Fresh Cut Xmas Trees this weekend - Dec 04, 2014
Dear Gardening Friends,
What a difference a week makes. We had plants dieing from thirst last week and now they are wearing gum boots trying to get out of the mud.
The rain couldn’t have come at a better time. It is just what our gardens needed to get us over the festive season. If your garden needs some colour for Christmas come and see us.
Our potted NSW Christmas bush is looking sensational. We have a new variety called Red Red Red Christmas. The bracts are redder and bigger than traditional varieties.
If you have never had success growing it in the ground then try one in a big pot. We have had great success using Native Potting Mix.
I visited Dr Peter Benson last week. Peter had a Dentist practice in Liverpool for many years so you may know him. He owns a 3 acre garden in Ingleburn.
He actually grew up on the property so he had many interesting stories to tell. Peter had invited me to come and have a look at his Ponytail Palm.
It was planted in the 1960s and it had the biggest bulb I had ever seen. I got my boys to climb it just so you could get an idea about how big this palm is.
Some of you will have a Ponytail palm in a pot on your veranda or perhaps you have planted one in your garden too.
Peters would have been at least 5 metres high and the bulb was at least 2 metres across.
His garden was full of established trees and he had pot plants everywhere.
He had a Bougainvillea that had probably been in the same pot for at least 50 years!
Bougainvilleas are vigorous climbing plants but Peter had pruned his into a giant shrub. It was covered in flowers and looked sensational.
My boys loved exploring Peters garden and my son Dan said “We have to make our garden look like this”.
On Sunday I was exploring Macarthur Park on Menangle Rd in Camden.
There was a beautiful Jacaranda tree flowering in the park and someone had set up tables with fancy table cloths and beautiful cakes were every where.
It looked like a film set for a 1950s movie. I didn’t get invited to that party!
This Jacaranda tree is at least 30 years old so it got me thinking that you could easily plant one of these in a suburban garden.
While I was in Camden I noticed Illawarra Flame trees were in flower in some of the older gardens.
These are often planted near Jacaranda trees because they flower at the same time and look so good together.
Brachychitons are one of the hardiest trees on the planet. I love the seed pods too!
New season Frangipanis have arrived and we even have the rare red flowering variety called “Darwin Blood”.
This seems to have become a real collector’s plant so we expect to sell out of them fast.
Nice plants cost $19.99. We have at least 10 colours to choose from including a yellow and white double flowering variety called “Bali Whirl”.
Frangipani can be grown in big pots so if you ever move homes you can take them with you. Frangipani makes a nice potted Christmas gift.
We have been inundated with requests for Sun jewels.
These succulent ground covers produce the most amazing bright coloured flowers throughout the warmer months.
They are great in pots and hanging baskets and come in an assortment of colours. If you have a pot in the full sun where everything you plant dies then try one of these.
Apparently Maltese people eat the foliage in salads but I have never been that hungry to try.
If you love Gardenias come and see our potted Gardenia Florida. It has been in this pot for 25 years and it must have at least 100 fragrant blooms right now.
Gardenias grow best in a morning sun position. If they get the afternoon sun the buds turn brown and often just drop off.
We have grown our Gardenia Florida in Tims Best Potting Mix with great results.
We repotted it last year around this time of year.
Fresh Cut Christmas Trees are available daily at Tims Garden Centre from this weekend.
If you want your house to smell like Christmas then you really must have a fresh Cut Christmas Tree.
The trees are delivered early in the morning and then displayed in our Christmas tree shade house in the car park.
On Saturdays and Sundays we have a forest of Christmas trees on the front lawn too. Bring your kids down to find the perfect shaped tree.
Trees cost $59.99. Christmas tree stands are available too. We supply you with a Christmas Tree Care Leaflet so your tree will still look fresh on Christmas Day.
Pig always gets nervous at this time of year. Ham season can be dangerous when you’re a pig!
I hope your garden is looking sensational after all this beautiful rain.
Happy Gardening
Tim