Tim's gone Daisy crazy! - Oct 14, 2011
Dear gardening friends
We have had great gardening weather and spring is going to extend into summer if it doesn't warm up soon. I have noticed my tomato seedlings are just sitting their doing nothing. Tomatoes love hot weather so until we get that they are going to sulk.
My lettuce and beetroot seedlings have taken off so they must love this cooler weather. If you are thinking about starting a vegetable garden go to our web site www.timsgardencentre.com.au and click on How to make a vegetable garden.
Karyn has been busy in our garden at work cutting back all the Dianthus. These perennials flower all spring and into summer and the flowers have this amazing perfume. They flower in flushes then the flowers die so unless you cut them back they can look ugly. These Dianthus have grey foliage so they grow best in the hot sun in well drained soil. This is a good thing to remember when purchasing any plants with grey foliage. Lavenders, Gazanias, Grevilleas etc grow best in hot dry positions.
If you ever watched the Adams Family you might remember Mortisha had a fascination for black flowers. She also used to cut the flowers off her roses because she just loved the thorns. Well Mortisha would be very excited about a new plant that has just been released. Petunia Black Velvet has black flowers, it is the first black flowering petunia ever released. They do look very arty and you can plant them in your garden or in hanging baskets or pots. They only grow 30cms x 30cms. The flowers are huge so they really do put on a show. We can gift wrap one for you if you need a flowering plant for a friend. They will be a real talking point.
Every spring I fall in love with African Daisies. These almost weed like plants with black eyes hug the ground and put on a real floral show. They keep changing the botanical name of these easy to grow plants but we just call them African Daisies. Because they are so easy to grow plant breeders are bringing out new varieties for us to enjoy. The latest one is called Osteospermum Voltage. It has bright green leaves and bright yellow flowers. A splash of yellow in your garden makes your garden look happy. Voltage only grows 40cms high so it can be grown in pots too. African Daisies thrive in those hot dry spots that are sometimes hard to fill. Come and have a look at these new plants.
I have noticed Aphids on the new growth of rose bushes where ever I go. These insects such the nutrients out of your plants and make them really look sick. They also spoil the flowers so you need to spray them. Luckily Aphids are easy to control using Pestoil or Eco oil. It is also time to spray your rose bushes to control black spot. We have had great success using Yates Rose Spray. It seems to control almost every pest and disease that a rose can get.
We finally have Cera Traps back in stock. These new release Fruit Fly Traps control male and female fruit fly. Simply hang the trap on the northern side of your fruit tree about 1.5 metres above the ground. The farmers use them in Spain and they don't have to use dangerous chemicals on the fruit any more. This is great news for gardeners who want to eat chemical free fruit.
Cera Traps cost around $25.00 and they should last the fruiting season. They have been selling like hot cakes so come and get one.
Monika's wedding was a success with no rain and cloudy skies so the photos will look fantastic. Wish her all the best next time you are in.
I have lots of gardening jobs to do so I have to get back to work.
Happy gardening
Tim