Time to harvest Garlic - Nov 10, 2017
Orchids make great gifts!
My newsletter is a little bit late. Camden Garden Club came to look at my garden today. 75 members turned up with a chair under their arm, and then they sat in the shade of my trees and listened to my stories for a while, before wondering thru the Garden. My Garden is very private to me. I have a huge hedge that runs across the front and down both sides of the property. It’s a thick screen so nobody can see in.
My garden is a private space where I love to escape. The club members were probably expecting to find garden beds full of flowers, but they found trees and foliage colour instead. They seemed to enjoy it.
I am falling in love with Jacaranda trees again. It happens every November.
I have four growing in my garden at home but the best place to admire Jacarandas is in Camden. The Main Street looks spectacular this week. I walked up Hill Street yesterday and looked down over the town from up near the church. These little houses either have a Jacaranda out the front or out the back. These trees are work, because they do drop leaves and flowers, but when you see how beautiful they make this town look, the extra work is worth it. We still have Dan’s Jacarandas at the nursery from just $5.00.
I love it when interesting people turn up at the nursery. Gurnoor Singh delivered our Tim’s Best Potting Mix this week and he had such an interesting face I was dying to take his photo.
I had just put Pig out the front of the nursery with a fake moustache for Movember and then Gurnoor turns up.
I asked Gurnoor if he would mind if I took his photo because his moustache and beard just looked so great. “No worries” he said.
Gurnoor comes from Punjab in India and he has been in Australia for 2 years. He spoke beautiful English with a hint of American, although he has never been there.
He is a Sikh so he will never shave or cut any of his hair. The more hair you have, he said, the more respect you get. When he was 18 he couldn’t grow hair and he was jealous of his brother and father. He is 24 now.
They don’t shave any hair because they want to return to heaven the way they arrived, untouched. “ We don’t alter ourselves” he said.
He had a smiling face and a gentle nature. I love nature he said, and growing things. I usually drive a tipper but it’s too wet at the moment so I’m doing deliveries instead.
I might never see you again I said.
Ring my boss and tell him to send me all the time he said. I’ve loved coming out here in the country. It makes me feel better he said. I would love to come out here more often.
Gurnoor told me that Sikhs love nature and they don’t drop rubbish. Everything has to be tidy and clean he said. I might be a Sikh?
Gurnoor laughed. It’s going to take me a long time to grow a moustache!
I harvested my home grown Garlic this week. The leaves were turning yellow and the Garlic was starting to rot in the ground so it was time to dig them up. I planted the Garlic scales in June. Each scale grows into a Garlic Clove. So easy to grow.
I washed the soil off the roots and now I will hang it up in the garage to dry. It’s ready to eat now and it will last up to 12 months in a dark cupboard. The taste is amazing. You don’t realise just how dehydrated store bought Garlic is. Home grown is full of juice and it has so much flavour!!!!!!!
Next June we will remind you when it’s time to plant Garlic. Please excuse my Garlic breath.
We have an over supply of Arthur’s Big Greek Tomatoes so we need your help. We grow this enormous fruiting tomato plant every year to raise money for The African AIDS Foundation in Camden. Plants cost just $5.00 and all money raised goes to AAF. The tomatoes can weigh up to 1kg!!!
They are all flesh, with fewer seeds, so that’s why they taste so delicious. Plant one now in your garden or in a big pot and it will fruit into autumn. It’s a winner!!!!
I took a Phalaenopsis Orchid home about 8 weeks ago for my wife and it hasn’t stopped flowering. I’ve got mine on the kitchen bench near the window and it’s loving the bright light. The purple flowers look amazing. They come in a beautiful white ceramic pot that really makes the plants pop!
They only cost $35.99 and they flower for months and months. I lift the plant out of the pot to water it once a week. I give it a good soak then leave it on the sink to drain. Then I pop it back in the ceramic pot.
With Christmas coming up these make fantastic floral gifts. We will even gift wrap them for you for free. Come check them out. We have about 50 to choose from.
Pig’s new book, is out, and it’s selling like hots cakes. My mum bought 3 copies!!!!
I might be getting one for Christmas?
It will make you laugh. If you know someone who loves pig, then buy them one for Christmas. The book costs $19.99 and all profits are going to AAF.
The Garden club members today all fell in love with my Smoke Bush tree. This unusual small tree has burgundy foliage and these smoke like, flowers. It’s a real collectors plant. We have found a few this week from a rare plant nursery in the Southern Highlands. Come and check them out. They are cheap at just $24.99.
We’ve got people asking about cut Christmas trees already. Yes we’ve got them coming the first weekend in December. Our cut Christmas trees are famous.
It’s great to see Macarthur turning green with the recent rain and I’m sure your garden is starting to look amazing again.
You can fertilise your lawn and garden now without the risk of damaging your plants.
Come and see us for our Tim’s Rapid Results Lawn Food. It will make your grass look amazing on Christmas Day. It’s only $24.99. Mow your lawn first then apply.
We have beautiful Blueberry plants covered in fruit and flowers. These make fun gifts for friends leading up to Christmas. The fruit will be ripe within days so they are great value. Grow it in a pot using Tim’s Best Potting Mix for best results.
Come and see us this weekend if you need help in the Garden.
Happy gardening
Tim