How to grow Giant Broccoli? - Mar 17, 2023
Dear gardening friends
I'm still not sure how I grew Broccoli this big, or why I looked so fabulous, wearing this red scarf. But I did.
It's time to grow Broccoli now.
I'm digging up my garden today and getting the soil ready for planting. Soil preparation is the most important thing.
I'm digging Chicken manure and Tim's Cow Manure into the soil with a shovel. I'll remove any Curl Grubs I find. Then I will dress the soil with Tim's FAST FOOD Fertiliser.
I'll cover the soil with fresh Sugar Cane Mulch and water well. I'll let it rest for a week or so, before planting my winter vegetables.
Seedlings you can plant now include Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, Beetroot, Peas, Celery, Lettuce, Silverbeet, Spinach, Onions, Kale.
Grow Carrots and Radish from seeds. Get gardening, it's autumn.
We are celebrating Garden Releaf this Sunday, and I'm giving a talk about how to grow Winter Vegetables at 10am. It's free.
Bring a chair.
I'll talk about Autumn Gardening jobs, that need doing now. I'll talk about some exciting new plants too.
Gardening helps heal mental health problems, so come and have a listen, then walk around our nursery. It will make you feel good. We will have a laugh.
I'll tell a few stories.
10am start, I'll finish when someone nods off. It could be me. You can ask gardening questions too.
Cheers Tim
Allen Gao drove all the way from Hurstville to buy a Bougainvillea. How did you find us?
"I found you on google, you're in the top 10 Nurseries in NSW."
Top 10 mate? we should be in the top 3.
He laughs of course.
He wants to take my photo. He must have heard about my big Broccoli.
No mate, let's do a selfie together.
He laughs. But we do it.
Allen tells me he's not a gardener, but he's got over 300 pots. He collects Bougainvilleas.
He's got 50 in pots.
"No drinking, no smoking, I just really like flowers" Allen tells me. It would be hard for him to prove, that's he's not a gardener.
I tell him we've got 60 bougainvillea coming this week, his eyes light up. Yes we get them from a collector up north. Allen's after one called "Limberlost beauty".
He shows me a photo.
I rattle off a few others that are worth collecting, he's got them all of course.
I've made his day getting my photo taken with him. I might have found a friend. I'm happy to get my photo taken with you too!
The photo of the Bougainvillea growing in the pot isn't one of Allen's. It belonged to Dr Benson from Ingleburn. He invited me down to see his amazing garden about 5 years ago. He died not long after.
He was a passionate gardener.
This Bougainvillea was at least 20 years old.
It was spectacular!!!!!
Our delivery of Bougainvilleas have arrived.
We've got the dwarf varieties that are perfect for pots or smaller gardens.
They cost just $22.99.
Come see our selection.
As I drive past Koshigaya Park in Campbelltown, I see these guys playing Volley ball. They seem like they play every afternoon, but I learnt today it's at least three afternoons a week. It turns out they have been playing together for 30 years!!!!
They start laughing when they tell me this, it hasn't always been here. They have played in Bradbury Park too, but they like it here the best.
They are all friends with Afghani backgrounds. Some of them own businesses in Campbelltown.
Safi owns the Chicken shop in Campbelltown mall.
They have formed teams, but it chops and changes, and no, they don't want anyone else joining them, they are far too competitive.
They are all laughing while they are telling me this. They have been waiting for one of the players, to get off his phone. The games at a critical point, so they don't really want me disturbing them, but one of them has recognised me.
My son used to play soccer against his boy. He wants to know if he still plays for The Tigers. Yes he does. "My boy plays golf now."
He tells me.
I get them in for a photo. You wouldn't believe how hard that was to do. They are a smiling bunch these Afghanis. Isn't this great.
I love that they get together.
They keep fit, and they look after each other too. They move around a bit so they don't wear out the grass. They made me laugh too.
This story was done in 33 seconds. That's how seriously they take their Volley ball.
I went to Hong Kong about 10 years ago I I walked through a park like Koshigaya, and it was full of seniors, all dancing, playing shuttle cock, singing, doing yoga, and just sitting talking to each other. It was amazing.
Gardens really do make you feel good.
Don't forget the free garden talk this Sunday at 10am. Put your chair in your car now.
Happy gardening
Tim