We are looking for noses! - Sep 18, 2015
Dear Gardening Friends,
We have been so busy this week. Spring is an amazing time of the year with people who only garden once a year all trying to plant something in their gardens now. This makes it difficult to cope at times with people ringing us from all over Sydney wanting gardening advice.
Once upon a time they would have got the advice from their last local nursery. The local nursery sent staff to TAFE to get trained in horticulture so eventually they became experts too. Today Chain stores have taken over the horticulture industry. They don't send anyone to TAFE so that's why we are getting so many phone calls.
I visited a local primary school this week to give advice about starting a vegetable garden. The school had already allocated an area and had made plans for compost bins and a chicken coop. What a great educational idea to teach kids how to garden.
Only problem was the area put aside was underneath a huge gum tree. On first glance I could see that even the weeds were struggling to grow in this area because of the root competition.
So many new gardeners make this mistake when planning a vegetable garden. The best place for your vegetable garden is where your grass is green! Green grass means the soil is moist and it must get plenty of sun.
Vegetables and herbs get their energy from the sun so it just makes sense to put your veggie garden in a sunny spot. Raised garden beds are great but just remember the higher the walls the more soil you will need and the more water the garden will need to keep the plants alive.
if you are buying bulk garden mix, vegetables won't grow in it unless you add fertiliser! Cow Manure is great. We like to add Planting Compost too. Planting Compost has a slow release fertiliser, seaweed, a wetting agent and compost. Dig it in and you are ready to plant.
I have fallen in love with Wisterias this week. It all started when I spotted a Chinese Wisteria growing on an old farm fence in Menangle. The boys groaned as I stopped the car to take a photo.
As I was walking back to the car I discovered a Secret Garden. I've been driving thru Menangle village for years but I have never noticed this amazing little garden. It was the flowering Clivias that caught my eye. I expected to see fairies. There was so much love in this garden.
Then while doing a delivery I spotted a Wisteria flowering at St ELMOS house in Broughton st Campbelltown. Bill Petsalis who owns this amazing house shops at our nursery so I got in touch with him to see if I could take some photos.
Bill and his wife have owned the house for about 20 years but it was actually built in 1890. Neil McLean bought the house in
1948 and planted the Wisterias soon after.
There are at least 3 Chinese Wisterias covered in perfumed blossom. What an amazing house. These have to be some of the best Wisterias in Australia and they are right here in Campbelltown!
You might remember that we had The Big Greek Tomato last year. Arthur Penoutsopolous from Kings Charcoal Chicken shop has been growing this Big Greek Tomato forever. It comes from his families farm in Greece. The Tomato is enormous and it has fewer seeds than traditional varieties.
Well we acquired one of Arthur's Big Greek Tomatoes a couple of years ago and we have collected the seeds. We have sown the seeds and grown them here at the nursery. They will be ready for sale in a couple of weeks. We sell the tomatoes for $4.50 and donate all the money to support The African AIDS Foundation in Camden. Save some room in your garden or grow it in a pot.
So much colour in the nursery this week. Our potted rose bushes are starting to flower too.
If you love perfumed rose bushes now is the best time to buy them. You can stiff test every rose before you buy!
Bring your nose.
Happy Gardening
Tim