Time to plant Christmas colour! - Nov 03, 2017
Pig art?
Dear gardening friends
Great news this week with the launch of a book all about Pig. Andrew Christie has written a book about the history of Pig and entered it in Fisher’s Ghost Art Award at Campbelltown Art Gallery.
Pig has always been one of those creative types so it was only a matter of time before he was recognised as “Art”.
You can buy the book at the gallery or at Tim’s Garden Centre for just $19.99.
All profits are going to AAF.
We hope to raise $2,000.
If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift, this could be it!
I was driving through Menangle this week on the way to work and I noticed that the Cape Chestnut Trees are covered in these amazing pink flowers. Menangle was once famous for The Rotolactor, now it’s famous for its spectacular street trees!
Cape Chestnuts or Calodendrum capense are tough, easy to grow trees, that seem to thrive in the Macarthur District. They look great planted near Jacarandas. The blue and the pink really pop. Menangle has some of Macarthur’s best Jacarandas on the Hill too.
We have Cape Chestnut trees in the nursery now, so if you’re looking for a nice rounded shade tree for summer, this could be it. In winter the leaves drop off to let the sun shine in.
Remember if you’re planting trees always buy a bag of IGC Planting Compost. Mix the Planting Compost with the existing soil and then fill the hole back in. Now you will have a mound of soil. Dig the hole in this to plant your tree and water at least twice weekly.
The Planting Compost has a wetting agent, a slow release fertiliser, seaweed and compost. Mulch around the base of your tree with Termite resistant mulch or Sugar Cane. This shades the soil from the heat and prevents up to 80% of the water from evaporating. Gardening is all about keeping water in the soil.
When you have trees growing around your house it will be cooler in summer. You will have more privacy and better mental health. Trees attract birds and nature too.
If you can see houses out your windows then you need more trees!
Another way to create privacy is to plant a hedge. I’ve got “Goodbye Neighbours” growing at my place and it screens out my neighbours. It also stops the cold winds from blowing through my property.
My Garden is so private I came home one day to find my family playing nude cricket!
Goodbye Neighbours has tiny green leaves like Buxus so it’s perfect for hedging. You can prune it to any height or width. Buy yourself a hedge trimmer. The more often you prune it the faster it grows. A lot of gardeners don’t prune their hedges because they want them to grow fast.
It actually works the opposite. The more you prune the faster plants grow!!!!
It’s like mowing your lawn.
Plant Goodbye Neighbours one metre apart. If your soil is no good, dig IGC Planting Compost into your soil. Mulch around the base and water at least twice weekly. This variety is resistant to psyllids. That’s very important. You don’t want to be a slave to chemicals. We have 3 sizes in the nursery from $26.00.
Citrus Stink Bugs of Bronze Orange Bugs are back in town. These stinky cockroach like insects suck nutrients out of you Citrus leaves, flowers and fruit. They squirt stinky stuff in your eyes if you disturb them. They are horrible. They can be green, brown, orange or black. Spray your tree with “Conquer” now. I like to spray just before dark so I don’t kill any bees!
There is still time to get your Garden looking great for Christmas. If you’re renting, use pots filled with Petunias. These flower for around 6 months and they look like Christmas bells. Grow them in baskets too. Colour makes your house look loved.
If you have to move, take your pots with you.
Happy gardening
Tim