From little things big things grow! - Oct 06, 2008
A mate of mine since school can only be described as a non gardener. He could quite happily live on the moon as long as he as he could take his lounge,television,coke and chocolate. His wife is even less enthusiastic about gardening having killed every indoor plant I have given them as gifts over the years.
They built a new house on the central coast about 5 years ago and it's still a horticultural blank canvas. I gave them a Frangipani as a house warming present and it sat in the pot for 2 years!
About 2 months ago they came to visit and I gave their son Luke, who is 12, a strawberry plant and a Mandarin tree to take home. I was thinking at the time if gardening is hereditary these plants are in big trouble. To my surprise the plants got planted that weekend and I have had numerous phone calls since from my mate who is now asking gardening questions. The father and son team have now constructed a vegetable garden where they are growing Tomatoes ,Carrots, Corn and Potatoes. I have had 5 phone calls alone on how much the potatoes have grown in such a short period of time.My mate and his son are now visiting garden centres on the weekends to look at plants.
I think Paul Kelly wrote a song with the words "from little things big things grow" perhaps I should give every child in Macarthur a strawberry plant.
Tim Pickles is a horticulturist and director of Tim's Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022