Get $5.00 off your Crepe Myrtle “Lipan” - Feb 24, 2023
Macca's are pulling out the spiky plants!
Dear gardening friends
Geoff Randall just called in.
He's been coming here for 35 years.
We know each other so well, he finishes my sentences.
Are you working today mate.
"Yes Tim, but I'm not doing much these days."
Are you still mowing lawns?
"A few, but I'm mainly doing gardens these days, I look after six."
How many days do you work?
"I work 6 days from 7am till 2pm.
It gets too hot in summer."
What did you do before gardening?
"Well I was a Painter, Sign Writer and Decorator by trade, but I wore out my wrists. In those days we used huge brushes, I got a job after that, as a yard boy, at Pioneer Concreting, and ended up running the place.
They sent me to all sorts of courses, and one day a mate of mine said "why don't we do a gardening course at Granville TAFE instead?"
I did the course and loved it, I grew up in Bathurst on a farm, so I've always loved growing things.
"My wife got sick, so I left work.
She died 16 years ago, I've done gardening ever since. I'm 79, I'm only on one pill a day."
It's not Viagra is it?
He bursts out laughing, I've made his day. "No it's not Viagra".
Geoff is a sweet man, he's brought us Clivias over the years, which he finds popping up in gardens, we donated the last lot to Hayden's daughter's, Primary school. Geoff is always up for a chat.
He told me he doesn't want anymore work, he's thinking about retiring.
He won't retire. He loves his gardens too much.
He was very reluctant about getting his photo taken. Stand over here mate. God you're handsome.
He smiles.
He goes back to work.
Pest alert gardeners!!!!!!!
If you have a Lillypilly hedge, then it's time to check it for White Wax Scale insects.
At this time of year, they are tiny, and soft to touch, but if you don't treat now, they grow bigger, and get a hard shell, that makes them almost impossible to control.
We sprayed our neighbours hedge, to stop the nymphs from getting on our plants in the nursery. We sprayed with Searles Conguard late in the afternoon, when the bees have stopped working.
You could also spray with Pestoil, but you must make contact with the insect. It's best to spray at least twice.
If you don't spray, the scale grow bigger and attach themselves to stems where they over winter.
They suck the nutrients out of your plants and excrete honeydew which attracts ants and Sooty mould.
Scale insects thrive during hot humid weather. Check your plants for ants.
If ants are walking up the stems then your plants have Scale. Ants don't walk up trees for exercise.
Check your plants today.
Other plants which are susceptible to Scale insects include Citrus, Roses, Lillypilly, Cycads, Birdsnest fern, Camellia's and Gardenias to name a few.
Wouldn't it be nice, if you supported me, since I'm giving you all this wonderful gardening advice.
Have you seen these two Crepe Myrtles flowering next door to Campbelltown Library?
It's an Indian Summer variety called "Lipan". We have an oversupply of this spectacular flowering variety, so we are taking $5.00 off until Sunday avo.
You'll get a beautiful big tree for $29.99.
This powdery mildew resistant variety flowers non stop for 100 days.
It grows 6ms high by 4 metres wide.
Prune your tree like these beauties, so they don't take up too much room.
They will grow tall enough to give you privacy from the neighbours. Perfect street tree too, if you can't wait for Council to plant one. It's on their street tree list.
It's $5.00 off "Lipan" Crepe Myrtle only.
We have heaps. Just remind our cashier.
P.S The Council gardener who looks after Koshigaya Park and Campbelltown Library precinct does a fabulous job. He has underpruned all the street and Park trees and they look amazing. Prune the lower branches off your trees too and you'll be amazed how much better they look and you get more room in the garden.
Maccas are pulling out The Yuccas, it could signal, the end of the spiky plant era.
Bunnings loved this era.
They could load up pallets full of Cordyines and Yuccas, and put them out the front, at discounted prices.
There was no such thing as too many spiky plants in your garden, and growers bought out more colourful leaf varieties, so you could start a collection.
You didn't have to water them very often, and they looked great, but then they just kept on growing. They got taller than the house, the trunks grew like trees, and it turned into a nightmare.
Maccas Woodbine has spent thousands of dollars getting them dug out, the leaves are so sharp, they cut through gloves.
I can't wait to see what's coming next. Maccas follow trends. In Kenny Taggs day they had clipped hedges of Buxus, Golden Abelia and Nandinas. The Nandinas are still there.
I didn't like the Spiky plant era.
They often got planted, where shade trees should have been planted.
We need more shade trees around these new housing estates. We need more shade.
Summer Veggie Gardens are coming to an end. Pull everything out now and put it in your compost bin. Dig the soil over then cover your soil with Tim's Cow Manure and Tim's Chicken Manure. Yes if you add both you will grow the most amazing vegetables through autumn and winter. Dig it in then cover with fresh Sugar cane. Water well and let your garden rest for a couple of weeks.
Nice to see some cooler weather this week.
Autumn starts next week, it's my favourite time of the year. Goodbye summer!!!!
Happy gardening
Tim