The Martians Have Landed - Oct 16, 2015
Dear Gardening Friends,
I was dropping the boys off at school this morning and I noticed these round yellow rings on the lawn. One could easily be forgiven for thinking it could be Martians?
But in reality this is caused by a fungal pathogen called Dollar Spot. If you get up early you will notice a fine spider like webbing. The lawn turns yellow and then dies. If left untreated it soon spreads. It is easy to control with an application of a suitable fungicide so come and see us if the Martians have landed at your place too!
I did a story about the beautiful White trunked Eucalyptus citriodora growing in Mawson park in Campbelltown. One steamy morning I could smell this amazing lemon scent as I walked through the park. These Lemon Scented Gums are spectacular trees that should be planted more often in our parks and larger gardens.
I was surprised by the negative comments on our facebook page. People complaining how dangerous trees are and how the roots get in pipes. I am horrified how 'tree phobic' people have become; in reality more people get injured falling down stairs than by falling branches, but we don't think twice about planting a set of stairs in our house!
A tree squashing a car makes for great television and it also sells more insurance policies. You wouldn't plant a Eucalyptus citrodora in a small suburban garden but we do have smaller growing grafted gums that have perfect manners. Someone has to plant trees so that someone should be you.
My big cactus came into flower this week and I've always wanted to show you my big cactus. I bought this off an old guy about 35 years ago. He was going into a retirement village and just wanted someone to care for his cactus. Plants often out live their owners.
Not sure if my boys will be fighting over this one in the will but I love it! If you love it too, I have 10 free cutting to give away. Simply plant them in a pot using tongs and enjoy?
The Butterfly Tree has burst into bloom in Mawson park. We propagated about 50 of these and gave them away a couple of years ago, so we should see more flowering around the Macarthur District in years to come.
It has leaves that look like giant butterfly's and these spectacular purple flowers. Kids can grow their own tree from the black beans that hang from the tree. Get your kids to discover the magic of growing seeds!
Bottlebrush are looking amazing in parks and gardens around Macarthur. These fast growing native plants always flower best after a wet winter. You have to love those bright red flowers! We have several varieties suitable for smaller gardens. Come and see.
Warning: People think that native plants don't need to be watered. They are drought tolerant once established but they absolutely drop dead faster than exotics if you don't water them every day for the first month or so!
Christmas is only just around the corner so you will need to plant some colour in your garden now if you want it to look good when the relatives arrive. We have so many colourful plants that will add that splash of colour. Come and just walk through our nursery.
The roses are still looking sensational. We have so much free perfume wafting through the nursery at the moment. It's the best we have ever smelt! Bring your nose down for a treat if you love roses.
Arthur's Big Greek tomato has been a sales sensation. We have had so many Greek men with big moustaches in the nursery this week all wanting to buy Arthur's famous tomato. We've had a few women in too so don't be intimidated. The moustache is optional !
Pig won Bathurst last week in a VW beetle that didn't even have a steering wheel!
Is there anything this pig can't do?
He is promoting The 24 hour fight for cancer fund raiser this weekend. Thanks to everyone who bought a ticket in the raffle.
Happy Gardening
Tim