Kiss me ketut! - Dec 20, 2012
Dear gardening friends
I hope you are surviving the last minute Christmas frenzy. I was up until 2am writing Christmas cards during the week. You know you are old when you’re still sending Christmas cards to friends.
I send 30 and get about 3 back so my return rate isn’t very good. My cards are notouriously rude so they often don’t even make the mantle piece.
Here at the nursery we are busy wrapping last minute Christmas presents. It seems every body leaves plants to the last minute because they think they may kill them before they get to give them away. It seems plants are like hand grenades.
We have beautiful NSW Christmas bush this year that are at least waist height and they are covered in bright red Christmas bells. If you suddenly realise you have forgotten to get someone a present then one of these will save you. They are are big plants and when we gift wrap them they look fantastic. They cost $29.99 less your garden club discount.
We have the last 30 fresh cut Christmas trees arriving today. I chucked a tantrum during the week at our supplier because the quality has been very up and down this year. Todays tree should be great.
This is our last delivery because we like to pack up the tent in the carpark before we close down for Christmas and Boxing day.
It’s very interesting watching people choose a tree. You can read their character.
Some people just grab the first tree(mainly blokes) while others walk around for ages examining every tree in detail.
Our tree at home looks and smells beautiful and it has now got a few presents around the base. The boys have been squeezing them trying to figure out what might be inside. If it’s Mangoes they are going to be very bruised.
I have been digging up new season potatoes this week. The leaves have gone brown so it’s time to start digging. I only dig up enough to eat because they stay fresher in the soil. Home grown potatoes are so firm and crumbly when you eat them. My tomatoes are starting to ripen now. I have been picking them just as they change colour from green to yellowish. I bring them inside and put them in a bowl near a window. They go bright red in a week and taste sensational. Fruit fly sting the fruit when it starts to go soft so I pick them before this happens. These tomatoes have been grown chemical free.
There is a bird in my garden that wears a suit and a pointy hat. It thinks it’s a bit special this bird. Perhaps it’s the fancy hat. Any way it has eaten all my blue berries and now it is eating holes in the side of my tomatoes. I am picking the Amish Paste tomatoes while they are still bright green. Perhaps someone has a name for this bird?
Took the boys to get a cold drink at Gloria Jeans in Campbelltown Central yesterday. I love this precinct with the lovely trees in all the streets. Outside the offices they have some raised garden beds that have been planted up with Frangipani. Around the base of these they have planted Chinese Star Jasmine as a ground cover. I love this glossy green plant and it has sweet smelling white flowers. It goes great with the Frangipani. Chinese Star Jasmine will grow in shade or full sun so it is very hardy.
Karyn’s Crepe Myrtle is flowering on the lawn outside our nursery. She only planted this about 3 years ago and it is a nice size already. This colour is called “Tuscarora” and it is one of my favourites.
The Wild Olive trees growing wild on the bank in my street are dropping all their leaves. You know it is getting dry when even the weeds are dropping leaves.
If this is happening at your place start watering.
That’s it this week; I hope you have a nice time over Christmas with family and friends. If you know someone who is going to be lonely invite them over.
We are closed on Christmas day and Boxing day so we can catch up with our families.
Thank you for your support this year and Merry Christmas from all of us at Tim’s.
Happy gardening
Tim