Anzac Day - Apr 24, 2014
Dear Gardening Friends,
We will be closed tomorrow. It’s Anzac Day so come and see us on Saturday. Retail Nurseries have always been allowed to open on Anzac Day but we have decided to close out of respect for the diggers. If you are looking for Rosemary to wear on your lapel tomorrow there are some great plants growing in the main street of Camden. A little prune won’t hurt them.
If you want to grow your own Rosemary plant come and see us. I have grown mine in a big terracotta pot and it looks sensational. Simon has Gallipoli Rosemary which was sourced originally from Anzac Cove.
In 1915 a wounded digger from Adelaide was repatriated to the Army Hospital at Keswick. He had brought back with him a small rosemary bush dug up from the slopes and ravines of Anzac Cove and it was planted in the hospitals grounds. Cuttings from this plant were taken over many years and eventually some were given to the nursery industry. Rosemary loves a hot dry position in your garden. If you grow it in a pot then it needs to be watered often.
We have had great gardening weather over the Easter period so I hope you found time to get out and plant something.
I dug up my vegetable garden yesterday in the hot sun. I finally got sick of the pumpkin vine that had taken over.
I have dug up the soil and turned it over and also added several bags of cow manure. Cow manure and other organic products make the soil turn acid so you need to correct this by adding a handful of garden lime for every square metre. I have covered the soil with sugar cane and now I am ready to plant.There is still plenty of time to grow winter vegetables like Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale, Brussel sprouts, Peas, Carrots, and Onions etc etc. Winter is the easiest season to grow vegetables so give it a try.
Last year I grew Garlic and it was very successful. If you haven’t grown garlic yet why don’t you give it a try? Garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow and home grown tastes so much better than the Chinese imported stuff you are buying in the shops. It takes months for this stuff to arrive in Australia and it is dehydrated by the time you get it.
To grow garlic you will need to prepare your soil first. If you don’t have a vegetable garden then grow it in a big pot. We have Australian grown garlic cloves here at the nursery next week.
Divide the garlic clove up into separate scales. You can get around 10 scales from each clove. Plant each scale roots down about 20mms below the soil about 20 cms apart.
They will pop out of the ground within days and be ready to harvest at Christmas time. When the leaves turn yellow pull them out of the soil. Shake off excess soil, tie the foliage together then hang them up to dry. You are already starting to look like an Italian. The cloves will last for at least 12 months in a paper bag. Fresh garlic has a stronger flavour, tastes better and lasts longer!
Deciduous trees are starting to drop leaves around Macarthur. If the leaves come from our trees then we are very forgiving, but if they come from the neighbour’s tree then it can start world war 3. How quickly we forget that those same leaves kept our house and garden so much cooler during the summer months. One of my favourite trees, The Manchurian Pear is colouring up beautifully in my garden. I love how the coloured leaves fall on the lawn. Remember these leaves put organic matter back into the soil. Organic matter is what holds the water in your soil.
One of the most colourful autumn foliaged plants are ornamental grape vines. These have gone out of fashion in recent years but I saw a couple of beauties growing in Cooma during the week.
This fast growing non fruiting vine will cover your pergola in one season. In autumn the leaves turn bright red then they fall to allow the sunshine in to warm your house. If you don’t have room for a tree in your garden then this fast growing vine could be your shade solution. The leaves can also be eaten during spring and summer.
Mark the Magpie has moved into our nursery. You will often see this feathered resident having a bath in one of our bird baths. It’s nice to see nature in your garden. Recent studies have found the more species you attract into your garden then the better your mental health will be. Not sure what will happen to our kids because they are almost always inside the house playing computer games.
Karyn is busy today planting up our flower gardens. It takes her several weeks to do the winter planting because she only works in the garden on Thursdays. If you love our garden let Karyn know if she serves you at the counter. It’s her labour of love that we all get to enjoy.
Ryan has found us a great deal on Tibouchinas this week. Ryan used to work at Swanes Nursery and they have grown too many Tibouchinas this year. We got them at a bargain price so we have passed this on to you. Advanced plants covered in buds and starting to flower cost just $14.99. You will get your Club Discount off this price too. Come and see us if you love these purple flowering shrubs. We have Tibouchina Alstonville and the dwarf growing variety called “Jules”.
Pig has been visited by the Royals this week. They brought little Georgie out just to meet him. Little Georgie and Pig almost looked related!
Pig jumped on The Western Sydney Wanderers band wagon this week. He has been watching all the A League Soccer this season.
He is actually very good friends with Del Piero, but he is heading home to Italy so pig has found a new team.
If you need help in the garden come and see us.
Happy gardening
Tim