Grow Cucumbers today!!! - Oct 21, 2022
I turn 90 next month!
Dear gardening friends
I caught up with Thomas yesterday
He lives in Bradbury. Every spring he orders bags of Garden Mix, Cow manure and Tim's Best Potting mix to top up his vegetable gardens. He helped me carry the bags out the back, even though I said no mate, I'll be right.
He's sprightly.
I found out that he's 89 years old. "I turn 90 next month".
His garden is neat and tidy.
All his vegetable gardens are in cages, to protect them from the birds. I huge Fig tree takes pride of place in the middle of his lawn. It's got a net over it too.
Thomas is old school.
He likes to grow things you can eat.
But I noticed the last time I came he had this beautiful Euphorbia milii flowering in a pot. Yesterday I noticed that it had even more flowers.
Thomas told me it's his wife's.
It's thriving under the roof of his patio. He told me he puts it outside in the rain. It must be getting heaps of water at the moment.
Euphorbias originally came from Madagascar, but they have been adopted by gardeners all around the world.
Thai people especially love them, they believe they bring good luck, and fortune.
They are super hardy succulents, that flower all year round. They flower even more in the warmer months.
I asked Thomas if I could take a photo of the beautiful plant. He was happy. He has other colours too, but they aren't as big as this beauty.
This variety is called "Siam Sensation". He probably bought it from us about 5 years ago.
I'm a collector of these fabulous plants and we sell a range of colours here.
We've recently noticed, that gardeners like them even more when they get this size, so we are potting them on, into bigger pots.
We've discovered they love growing in our Tim's Best Potting Mix. They get much bigger leaves, and produce more flowers.
These plants are sometimes called "Crown of thorns". Yes they do have thorns, and they have a white sap like Frangipanis.
We've noticed the foliage and flowers help cover the thorns when the plants are thriving like Thomas's plant. It's all about finding the right spot. Come see our selection, they are looking fabulous right now.
It's time to plant Cucumbers. They are so easy to grow it ridiculous. You either like the big long ones which are called Continental Cucumbers or the smaller ones, which are Lebanese Cucumbers. I like the smaller ones, they are just so sweet.
You don't have to own a vegetable garden to grow Cucumbers. Any patch of soil will do, in a sunny spot, or grow them in a pot.
If you choose the patch option improve the soil with a bag of Tim's Cow Manure first.
It's back in stock today.
Dig up the soil so it's nice and soft.
Plant your Cucumber seedlings 45cms apart. They are a ground covering plant.
They can even be grown on trellis.
Water well and mulch with Sugar cane.
They will start to fruit in 6 weeks and produce 50+ Cucumbers all summer long.
You don't need lettuce when you've got cucumbers. Simply cut up, drizzle with olive oil and add pink salt. Mix with Tomatoes for more zing. It's so simple, yum yum.
I love observing people.
I said hello to this guy an hour ago.
Do you need any help mate, what are you looking for?
"I'm looking for the bored husbands chair" he replied.
We've got one you know.
"Yes I've seen it but it looks uncomfortable."
He's reading labels in the tree bed.
You should plant a tree. It will make you feel good. I offered.
"I'm just here supporting my wife, she's the gardener, I just plant them."
An hour later he's still here looking at labels and looking at plants like he loves them. He's carrying a basket now full of plants.
He sits it on the bored husbands chair!!!!
For someone who doesn't like gardening he's showing a lot of interest.
"I think your turning into a gardener mate".
He smiles. He's already a gardener, he just doesn't know it.
Gardening sneaks up on you. You start off with the lawn, then you plant a few things, you notice how much better it looks, and you're hooked.
He wasn't really looking for the bored husbands chair. He's here to look at plants.
He made me smile.
Rose of the day!!!
Rose "Just Joey" just has to be in everyone's top 5 roses. It has enormous fragrant flowers that are perfect for picking.
It's a winner!
This always sells out first.
We have shrub or standards.
They are looking fabulous right now.
All our roses have burst into bloom.
Bring your noses for a holiday.
It's heavenly rose fragrance time here.
Hayden and I went to the nursery market day during the week. It's here we find all those unusual plants. We found a few newbies this week. We found a brand new plant called Senecio "Angel Wings". It's so new, they don't even have a label for it.
This newbie is a collectors plant dream. It's a succulent type plant that has the most amazing foliage. It has soft to touch grey foliage. It's fury!!!! It's like a puppy.
It was found growing in Argentina. The Japanese found it and bred this spectacular form, now it's going around the world.
Senecio "Angel Wings" is super tough. It can grow in sun or part shade. The grower says it does better if it doesn't get the late afternoon sun. It can even be grown as an indoor plant.
It would need bright light.
It grows up to one metre high.
It does get white flowers, but only when it feels like it.
It looks amazing in pots.
Use our Tim's Best Potting mix and you will be amazed how big the leaves grow.
This super rare plant should cost a bomb but it's only $32. We've only got 15 left.
Zoom zoom.
Our nursery is looking fabulous.
Come for a visit.
It will make you feel good.
Happy gardening
Tim