Good morning all.
A scorcher of a week. Thankfully it looks like a cooler few days ahead, it’s certainly slightly fresher today and more cloud cover. Luckily the irrigation system (touch wood) has kept up with the extra demand despite the drying breeze as well as the heat. Sales are still rolling along but the range is slipping a bit as we run out of some lines. The summer potting is now we ll underway so fresh stock for some of those late summer and autumn sales will be with us before you know it.
My work load plans for the week never seem to quite all come right at this time of year, as holiday breaks start to suddenly materialise. The realisation hits home that all the cut backs of the past couple of seasons means we don’t always have the back up of a few years ago and the thought of a day or two off ourselves will have to wait until the autumn. Good job the idyllic life of a nurseryman is so much like a holiday, all that fresh air, sunshine and trug carrying. On the bright side we do have a couple of extra youngsters coming in to help for a few weeks this summer which will be great.
Most of the stock for the 2015 spring sales is now on the nursery with another couple more plug deliveries this week, despite the fact that a lot of stock won’t actually get potted for several weeks. We like to create really chunky stock to give that extra level of value to the gardener and we find that we can get this by planting the little plugs we buy in now, into a much bigger plug before finally potting them. This keeps the plants actively growing and building up a strong framework before an extra level of trimming/grading and potting. Although this adds an extra layer into the production cycle it helps us produce monste r plants with less waste in the more expensive final stages, so hopefully we all win out.
Are you doing enough on the recycling front? Just a quick reminder to check out your local facilities to keep up to date with what you can sensibly recycle. We have had a pretty good system here where one waste company, at a relatively low cost, would take away most of our card, plastic, cans etc in one mixed recycling bin. This was great as previously we had to separate a lot of it out for separate disposal, which usually meant a bit of extra labour, confusion and separate waste containers. The contract has just been taken over by Biffa and I was a bit anxious that we would have to return to separation but in fact it was the opposite. They were happy to take all plastics mixed in with everything else in the one bin. That is a great service and allows few excuses not to make the most of it and recycle all over the place. Things move on, promote your sustainable image, provide great and inspirational customer service, get recycling. The Eden Project make a fantastic, very positive feature of their waste management but this idea isn’t patented, use it to your advantage. Also don’t forget that ‘To make recycling work you have to buy (and sell) recycled’.
Great effort by the Commonwealth Games and UNICEF with their ‘Put the children first’ appeal on the opening night. It is shocking how many thousands of children are still dying each day around the world and what deprived lives many millions more lead. It is not a comfortable thing to think about it too much but we can surely all do a bit more to help. Even if it is only to question how the supermarkets are able to put out a ‘full school uniform’ for £4. I saw in a Primark window yesterday an offer, for 8-13 year olds, to buy 3 T-shirts, a pair of jeans and a pair of trainers for a total of £10!
Looking forward to visiting the Ball-Colgraves show garden this coming week to see if there are any plants we are missing out on and to take a few snaps to add to the portfolio. Hoping it isn’t too bright, as my old fart mastery of digital camera settings is limited and bright sun I always find a bit of a handful when taking flower pictures.
If you are off on your summer break soon, have a splash for me.
Availability
Last few Crocosmia’s left, both golden yellows and with buds just beginning to open (Sunglow and George Davidson).
It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and the occasional open flower, a great range of colours. Bud and strong fresh growth on the Anemones, looking good.
The short Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are very strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy but taller V. bonariensis are also in bud.
Leucanthemum Broadway Lights are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow blooms and lots of bud on nice strong stocky plants.
Ajuga Black Scallop with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. The variegated Burgundy Glow is looking great too.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer. Short bushy Thalictrum are showing a second flower flush of the summer but only a few left.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday, 28 July 2014
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Hairy on the Beach
Good morning all.
Still hot and muggy down here, we seem to have missed most of the thunderstorm so the ground is still disappointingly dry. Plant sales have slowed fractionally which has allowed us to get stuck into the potting again which is a relief. Last week’s potting squeak cure has held up and makes for a far less tense working environment, although there doesn’t seem to have been a corresponding reduction in volume of the youngsters music. Gosh isn’t it loud and it all sounds the same!
It’s a tad on the steamy side in the tunnels on the sunny days but our youthful team keep up their fluid levels and plough on . The show must go on. The office porta-cabin shows off one of its main weaknesses in this sort of weather with temperatures reaching over 42C on one afternoon, nearly enough to send me outside and do some work. It would be nice one day to build a proper building to house such important people but I fear that day is a long way off. I managed to attend the local Sustainable Business Network meeting last week, catching up on all the latest legal and practical developments in the exciting world of sustainability. A nice walk to the venue through Marwell Zoo who were telling us about all their work on site to improve their buildings' performances, investing to save huge amounts on energy use and looking to generate heat and power from their regular waste materials. Lots of energy was saved by altering the gift shop internal temperature control, running it to correspond with how the customers were dressed when coming in from outside rather than how warm or cool the staff would like to run it at. A nice bit of sensible thinking.
In a week of multiple outings Caroline and I where kindly invited by Hillier Nurseries to attend a delicious marquee lunch with a few select others at the Harold Hillier Gardens to celebrate 150 years of the business. Lots of friends old and new and a bit of a blast from the past for Caroline who started her horticultural career there as a pre-entry year student 35 years ago, she was only 5!
Our luck was definitely in this week when we inherited the thing that all destitute nursery folk desperately need. Caroline had been offered a couple of small 1930’s armchairs from her Auntie who sadly passed away earlier this year and was given a tour of the other kit they were trying to find a good home for. So we are now proud owners of a 1950 cocktail cabinet complete with an opening top to create your own 5ft+ bar! I can’t remember the last time I even thought of having a cocktail. Anyway I have set it up along a spare wall and filled it with my beer collection, let’s see how it goes. If things start to get a bit erratic from this end you will know my life has taken on a new direction. Actually it has already seen action, we served Caroline’s Mum a Creme de Menthe (found in the cabinet) on crushed ice for her birthday tea yesterday. She can remember when her father originally bought it (the cabinet) after a particularly good 1950 harvest. Are cocktail parties still in vogue? I must see about making a friend or two to invite over.
Availability
Last few Crocosmia’s left, both golden yellows and with buds just beginning to open (Sunglow and George Davidson).
It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and the occasional open flower, a great range of colours. The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour.
Bud and strong fresh growth on the Anemones, looking good. Just a few Achillea varieties still left with bud coming.
The short Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are very strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy but taller V. bonariensis are also in bud.
Leucanthemum Broadway Lights are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow bloo ms and lots of bud on nice strong stocky plants.
Ajuga Black Scallop is new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. The variegated Burgundy Glow is looking great too.
Rudbeckia Goldsturm are showing lots of bud and the occasional open flower. They are quite tall but strong stemmed.
A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer. Short bushy Thalictrum are showing a second flower flush of the summer.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Still hot and muggy down here, we seem to have missed most of the thunderstorm so the ground is still disappointingly dry. Plant sales have slowed fractionally which has allowed us to get stuck into the potting again which is a relief. Last week’s potting squeak cure has held up and makes for a far less tense working environment, although there doesn’t seem to have been a corresponding reduction in volume of the youngsters music. Gosh isn’t it loud and it all sounds the same!
It’s a tad on the steamy side in the tunnels on the sunny days but our youthful team keep up their fluid levels and plough on . The show must go on. The office porta-cabin shows off one of its main weaknesses in this sort of weather with temperatures reaching over 42C on one afternoon, nearly enough to send me outside and do some work. It would be nice one day to build a proper building to house such important people but I fear that day is a long way off. I managed to attend the local Sustainable Business Network meeting last week, catching up on all the latest legal and practical developments in the exciting world of sustainability. A nice walk to the venue through Marwell Zoo who were telling us about all their work on site to improve their buildings' performances, investing to save huge amounts on energy use and looking to generate heat and power from their regular waste materials. Lots of energy was saved by altering the gift shop internal temperature control, running it to correspond with how the customers were dressed when coming in from outside rather than how warm or cool the staff would like to run it at. A nice bit of sensible thinking.
In a week of multiple outings Caroline and I where kindly invited by Hillier Nurseries to attend a delicious marquee lunch with a few select others at the Harold Hillier Gardens to celebrate 150 years of the business. Lots of friends old and new and a bit of a blast from the past for Caroline who started her horticultural career there as a pre-entry year student 35 years ago, she was only 5!
Our luck was definitely in this week when we inherited the thing that all destitute nursery folk desperately need. Caroline had been offered a couple of small 1930’s armchairs from her Auntie who sadly passed away earlier this year and was given a tour of the other kit they were trying to find a good home for. So we are now proud owners of a 1950 cocktail cabinet complete with an opening top to create your own 5ft+ bar! I can’t remember the last time I even thought of having a cocktail. Anyway I have set it up along a spare wall and filled it with my beer collection, let’s see how it goes. If things start to get a bit erratic from this end you will know my life has taken on a new direction. Actually it has already seen action, we served Caroline’s Mum a Creme de Menthe (found in the cabinet) on crushed ice for her birthday tea yesterday. She can remember when her father originally bought it (the cabinet) after a particularly good 1950 harvest. Are cocktail parties still in vogue? I must see about making a friend or two to invite over.
Availability
Last few Crocosmia’s left, both golden yellows and with buds just beginning to open (Sunglow and George Davidson).
It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and the occasional open flower, a great range of colours. The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour.
Bud and strong fresh growth on the Anemones, looking good. Just a few Achillea varieties still left with bud coming.
The short Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are very strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy but taller V. bonariensis are also in bud.
Leucanthemum Broadway Lights are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow bloo ms and lots of bud on nice strong stocky plants.
Ajuga Black Scallop is new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. The variegated Burgundy Glow is looking great too.
Rudbeckia Goldsturm are showing lots of bud and the occasional open flower. They are quite tall but strong stemmed.
A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer. Short bushy Thalictrum are showing a second flower flush of the summer.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Hairy Excitement abounds
Morning All
It’s hot and muggy down here, really difficult to keep going, quite fancy a nap. Plant sales are bowling along which is great although it has delayed the start of the potting slightly. Spent yesterday afternoon and evening dismantling the potting machine take-off conveyor to try and find the source of a very loud squeak which has been driving the potters bonkers for months. Liberal quantities of grease and oil would seem to subdue the racket for a minute or two but then it returned. After several failed ‘solutions’ and feeling very ineffective I ended up releasing the entire belt to get the end rollers out and dismantled where I found the problem. A worn, dry and dirty central shaft. I replaced this worst one with one from an old conveyor all clean and greased up, and tidied up the other one at the other end, just in case. So an exciting surprise for everyone next week, a quiet potting machine, what a relief that will be. Nursery life doesn’t get much more exciting that that!
Having said that, we have received fab samples of the new skewer we have had made to thread into our new labels for next season as well as new samples of the labels themselves. (I am happy for you to share this excitement, see below)
That’s much more excitement than I can really cope with in one go, I’m off for a lie down.
Availability
Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on all the Crocosmia’s. It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and to occasional open flower, a great range of colours.
The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour. Bud and strong fresh growth on the Anemones, looking good. The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy V. bonariensis are also showing bud. Leucanthemum Broadway Lights are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow blooms and lots of bud on nice strong stocky plants.
Ajuga Black Scallop is also new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. The variegated Burgundy Glow is looking great too.
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too , but not many left now. Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher but only a few left. A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer. Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are colouring up as summer approaches. Dianthus Gran’s Favourite and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Achillea Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again but just a few left. Also a nice short bushy batch of The Pearl with its little white button flowers is reaching perfection.
Wildlife
Not had any room in recent weeks to report on latest news. Tiny frogs and newts have started leaving the ponds and spreading out over the nursery. Looks like a good batch this summer with still loads left in the main pond and plenty being seen in the tunnels. I have moved a few in by hand where they miss the doors and get stuck between the tunnels, but I can’t think it will really make much difference. Perhaps we should be thinking about frog-flaps down the tunnel sides! Maybe a few holes might be easier.
Counted 20 house martins feeding above the house yesterday evening, so assuming I might have missed a few we should have another good summer, I must take a moment to survey all the nests on the house to see how many look occupied. I suspect babies are on the way but I haven’t heard any shouting yet. At the end of last summer we witnessed a mass swarming of families in the yard as they prepared to fly off for the winter, there were 80+ birds, perching and diving about it was a riot, very lucky to see them as in a hour or two they were off. There are advantages to being here for so many hours a week!
Chickens have been on a go slow for 6 months now, 1 or 2 eggs a day is not a viable output for 8 birds. Tried hanging up a pack of Paxo but it hasn’t helped.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
It’s hot and muggy down here, really difficult to keep going, quite fancy a nap. Plant sales are bowling along which is great although it has delayed the start of the potting slightly. Spent yesterday afternoon and evening dismantling the potting machine take-off conveyor to try and find the source of a very loud squeak which has been driving the potters bonkers for months. Liberal quantities of grease and oil would seem to subdue the racket for a minute or two but then it returned. After several failed ‘solutions’ and feeling very ineffective I ended up releasing the entire belt to get the end rollers out and dismantled where I found the problem. A worn, dry and dirty central shaft. I replaced this worst one with one from an old conveyor all clean and greased up, and tidied up the other one at the other end, just in case. So an exciting surprise for everyone next week, a quiet potting machine, what a relief that will be. Nursery life doesn’t get much more exciting that that!
Having said that, we have received fab samples of the new skewer we have had made to thread into our new labels for next season as well as new samples of the labels themselves. (I am happy for you to share this excitement, see below)
That’s much more excitement than I can really cope with in one go, I’m off for a lie down.
Availability
Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on all the Crocosmia’s. It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and to occasional open flower, a great range of colours.
The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour. Bud and strong fresh growth on the Anemones, looking good. The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy V. bonariensis are also showing bud. Leucanthemum Broadway Lights are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow blooms and lots of bud on nice strong stocky plants.
Ajuga Black Scallop is also new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. The variegated Burgundy Glow is looking great too.
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too , but not many left now. Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher but only a few left. A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer. Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are colouring up as summer approaches. Dianthus Gran’s Favourite and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Achillea Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again but just a few left. Also a nice short bushy batch of The Pearl with its little white button flowers is reaching perfection.
Wildlife
Not had any room in recent weeks to report on latest news. Tiny frogs and newts have started leaving the ponds and spreading out over the nursery. Looks like a good batch this summer with still loads left in the main pond and plenty being seen in the tunnels. I have moved a few in by hand where they miss the doors and get stuck between the tunnels, but I can’t think it will really make much difference. Perhaps we should be thinking about frog-flaps down the tunnel sides! Maybe a few holes might be easier.
Counted 20 house martins feeding above the house yesterday evening, so assuming I might have missed a few we should have another good summer, I must take a moment to survey all the nests on the house to see how many look occupied. I suspect babies are on the way but I haven’t heard any shouting yet. At the end of last summer we witnessed a mass swarming of families in the yard as they prepared to fly off for the winter, there were 80+ birds, perching and diving about it was a riot, very lucky to see them as in a hour or two they were off. There are advantages to being here for so many hours a week!
Chickens have been on a go slow for 6 months now, 1 or 2 eggs a day is not a viable output for 8 birds. Tried hanging up a pack of Paxo but it hasn’t helped.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Hairy pots
Good morning all.
Yet another hectic week, sending out lots of orders. Most of the planned other work has gone on hold for a bit until we can find a moment. The deliveries of next year’s young plants are already here in large numbers and rather than keeping them waiting for too long before finding their way into a pot we are repeating the trick of the past couple of years and dropping them in a big module of our peat free potting compost. Although it adds in an extra production stage it does keep the plants growing strongly and provides monster stock to pot a bit later in the summer. There are a number of benefits to this, an extra chance to grade out any rubbish, an extra large plant framework provides greater pest and disease resilience as well as stonkingly sized plants, quicker and denser compost coverage reduces weed, moss and liverwort growth, better overwintering success and a bit of extra production flexibility. That is all brilliant and if we achieve the ultimate elusive aim and sell them all too, we will be able to do it all again next year!
Had an interesting email enquiry this week questioning if anything we used on our plants (MET52 specifically mentioned) would have killed off some tiger moth caterpillars which had been feeding on a couple of our plants in the garden. The easy answer is no, but that is not altogether helpful or informative. Such a specific question was a tricky one to reply to as the amount of info you need, to try and provide that illusive useful answer is immense. How long ago were the plants bought, how did the caterpillars get on the plant (naturally or helped), were there signs of them eating stuff, weather, caterpillar death symptoms and I’m sure more questions to materialise later. I suspect a full investigation and visit would still not come up with a definitive diagnosis of the deaths but I managed to spend an hour replying, explaining how MET52 spores (an anti vine
weevil bio-insectide) had been incorporated in the compost and not on or inside the plant so not going to be the problem. This led on to the fact that having spent many thousands of pounds over the last two seasons on this remedy we found it fairly ineffective on the weevil and had now changed to applying parasitic nematodes at key times of year. Then of course a description of why this is not going to be the cause followed (live in dark damp compost and are very , very short lived in daylight etc). An explanation of bio-controls simply boosting local natural populations to achieve a degree of pest control was needed and further general assurances followed that most chemicals available nowadays to all growers are so short -lived that by the time the plants were despatched, bought, planted and rained on there would be little residue left to cause mega death to the general insect population of the nature friendly gardener. That brings us to the fundamental issue that everyone wants to buy lovely looking pest free healthy plants but just as long as we aren’t cruel to any wildlife along the way! Even using natural bio controls and predators seems to raise alarm. Can we ever win or are we all failing to get our best intentioned messages across?
Plants are good for you, your garden and nature. Plant more. Plants are good. Good, mmm, yummy plants.
Availability
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too!
Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher but only a few left. A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
Ajuga Black Scallop is also new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer.
The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing. Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are colouring up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again with first buds showing.
Leucanthemum Broadway Lights and Banana Creme are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow blooms. Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on some Crocosmia.
It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and to occasional open flower, a lovely range of colours.
The Helenium Waldraut and Moerheim Beauty are in stunning colour and strong stemmed although quite tall.
The traditional Dianthus are in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and scented with some lovely colour combinations. The slightly larger classic varieties Gran’s Favourite and Hayter White are also strongly in bud. Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica white and posharskyana).
Achillea Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again. Also a nice short bushy batch of The Pearl with its little white button flowers is reaching perfection.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Yet another hectic week, sending out lots of orders. Most of the planned other work has gone on hold for a bit until we can find a moment. The deliveries of next year’s young plants are already here in large numbers and rather than keeping them waiting for too long before finding their way into a pot we are repeating the trick of the past couple of years and dropping them in a big module of our peat free potting compost. Although it adds in an extra production stage it does keep the plants growing strongly and provides monster stock to pot a bit later in the summer. There are a number of benefits to this, an extra chance to grade out any rubbish, an extra large plant framework provides greater pest and disease resilience as well as stonkingly sized plants, quicker and denser compost coverage reduces weed, moss and liverwort growth, better overwintering success and a bit of extra production flexibility. That is all brilliant and if we achieve the ultimate elusive aim and sell them all too, we will be able to do it all again next year!
Had an interesting email enquiry this week questioning if anything we used on our plants (MET52 specifically mentioned) would have killed off some tiger moth caterpillars which had been feeding on a couple of our plants in the garden. The easy answer is no, but that is not altogether helpful or informative. Such a specific question was a tricky one to reply to as the amount of info you need, to try and provide that illusive useful answer is immense. How long ago were the plants bought, how did the caterpillars get on the plant (naturally or helped), were there signs of them eating stuff, weather, caterpillar death symptoms and I’m sure more questions to materialise later. I suspect a full investigation and visit would still not come up with a definitive diagnosis of the deaths but I managed to spend an hour replying, explaining how MET52 spores (an anti vine
weevil bio-insectide) had been incorporated in the compost and not on or inside the plant so not going to be the problem. This led on to the fact that having spent many thousands of pounds over the last two seasons on this remedy we found it fairly ineffective on the weevil and had now changed to applying parasitic nematodes at key times of year. Then of course a description of why this is not going to be the cause followed (live in dark damp compost and are very , very short lived in daylight etc). An explanation of bio-controls simply boosting local natural populations to achieve a degree of pest control was needed and further general assurances followed that most chemicals available nowadays to all growers are so short -lived that by the time the plants were despatched, bought, planted and rained on there would be little residue left to cause mega death to the general insect population of the nature friendly gardener. That brings us to the fundamental issue that everyone wants to buy lovely looking pest free healthy plants but just as long as we aren’t cruel to any wildlife along the way! Even using natural bio controls and predators seems to raise alarm. Can we ever win or are we all failing to get our best intentioned messages across?
Plants are good for you, your garden and nature. Plant more. Plants are good. Good, mmm, yummy plants.
Availability
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too!
Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher but only a few left. A few new addition for this summer is a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and flowering nicely now.
Ajuga Black Scallop is also new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner.
We have a great range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time this summer.
The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant with numerous buds appearing. Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are colouring up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud and colour. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again with first buds showing.
Leucanthemum Broadway Lights and Banana Creme are showing their first signs of flowering, large pretty pale yellow blooms. Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on some Crocosmia.
It seems early but many of the Asters are showing buds and to occasional open flower, a lovely range of colours.
The Helenium Waldraut and Moerheim Beauty are in stunning colour and strong stemmed although quite tall.
The traditional Dianthus are in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and scented with some lovely colour combinations. The slightly larger classic varieties Gran’s Favourite and Hayter White are also strongly in bud. Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica white and posharskyana).
Achillea Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again. Also a nice short bushy batch of The Pearl with its little white button flowers is reaching perfection.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Monday, 30 June 2014
Hairy Show
Good morning all.
What a hectic week. The fabulous drugs provided by casualty last weekend worked a treat on my back, I got to the National Plant Show and survived in a fully vertical position the whole time. Thanks have to go to heroic niece Emily who did all the van driving (the drugs meant I was off that role) and a lot of the stand building as well as attending with me selling the hairy pot ideas over both days. We both had a great time seeing lots of old, new and potential customers in a positive, relaxed, buoyant and plant promoting atmosphere. Voice was a bit hoarse by the end of two days but very well worth the trip. Really pleased with the stand appearance, just perfect for what we wanted to achieve and we did get a recommendation from the stand judges at the awards which was nice. Although what we do isn’t everyone’s cup of tea it is always great to see when someone really connects and they get as excited as us about looking at plant production and sales in a different way. The samples of the new 2015 perennial labels we had on show with their bamboo skewer, extra practicality and depth of information with bar and QR coding were a nice illustration of how we continually look at improving our product as we forge a new way forward. Big thanks also to Susan and Brian for reviving us each evening with delicious sustenance, great comfort and company, it was like a mini holiday in the country, in fact I suspect that was the summer holiday. Luckily the drugs kept me off the home brewed cider on offer, otherwise the days might have been much harder!
I will attach a bit of the first info available about the new labels for 2015, just in case you didn’t see us at the show. Still sending out plenty of plants which is great, the weather is being kind so far and the bit of rain we had will keep things moist in the gardens and hopefully keep things moving.
Keep it up there are plenty of plants to go!
Availability
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too!
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short pale yellow variety, has just started to show flower colour, a great plant. Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nic ely now and there are also new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner.
Talking of dark foliage, Ajuga Black Scallop is new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. Another new one this summer is Veronica Spode Blue, a dinky short variety with an endless show of pale blue flowers. We have a small range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time.
Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour. Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights.
Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on some Crocosmia.
The Helenium Waldraut and Moerheim Beauty are in stunning colour and strong stemmed although quite tall.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling throughfast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud. Just a few left now. Oxalis Iron Cross are carrying their red buds and flowers above its pretty two tone foliage.
Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana).
Achillea Summer Pastels and Paprika with plenty of bud and some colour. A new batch of the lovely compact Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again.
Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana (very dark pink flowers) and Roman (pretty pale pink and now a few very tasty fruit), both have long flowering and fruiting seasons. Quality control in despatch means any ripe fruit is taken care of to prevent red juice contamination of the van!
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
What a hectic week. The fabulous drugs provided by casualty last weekend worked a treat on my back, I got to the National Plant Show and survived in a fully vertical position the whole time. Thanks have to go to heroic niece Emily who did all the van driving (the drugs meant I was off that role) and a lot of the stand building as well as attending with me selling the hairy pot ideas over both days. We both had a great time seeing lots of old, new and potential customers in a positive, relaxed, buoyant and plant promoting atmosphere. Voice was a bit hoarse by the end of two days but very well worth the trip. Really pleased with the stand appearance, just perfect for what we wanted to achieve and we did get a recommendation from the stand judges at the awards which was nice. Although what we do isn’t everyone’s cup of tea it is always great to see when someone really connects and they get as excited as us about looking at plant production and sales in a different way. The samples of the new 2015 perennial labels we had on show with their bamboo skewer, extra practicality and depth of information with bar and QR coding were a nice illustration of how we continually look at improving our product as we forge a new way forward. Big thanks also to Susan and Brian for reviving us each evening with delicious sustenance, great comfort and company, it was like a mini holiday in the country, in fact I suspect that was the summer holiday. Luckily the drugs kept me off the home brewed cider on offer, otherwise the days might have been much harder!
I will attach a bit of the first info available about the new labels for 2015, just in case you didn’t see us at the show. Still sending out plenty of plants which is great, the weather is being kind so far and the bit of rain we had will keep things moist in the gardens and hopefully keep things moving.
Keep it up there are plenty of plants to go!
Availability
The Lobelia Fan range are so strong and bushy they could burst and flower spikes are thrusting too!
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short pale yellow variety, has just started to show flower colour, a great plant. Beautiful pale yellow flowers of the Eucomis autumnalis are opening, short and chunky a really eye catcher.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nic ely now and there are also new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner.
Talking of dark foliage, Ajuga Black Scallop is new on our list this year with really very dark tight foliage, a stunner. Another new one this summer is Veronica Spode Blue, a dinky short variety with an endless show of pale blue flowers. We have a small range of good looking chunky Agapanthus we are producing for the first time.
Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Coreopsis Zagreb is also now supporting bright yellow colour. Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights.
Summer is on its way with the first buds appearing on some Crocosmia.
The Helenium Waldraut and Moerheim Beauty are in stunning colour and strong stemmed although quite tall.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling throughfast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud. Just a few left now. Oxalis Iron Cross are carrying their red buds and flowers above its pretty two tone foliage.
Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana).
Achillea Summer Pastels and Paprika with plenty of bud and some colour. A new batch of the lovely compact Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again.
Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana (very dark pink flowers) and Roman (pretty pale pink and now a few very tasty fruit), both have long flowering and fruiting seasons. Quality control in despatch means any ripe fruit is taken care of to prevent red juice contamination of the van!
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Good morning all.
Apologies for a slightly late list this week. A few challenges his weekend after a back twinge or two ended up with me left in casualty this morning, feeling a bit fraudulent, tired and sore. Disturbing all those busy people with such a silly compliant was a bit embarrassing but I was in a bit of trouble. Anyway to cut a long story short, they were sympathetic and brilliant and now I’m back here and nearly vertical again. My back still hurts but after a good dose of diazepam I don’t care! I may be a bit flippant this week, so apologies now, especially for anyone I meet at the National Plant Show on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have to blame it on the drugs.
The stand for the show is luckily all sorted and should look ok I think, catalogues knitted and some samples of the new 2015 labels ready to show. The bamboo skewers are not quite right, I’ve got some of the right length and some the right shape but the sample proper new design doesn’t get here for a bit. It will still give a good idea what we are up to. I will post some images as soon as I get a minute in case you don’t make it to Stoneleigh (or I don’t).
Hopefully the world cup isn’t affecting trade too much. I did hear a reporter saying how the England players couldn’t afford to lose against Uruguay and I did worry that they may become destitute if the result went the wrong way. Somehow I think they will be ok. Otherwise I have seen some great matches with unusually some very sporting behaviour. Love the new high tech improvements, goal line camera technology and especially the shaving foam lines the referees are using. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best.
Availability
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around t he corner. There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery & vigorous, at the top of their game. Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant. Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches. The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud. Just a few left now.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the f irst pink flower buds appearing and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up its subtle flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana). Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left. Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. A new batch of the compact Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again.
Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana (very dark pink flowers) and Roman (pretty pale pink and now a few very tasty fruit), both have long flowering and fruiting seasons. Quality control in despatch means any ripe fruit is taken care of to prevent red juice contamination of the van!
Apologies for a slightly late list this week. A few challenges his weekend after a back twinge or two ended up with me left in casualty this morning, feeling a bit fraudulent, tired and sore. Disturbing all those busy people with such a silly compliant was a bit embarrassing but I was in a bit of trouble. Anyway to cut a long story short, they were sympathetic and brilliant and now I’m back here and nearly vertical again. My back still hurts but after a good dose of diazepam I don’t care! I may be a bit flippant this week, so apologies now, especially for anyone I meet at the National Plant Show on Tuesday and Wednesday. I have to blame it on the drugs.
The stand for the show is luckily all sorted and should look ok I think, catalogues knitted and some samples of the new 2015 labels ready to show. The bamboo skewers are not quite right, I’ve got some of the right length and some the right shape but the sample proper new design doesn’t get here for a bit. It will still give a good idea what we are up to. I will post some images as soon as I get a minute in case you don’t make it to Stoneleigh (or I don’t).
Hopefully the world cup isn’t affecting trade too much. I did hear a reporter saying how the England players couldn’t afford to lose against Uruguay and I did worry that they may become destitute if the result went the wrong way. Somehow I think they will be ok. Otherwise I have seen some great matches with unusually some very sporting behaviour. Love the new high tech improvements, goal line camera technology and especially the shaving foam lines the referees are using. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best.
Availability
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around t he corner. There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery & vigorous, at the top of their game. Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Summer Penstemons growing well and looking verdant. Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches. The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong, shooty, and showing bud. Bushy V. bonariensis are also available again. New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud. Just a few left now.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the f irst pink flower buds appearing and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up its subtle flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana). Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left. Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. A new batch of the compact Desert Eve series are just producing their first buds again.
Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana (very dark pink flowers) and Roman (pretty pale pink and now a few very tasty fruit), both have long flowering and fruiting seasons. Quality control in despatch means any ripe fruit is taken care of to prevent red juice contamination of the van!
Have a good one from all at Kirton Farm
Monday, 16 June 2014
Hairy Cider Sampling
Good morning all.
Very busy week, for a change. Lots of orders and young plants starting to arrive for next year’s output. In the back of my mind I always imagine a short break between this year’s sales and next year’s production when we can pause for breath. Unfortunately that gap doesn’t actually exist and we don’t really get a relaxing break in activity until the potting is more or less finished in September. Not complaining really, a good run in sales is always very welcome.
The ongoing label design is progressing nicely so we should have some test samples at the National Plant Show in a couple of weeks. As this will be our first trade show for a few years I was determined to be well organised and put aside last Sunday as my catalogue production day. All the computer preparation and updating was done and card, paper and string in stock, just the printing and weaving to do! Having got all the chores out of the way early I was relaxed and ready to roll. Print the first page and the printer stops. Spent a couple of hours trying to trick it into starting up again (the spare isn’t able to do double sided printing so was no use) without success. Sadly a relaxing Sunday turned into something else and my trust in all things IT evaporated again. I ordered the replacement consumables which came on Tuesday, meanwhile on Monday the printer started up again for Caroline’s computer followed by mine later in the day! Anyway most of the printing is now done so a bit of a relief there. Bit nervous about going to a new show, not quite sure what to expect and it’s a long way from home, especially after I’ve been confined here for so long.
I am actually getting to escape this afternoon for a 25th anniversary party at an old friend’s orchard. Home brew cider, live music and a hog roast as well as lots of happy faces, can’t wait. Good job there are no important football games on tonight. Back for Caroline’s dads Fathers Day lunch on Sunday should be a relaxing recovery day should any excesses occur the night before! See, there is more to life than playing with plants.
Availability
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner.
There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery and vigorous, at the top of their game.
Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong and shooty, and showing bud. V. bonariensis also available again.
New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing, and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Platycodon Blue is very strong this year with first buds appearing. A great, deep blue stunner. Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana).
Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left.
Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower and fruit now and looking great. Tuck in.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Very busy week, for a change. Lots of orders and young plants starting to arrive for next year’s output. In the back of my mind I always imagine a short break between this year’s sales and next year’s production when we can pause for breath. Unfortunately that gap doesn’t actually exist and we don’t really get a relaxing break in activity until the potting is more or less finished in September. Not complaining really, a good run in sales is always very welcome.
The ongoing label design is progressing nicely so we should have some test samples at the National Plant Show in a couple of weeks. As this will be our first trade show for a few years I was determined to be well organised and put aside last Sunday as my catalogue production day. All the computer preparation and updating was done and card, paper and string in stock, just the printing and weaving to do! Having got all the chores out of the way early I was relaxed and ready to roll. Print the first page and the printer stops. Spent a couple of hours trying to trick it into starting up again (the spare isn’t able to do double sided printing so was no use) without success. Sadly a relaxing Sunday turned into something else and my trust in all things IT evaporated again. I ordered the replacement consumables which came on Tuesday, meanwhile on Monday the printer started up again for Caroline’s computer followed by mine later in the day! Anyway most of the printing is now done so a bit of a relief there. Bit nervous about going to a new show, not quite sure what to expect and it’s a long way from home, especially after I’ve been confined here for so long.
I am actually getting to escape this afternoon for a 25th anniversary party at an old friend’s orchard. Home brew cider, live music and a hog roast as well as lots of happy faces, can’t wait. Good job there are no important football games on tonight. Back for Caroline’s dads Fathers Day lunch on Sunday should be a relaxing recovery day should any excesses occur the night before! See, there is more to life than playing with plants.
Availability
Verbascum Primrose Path, a stunning short yellow variety, has just started to show flower stems, a great plant.
A few new additions for this summer are a range of hardy fuchsia’s which are wonderfully bushy and budding up nicely now and there are a couple of new dahlia’s who’s dark foliage and bushy habit look great, flowering just around the corner.
There is also a small range of Agapanthus we are producing which are now showing strong growth.
Astilbe varieties are now showing beautiful colour, looking fresh bushy, feathery and vigorous, at the top of their game.
Coreopsis Sunray and Corey Yellow have plenty of bud nestling in fresh green foliage. The feathery foliage of Zagreb is also now supporting early buds.
Lots of Hemerocallis varieties are just beginning to bud up as summer approaches.
The shorter Verbena bonariensis Lollipop are strong and shooty, and showing bud. V. bonariensis also available again.
New Leucanthemum varieties to us (Lacrosse and Banana Creme) are showing their first signs of flowering, as are the pretty pale yellow Broadway Lights and white Snowcap.
The traditional Dianthus, the garden pinks, are also in bud, the new ‘Scent First’ (SF) series are compact and as the name suggests fantastically scented with some lovely colour combinations. Some of the slightly larger classic varieties Doris and Hayter White are also strongly in bud.
Catananche are coming into strong bud now, their delightful papery blue flowers just a moment away, although selling through fast. We have a batch of the pretty white form as well this year which are also in bud.
The more unusual Oxalis triangularis are up and displaying their vibrant purple foliage with the first pink flower buds appearing, and now the red buds of Iron Cross are poking through its two tone foliage too.
Another unusual plant is Limonium (Sea Lavender) is throwing up strong flower shoots above its rosettes of flat leaves.
Platycodon Blue is very strong this year with first buds appearing. A great, deep blue stunner. Summer campanula’s are in bud (carpatica blue, white and posharskyana).
Lythrums now starting to show colour on strong stems, although not many left.
Achillea Cerise Queen and Summer Pastels with plenty of bud and some colour. Edibles
We are having a play with a couple of new strawberry lines to us, Toscana and Roman, both with strongly coloured red/pink flowers and long flowering and fruiting seasons. They are just starting to flower and fruit now and looking great. Tuck in.
Have a good one, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
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