fully attached by the end of the week. Quick deliveries and the right weather all fell into line, very satisfying, if not altogether planned.

What was planned was the installation of the solar panels, which went brilliantly. The chaps from Cornish Rocker were here over three days anchoring and erecting the tilting frames before mounting the bifacial panels. Looks impressive, but no generation until the electrician fits all the invertors, batteries and control kit, which won't happen until the New Year.

We have had a practice on the panel tilting and it is really easy and quick to do. They will send us an email at the appropriate times of year, with instructions as to what angle we should set them at for that period, so we can harvest at peak rates. The only hiccup is that if gale-force winds are predicted we have to lower the angle to summer time levels to reduce turbulence, not great but workable.

Tom our favourite tree-man was back with his team and more fancy lifts, to take out our old conifers by the entrance. They were becoming a bit of a road hazard and forever shedding big branches in strong winds. Now it's nice and clear again we will replant with some more native hedging to keep the wildlife happy. The team were fuelled on pastries and proper coffee which they make in their own shiny coffee machine. None of those fancy pods, it's all grinding, pressing and steaming. It powered them through the work, very impressive.

A garden shed arrived this week, ready to erect over the sand filter and electric board down by the rainwater collection sump. In theory they can all be left outside but I'm a bit anxious about the pipe-work bursting in the cold weather, so better safe than sorry. That's another job for next week.

Seed sower and tray filling machines plus an electrician (non-solar) are due in next week for more excitement, but the acid tank replacement and climate control computer have both been delayed until the New Year due to over-running other works. Who needs Christmas with so much going on?

Feeling a bit sorry for our dance group today, as the Winchester Guildhall have now closed the main hall for a further two months to repair the ceiling, rather messing up the Christmas Ball next Tuesday. It was always the biggest night of the year with over 360 tickets sold and the main hall out of action. Another much smaller room has been offered with a temporary dance-floor, to add to the other three rooms already booked, so it will still go ahead, it just won't be quite as grand. With the early weeks of the New Year also lost to our normal weekly sessions, it's going to be a challenge to keep any New Year's resolution momentum going, and so disappointing when the classes only restarted after the covid break a couple of months ago. Luckily, a bit like gardening, dancing is one of those 'multiple win' pastimes with fitness, mental wellbeing and social interaction scoring highly and all at a reasonable price, so the future should still be bright. Just wondering if we should start up an annual 'Hairy Ball' event and combine the best of both worlds. Maybe not.

Availability list.

I know it's not a time of year for a lot of outdoor plant sales, but just to get you in the mood for later we already have some very promising growth and bud activity.

We only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are now producing loads of buds and the very occasional flower is opening. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

Another winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

In theory a late winter flurry of Erysimum bud and flowers usually gets everyone going on thoughts of spring, but this year they are already budding up! They have happily sat through the frosts we have and are still looking remarkably fresh, green and bushy. The first of many flower-heads are already in tight bud and there is even the odd flash of colour.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy Jive

Hi

Another week flies by and it seems Christmas might be on the way. I'm sure a lot of you will have massive projects revolving around the build up to the big day, but I'm relieved to say it is a quieter time for us. So many of both the retailers and visitor centres, really do make the most of this time of year, with massive displays of festive products, merriment and light shows. I do hope all goes well, it would be good to end such a challenging year on a high! Having said that, it doesn't look like the weather is playing ball this coming weekend, with more wind and rain on the way. Fingers crossed it's not too bad.

Next week looks more settled and we are looking to press on with a few outdoor jobs and projects of our own, despite the fact that they all seem to swallow up the cash, rather than rake it in.

I have a feeling that it is all going to kick off over the next couple of weeks, the solar panel tilting frames are due for installation on Monday, they have already marked out the site with pegs and strings, so after what seems like years of planning it looks like something is actually going to happen. The panels should then get mounted, the tray filler and sowing machines are rumoured to be in transit, and an electrician, to upgrade several bits of kit, is due in next week. The forklift rams are being refurbished, so that is out of action for at least a week, and the compost bucket, which fits onto it, is getting a 'makeover'. It must be an antique by now and it's age is showing where the water sits and extra wear occurs, it has multiple holes and misshapen edges. I know how it feels, but sadly a full nurseryman refurb is not on the 'to do' list.

The replacement climate change computer is due the week after next, the acid tank replacement must come very soon. There is a new little insulated shed arriving next week, for us to construct around the water recycling sand filter, so we can keep the pipe-work frost protected and the electrics will need installing to provide the necessary heat. Then there is the prop tunnel which is in need of upgrading to cope with more in-house rooting to increase our peat-free module range. A mist line needs installing to achieve more controlled humidity levels, making sure as much stock as possible successfully roots. Definitely not going to be enough hours in this month!

One thing I hugely value is a regular distraction from doing all this nursery stuff. It is so easy for the day job to totally dominate every thought, day or night, whether we are in the heat of the main season or like now, rushing about trying to prepare everything to make the following season even better. Sometimes I feel I'm not a particularly effective manager, I take everything way too personally for a start, and that makes it really important for everything we do to be as good as we can get it. Inevitably not everything goes to plan and I then can't help but blame myself. This could be a recipe for losing the plot, but if I can break those thought processes and slow my internal cycle of blame, then everything gets a chance to reset. 

My distraction is my, now twice weekly, modern jive dancing. A complete mental and physical break from the day job, my brain is occupied from the first moment, learning new moves while trying to remember the old ones (and failing). My muscles ache from all the exercise, my social buttons are all pressed, greeting my regular dance partners plus meeting new ones, and all this is tied together with throwing a few moves to the beat of some great tunes, classic and otherwise, from 1940's to current day. It might have taken me 15 years to get properly comfortable on the dance-floor, but now I just love it. We are very lucky to be in an independent jive group run by one man with a drive to get people having fun dancing. Apparently a lot of jive groups are currently struggling after possibly taking their dancing a little too seriously. Many have followed a path of artistic and expressive passion where the music is slower, more sensual and the dance style more intimate. It can look great, if you like that sort of thing, but not something you can easily fall into as a relaxing fun night out. Danny's more upbeat music, and energetic vibe makes you want to come back for more, his moves are more realistic in expectation level and intimacy, ideal for couples dancing together who may not know each other that well. We are in Britain after all!

Availability list.

I know it's not a time of year for a lot of outdoor plant sales, but just to get you in the mood for later we already have some very promising growth and bud activity.

We only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are now producing loads of buds and the very occasional flower is opening. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

Another winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

In theory a late winter flurry of Erysimum bud and flowers usually gets everyone going on thoughts of spring, but this year they are already budding up! They have happily sat through the frosts we have and are still looking remarkably fresh, green and bushy. The first of many flower-heads are already in tight bud and there is even the odd flash of colour.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy learning

Hi

Considering this is supposed to be a quiet time there still aren't enough days in the week. I always picture our winter quiet period to be 3 or 4 months, full of catching up on all the chores we didn't get to during the main season and getting stuck into lots of exciting projects. Without the pressure of huge sales activity we are always going to have loads of time and end up starting the season so well organised and refreshed. In reality everything takes three times longer than expected and most of the skilled trades we need to complete things are in short supply and never available when you really need them.

We have already started on a list of van repairs with three out of action this week, 2 with battery issues, despite regular trips out, and one with the dreaded engine management light showing with the message 'check engine'. The 'engine issue' van is less than a year old and needs to go back to the dealer to be diagnosed and their initial response was that they could fit us in sometime in January! After a short discussion we are booked in on Dec 12th, but absolutely no idea what is wrong with it.

The prop tunnel climate control computer is limping along, awaiting its replacement. Ordered in mid October it isn't available until Dec 16th, so hoping the cold weather doesn't return before then. Good job we don't have critical crops in there!

More positive news on the solar panel front, with the tilting frame installers threatening an appearance on the 9th Dec. They should be able to get most of the installation done including the panel mounting and electrics. The stumbling block is likely to be connecting it all to the grid with all the associated permissions and kit needing to be given the nod by SSE. I am ever hopeful that they will be really quick and efficient at get us plugged in, but previous experience has taught me not to raise hopes too high!

We should be taking delivery of a module tray filler and seed sowing machines in the next week or two. We ordered them back in April and they are going to get here just 3 or 4 weeks before the deadline for the RPA grant we won runs out. All a bit tense! It's all go.

This past week was pretty hectic with a couple of big events. The RHS Peat-free Conference at Wisley was very well attended and a great source of the latest peat-free news. After the initial welcome and general backslapping encouragement at all the positive progress being made, there were reports on the latest trials done over several nurseries using compost from most of the larger manufacturers. There was a lot of technical detail and data in there, which went over my head, but the unsurprising end message (to me anyway) seemed to be that, it can work very well, but all nurseries, crops and composts are different. You need to find the compost that is best for you in your situation, so talk to a supplier and start trialling. Luckily for us we have been doing that for 13 years so feeling fairly confident, although we are always looking to tweak improvements here and there.

Several workshops followed where I definitely picked up a few useful ideas to bring home. The most reassuring session involved debunking some of the myths behind the use of coir in horticulture. The use of excess water for cleaning the fibres, child labour, high carbon footprint in processing and transport from India/Sri Lanka, deforestation to plant coconut trees etc. I am going to wait until the conference notes come out before I pass on the details, so I get it right, but even I was impressed and reassured that we are doing the right thing. I will try and put the highlights on the website too, as a future reference point. 

A key part of the week, and the year really, was renegotiating our overdraft facility with the bank. An annual review to look back at the year, forward to winter projects and the prospects for 2025. A great opportunity to exercise my creative storytelling and rose tinted presentation of figures. The bank have gone through another restructure so instead of a personal visit from a specialist manager, we had a conference call from a lovely chap in Edinburgh. Luckily I have done this for a long time and am quite good at pressing the right buttons, so a couple of days putting together a report on 'all of the above' with a few graphs, gives a good outline of how we have done and what the plans are. Our overdraft management has always been pretty good and since covid, we have managed to avoid pushing it to its extreme. This allows me to get away with not producing a cash-flow projection which is a relief as we rarely used to stuck to it anyway. All went well so we are free to go through another season with a nice fat OD facility.

Got a new part-time job starting in March next year. The pay rate is very attractive and work conditions definitely appealing. Thanks go to the Department of Works and Pensions, I can't wait. 

Availability list.

Unfortunately after a poor seed harvest we only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are now producing loads of buds and the very occasional flower is opening. They will go on right through until April so no rush! The other winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy suprise

Hi

Quick blast of winter this week reminded us that time is passing. We had a few snow flurries but nothing dramatic, just cold. It was good to see some sunshine which took the edge off, as long as you weren't tending to plants early in the day in an unheated and open ventilated tunnel! It does make me feel very guilty when I slink off into the office to do management stuff of which there is a surprising amount to do at this time of year. Plant ordering, net zero research, planning and calculating, email chasing up for all the winter projects and, this week, a lot of catching up to do after a little break in Cornwall. We are back well refreshed with a couple of notches released on the belt and ready for another battening down of the hatches for the winter. Hours for some have been willingly reduced as the temperature drops and the outdoor workload subsides a bit, although there are several winter projects well underway or just about to start.

After a little flurry of sales a couple of weeks ago, things have unsurprisingly gone pretty quiet this week and we have got stuck into those winter chores. Leaf clearing, wood cutting, pallet sorting, building maintenance, wooden box cleaning, stacking and storing. The new wooden box parts to top up the marketing tray supplies have all arrived, ready for treating, printing and construction. We replace about 10% a year at the moment, allowing for the average 10 year lifespan and a few other odd losses, adding up to just over 1,000 boxes made up of 13 parts each. That's a lot of parts to paint/treat and 5 of those need printing too, before the eventual construction. Even this we make more difficult for ourselves, by screwing the base parts together rather than stapling them (slower but longer lasting) and gluing the corners before stapling to add extra strength. It adds to the cost but increases life span and the number of uses we get from each one, providing of course we get them back in a timely manner rather than them ending up in a semi permanent display in a plant area display!

Good news this week on the solar panel installation which looked to be delayed until the New Year. I managed to get them to install the tilting frames and hopefully the panels, in a couple of weeks time. We may still have a slight delay in grid connection but at least they will be ready to roll and not be a distraction when the plant sales get started in the New Year.

The acid tank replacement deal improved a little bit after registering my shock at the size of the quote, but still had to be paid in advance before the work could start (sounds like a nice way to do business), so we are hoping things will now speedily progress on that front too.

Last week I discovered the new version of the electric Renault Master van (87Kwh) that has just been released, it looks very promising with a 250+ mile range, quicker charging rates and potentially larger payloads. The only hiccup is that the chassis cab version, to build our box on the back, hasn't been released yet so we might not get one in time for the spring, however it is the first one out there that looks capable of doing the job. I suspect it won't practically make it to Cornwall or Yorkshire but the more local sites are a definite possibility at last. With the solar and wind both operational as well as some battery storage we should be able to refuel almost for free when it is back at base with just the external fast chargers to pay for in order to make it home.

A great NBIS meeting on Thursday, lots of practical fresh ideas, tips and therapeutic encouragement, a bit of a shortage of attendees but very rewarding none the less. Ham egg and chips were delicious and well worth the trip, I am easily pleased. The return to the house after a few days away turned out more exciting than usual when we opened up to a fairly cool home and sadly no warm welcome from my mum with the wood burner on full blast. Mum has tweaked her back quite badly after a weekend hang-gliding with my sister, so stayed at home with our central heating left only on tick over, so just kept the chill off. Excitingly for the first time for a year and a half I was able to flick on the central heating, turn up the radiators and get an instant response while moving into the living room to light the wood burner. I opened the burner door and shut it pretty quickly, there was something big grey and furry in the grate. After checking it didn't move I tried again, to find an ex-squirrel lying in there. The cowell had blown off the chimney and it must have climbed in and fallen. Luckily the door had been shut otherwise if it had survived the fall the house could have been trashed, but there wasn't even a smell and no damage to the body or burner, so I count that as a lucky escape. I suppose we were also lucky it made it all the way into the grate, if it had got stuck at the chimney base I could have developed a sudden inexplicable urge for a roast dinner once the burner was fired up!

Availability list.

Unfortunately after a poor seed harvest we only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are just beginning to produce the very occasional flower and loads of buds. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

The other winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential. 

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy break

Hi

At least it seems to have stopped raining for the moment and kept reasonably mild, a bit late to make sales go into overdrive but easier to get those outside jobs done. As a result the office got a new coat of wood preserver today and is looking very smart in front of the recently 'lifted' beech trees. A few leaves are getting cleared away, hedges trimmed and Halloween snacks devoured, it must be autumn now.

The last of the bulbs got potted this week so that is all the potting completed for 2024, another milestone passed. It was the second busiest year ever on the potting front, only surpassed by 2021 when we got a bit carried away with ourselves. It was post covid madness and we were very short of stock early in the year, so potted like crazy and didn't stop early enough. We ended up donating a load of stock to the local hospitals, surgeries and vaccination centres to shed the excess, which put a positive twist to a bit of a balls-up on my part. I'm hoping we haven't overdone it this time, I'm banking on the spring weather being a bit kinder than the last couple of years so we will need the extra stock, fingers crossed for it all to come together.

Fun times with the Budget this week, I suppose none of it was a huge surprise as most of it was leaked well in advance, but it does set out in black and white a few hefty extra labour costs that we are going to have to deal with in the coming season. Just as I was hoping the inflationary pressures were easing our biggest single cost gets elevated beyond our control. I suppose it just reinforces the need for even more efficiency and investment in labour saving kit, to avoid employing quite so many people. Unfortunately it also encourages taking short cuts and avoiding risk, which tends to make the final product potentially a bit disappointing, as most people look to take the easier options. Don't worry, if there is a more difficult option I'm always on call to take it, you can rely on that!

Talking of which, the plastic acid tank removal and replacement quote came in this afternoon. The original tank cost less than £3,000, 8 years ago, the quote came in today at £16,000! The removal cost was more than the replacement tank, which itself has more than doubled in price. With an 8 year lifespan that means the annual tank costs are higher than the acid cost. I think I'm in the wrong game. I am in further negotiations.

I have a feeling I also handed an open cheque book to the electrician on Monday, just to add to the pressure. He now has a list of repair and replacement work to hit over the next couple for months as we prepare for winter and try to get everything shipshape for the spring rush. Once we get to February it's really too late to start any new projects and the overdraft starts to dictate a more sedate approach to spending, so it's now or never.

On a brighter note, weekly jive dancing returned to the fabulous Guildhall in Winchester on Tuesday. Lots of over excited dancers turned up bright and early with over 150 making it in by the time the lessons got underway. Over 3 hours of laughter, heart-pounding gyrating and twirling for just £10 and learning new skills along the way, what a bargain. There was a healthy smattering of beginners as well as those still returning after the covid break, let's hope the momentum keeps going over the next few months, that will be the test to the viability of returning to such a high end venue.

This list will have to cover the next couple of weeks as I am otherwise engaged, but if you have any queries just drop us a line and Greg will sort something out. Orders are quieter now and most of the boxes have been returned so, although we are still out and about, the long seasons pressure has at last relented and we should be able to cope with most requests, within reason!

End of season wooden Box returns

We have already collected over 85% of our empty wooden boxes from most sites and will continue to do so over the next couple of weeks. If you have empty boxes ready to go please do drop us a line and we will pop in when next in the area. 

Availability list.

The herb range is still looking surprisingly perky in the autumn sunshine. We should have a reasonable range looking nice for a few weeks yet.

Unfortunately after a poor seed harvest we only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are just beginning to produce the very occasional flower and loads of buds. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

The other winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

Erigeron Stallone are still doing their thing, flower and bud will keep coming until they are battered too much by winter frosts.

We have had them in flower at Christmas before now, although it does depend on the weather and anything could happen there!

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.

Hairy Jive

Hi

Weather is still a bit up and down, but after a damp start, this evening is looking gloriously autumnal as the sun dips romantically behind the poly tunnels. I know it's not always very accurate but the forecast for next week looks ok, we might get to see quite a bit more of this brightness over the coming few days.

We've had another good week with a few novelty jobs and a big thrash at getting the spring bulbs potted. The bulb potting is nearly done, just the awkward smaller ones to do, lots of counting and juggling and not many pots to show for the effort. However they look fab when they burst into flower in the spring so it's worth the trouble. All the ones that are too big to eat or carry off, are on the tunnel floor, already mulched and watered in and the smaller ones potted then stacked on trolleys out of harm's way for all but the most acrobatic of rodents or squirrels.

Adam the asbestos man came and took off our old asbestos roof from our old block built meter shed on Tuesday, as planned and all went really well, it was all done in no time. He also took away a few spare old sheets that had been stacked behind the barn for donkeys years, so we have had a good tidy up at the same time. He did a great job, it was all nicely wrapped up before being taken to the appropriate disposal site, the paperwork came back straight away, it was all very satisfying.

The plan to slip the new roof straight back on the shed again didn't quite go as well, as it tipped down with rain and reroofing a shed full of electric kit wasn't the sensible option so we covered up the risky stuff and waited. Two of us spent all of Wednesday fitting the roof and even if I do say so myself we did a very tidy job, it looks very smart for a shed. I bought the pre-cut insulated panels, edge flashings and fitting kit in advance and assumed it would just slide on, screw down and we would be done, but I had forgotten that I built the block shed back in 1984 when we started the nursery so it wasn't actually very square. It took quite a bit of juggling to get the roof panels positioned sensibly and know I can see how useful edge flashing is for covering up a character filled wall build. Anyway it's all done now and inside is beautifully dry and draft free, it's a joy to go in there and marvel at the luxury,

We are having the acid storage tank, which acidifies our hard irrigation water, replaced this winter as a precautionary measure. It is 8 years old and the maker had said that this was its minimum lifespan and obviously we wouldn't want to risk a leak. The fabricator who is making the replacement tank popped in to check his design and the site where it was to be installed and was pleasantly surprised at the condition of ours, he was more used to visiting sites with 20+ year old tanks that had started leaking. It was a really valuable site meeting as he did pick up some design features from our old tank that he will incorporate into his. It will be made easier for us to operate by adding a drainage valve to the water bath that neutralises any acid vapours needing to leave the tank, and reduce the risk of a joint leak by moving the acid outlet point from the base of the tank to the top. A practical two way conversation that benefitted both parties, that's the sort of meeting I like. He is going to be recommending a longer lifespan for his tank so hopefully this might see me out and we won't have to go through all this fun of getting it empty, disposed of and replaced before the irrigation water can be acidified again.

Big night coming up on Tuesday with the reopening of Winchester Guildhall for weekly Modern Jive lessons for the first time since Covid stopped everything in March 2020. We had to scrap quite hard to get it back at an affordable price, but it's a stunning venue and used to attract well over 100 dancers most weeks with 300+ at the big Balls. Danny who runs the dances and lessons has been keeping several smaller venues running each week, but getting this one back is a big feather in his cap and it has such potential for good times. There is nothing like a good dance, I love it and have my fingers crossed that it gets the support it deserves.

End of season wooden Box returns

We have already collected over 80% of our empty wooden boxes from many sites and will continue to do so over the next couple of weeks. If you have empty boxes ready to go please do drop us a line and we will pop in when next in the area. 

Availability list.

The herb range is still looking surprisingly perky in the autumn sunshine. We should have a reasonable range looking nice for a few weeks yet.

Unfortunately after a poor seed harvest we only have one Cyclamen coum variety this winter (Silver Leaved) but they are just beginning to produce the very occasional flower and loads of buds. They will go on right through until April so no rush!

The other winter star is the Helleborus range, a few varieties already showing the occasional signs of flowering but it's a bit early for most. Good strong plants with plenty of potential.

Erigeron Stallone are still doing their thing, flower and bud will keep coming until they are battered too much by winter frosts. We have had them in flower at Christmas before now, although it does depend on the weather and anything could happen there,!

Best wishes from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.