No matter what time of year it is there’s usually an alpine in flower. Whilst about the nursery this morning I noticed these two beauties waking up from their winter slumber.
Alpines lift your spirits…
Iris chrysographes Black Form
We took advantage of the better weather today to lift and divide our Iris chrysographes Black form plants. These are beautiful Iris plants with flowers of such a dark purple they’re very nearly black!
Even with the recent cold weather there were signs of fresh growth buds. We have put the pots into a cold frame to protect them whilst they settle in.
Behind the scenes…
Although we are not currently attending markets there is a lot going on in preparation for spring. From tidying up stock plants in our garden, vehicle maintenance, seed sowing, taking cuttings, lifting and dividing plants, potting up, the list is endless.
We are also booking events & markets for the coming season so if you know of an event or market that you think would be a good fit for us please let us know. We are actively updating our calendar. If you want to be kept updated with all the events we are attending you can subscribe to the calendar if you use Google Calendar, iCalendar (Apple), Outlook 365 or Outlook Live, there is a link on the bottom right hand side of the page. Unfortunately Ruskington Farmers Market and the Wednesday Saxilby Farmers Market are not going ahead this year but the Saturday Saxilby Farmers Market will continue on the 2nd Saturday of the month.
I have also been busy with my carpentry skills creating cold-frames to keep the worst of the winter wet off some of our potted plants. Alpines especially are susceptible to wet conditions which can be a problem when pot grown. They will tolerate almost any amount of cold but only if well drained. A cold frame or alpine house is essential if you are on heavy clay as we are…
Mint
We love mint here at Sturton Plants and stock many varieties. Our favourite use is mint tea using Moroccan Mint closely followed by Mint Sauce. What’s your favourite way to use mint? Any recipes to share?
It is widely agreed that mint can help digestion. Many people believe it has calming properties and promotes a good night’s sleep. We always finish every day with a cup of mint tea. In fact there are many herbal claims & uses for mint including cleansing the skin (it is mildly astringent), helping ease sore throats and peppermint is even claimed to keep insects away.
We’d love to hear your favourite use for any types of mint plant including lotions, cocktail recipes, recipes, etc and will publish the best on this site.
Whats in store…
This year we won’t be selling huge volumes as we build our range of plants and bulk up stock. We will be placing some items on Facebook marketplace and attending some local markets and boot fairs. Whilst the bones of the website are in place we still need to flesh it out. We will be adding more products, descriptions and suggested uses. We have some exciting plants and ideas so please do follow us on Facebook. Come and see us at the markets and car boots we will attend (see below or check Facebook for details).
We are always interested in unusual Alpine, rockery and herb plants. We may be interested in trading so why not let us know what you’ve got…
