October 2006

Well I got the web site up and running. Just need to get everything sorted by Spring. Whether I will sell through the web site or just use it as an information source for customers only time will tell.

This year I sold more plants than I have ever done before. After my heart op in February I found myself with quite a lot of primroses and polyanthus in pots and with Sue doing the carrying we tried various sales. It was not an auspicious start. I could not believe that you can only have two plant stalls on the local market. Then the table top sale was a dead loss - there were more stall holders than customers. However one stall holder encouraged me to look on the Internet and I found Chirk airfield car boot. When I arrived it was amazing. They start at 5 am. and I have never seen anything so big. So I made a few successful mornings of it selling polyanthus, and went back in early summer with mainly Aquilegias. It still means that I have to have enough plants in flower to make it worthwhile to do a run down there.

Later in the summer we found out that Whitchurch Country Markets were looking for new growers and producers to join their co-operative which I duly did. I have sold quite a number of plants through this channel. I was told that they have discerning customers and my experience has borne this out, with Meconopsis and Polemoniums proving to be popular. I think I have found a niche market in the local area that is not being provided for by local nurseries. Selling through Whitchurch Country Markets means that I can sell a few items whenever they are available, rather than having to wait until I have a car load. It also means I can sell through the year.

So what is happening with my plants -

Polyanthus, primroses and polyanthus

I sowed next spring's crop of Barnhaven plants early in February. It was one of the few things I could do after coming out of hospital. They germinated well after the cold spell ended and after spring sales I reordered some of the more popular items. They have grown rapidly this year and were put into final pots at the end of August. It is now a regular job to pick off emerging flower shoots in order to maintain the maximum spring display. I have never seen the plants as big as this. I pot into 1 litre pots for polyanthus, which is larger than that used by most growers and some had to be crammed in. The Barnhaven Gold Lace in particular are looking superb and they  still have several months of growth to go.

I am already thinking of 2008's crop, I have to order early. I think I will get all of the separate colours in the Cowichans. I think I will also get some of the dwarf polyanthus such as Fireflies and possibly some of the other Victorian polyanthus in addition to Striped Victorians.

In primroses I am considering getting Osiered Amber by way of a change. From a different source I will also be looking to obtain a F1 Hybrid primrose called Rosie which produces tight little rosebud like double blooms.

Candelabra primulas were very popular. Several sowings from the previous year were late and so did not reach flowering, and marketable size this year. As a result next year I will have very large plants of Primula japonica 'Postford White'and Primula vialli. Both ideal for very damp conditions. In addition I have strong plants coming along of Primula pulverulenta, Primula japonica, Primula florindae and Primula capitata.

I will also be splitting up plants of my lovely pink.candelabra primula.

Meconopsis

These proved to be very popular, particularly the various blue poppies. I must stress that I tend to work on a longish cycle on these. I sow in autumn, overwinter the very small seedlings and pot up in spring when growth starts. They have to be kept cool at all times and I use a handmade compost loaded with grit. I find the commercial composts to be too warm for the seedlings, their roots have to be cool. Many of the plants I see for sale have been grown too quickly and have produced a single shoot which will die after flowering. My plants are multi shooted and have replacement shoots that will ensure, hopefully, the continued existence of the plant. The difficult part with Meconopsis is in the early stages, which is now as I write. The seedlings are very fickle about temperature requirements. Last winter I sowed late and as a result had to move the seedling pans in and out of the garage out of the frost. My perseverance paid off as I had a superb crop of plants. I still have several plants of the lovely Meconopsis regia and Meconopsis napaulensis available at present. They are as good as any that you will find. I have kept a few blue poppies, of M. betonicifolia and M. Lingholm. These together with M. napaulensis and M. regia will form the extension of the Meconopsis bed which is planned this winter - yet more lawn to disappear.

Aquilegias

These are coming along well. I will have plants of Aquilegia skinnerii and Aquilegia longissima again though this time they will be bigger plants in bigger pots. Added to the list for next year are Nora Barlow, Magpie, Perfumed Garden, 'Oranges and Lemons' and Songbird F1.

Dieramas

I am adding to my collection of these. I have strong seedlings of Dierama argeum, D. mossii and D. Spring Dancer. Next summer hopefully I will have plants of Dierama 'Snowbells'. I will certainly have divisions of Dierama igneum. This particular specie produced seed the previous year. As a result I have lots of seedlings that should reach maturity in 2008.

Other Plants

I will continue to grow Morina, which is expensive seed to buy, as well as Dicentra scandens which is a gorgeous bleeding heart that is climbing and also golden yellow. Bought in seed of Dicentra has not always been reliable and it can be a devil of a job to find the ripening seed pods.

I am giving serious consideration to growing new varieties of perennials that have been micropropogated. Echinaceas are in fashion at present and there were some outstanding varieties at Tatton this year, such as Art's Pride and Vintage Wine. At present I grow Echinacea purpurea and the white form which some have renamed 'White Swan'. The new varieties are much more colourful and larger...and why shouldn't Whitchurch get the new varieties?

I also have my eye on new varieties of Crocosmia and am intending to build up my collection of hardy geraniums. I had gone off geraniums , perhaps because of memories of a blue variety that only flowered once and Geranium endressii that had designs on invading the entire country. Recently I have acquired the lovely Ann Folkard and longed for what I persume to be Geranium pratense 'Phenum Violaceum'. Other exciting varieties I intend to buy are Geranium 'Sandrine' and Geranium 'pratense 'Summer Skies' that is a lovely blue and white double.

Of course such new varieties will come at a premium and I will have to make a big investment to acquire the plant material. Having seen the price lists I can understand why some nurserymen were asking £6.50 for Echinacea 'Art's Pride' last summer. What I did not like was the small size of the plants in tiny pots. It would of course be my intention to produce good sized plants in 2 litre pots.