New Purple Dragon Cyclamen For Easter! - Apr 17, 2025

Dear gardening friends
We are open all Easter Long Weekend from 9am till 4pm. We are opening especially on Good Friday and Easter Monday so please come and visit us.

It's going to be four days of beautiful gardening weather, so come make the most of it.

Some exciting news!!! We have a new release Cyclamen called "Elite Illusia". This is the Worlds first, single flowering Cyclamen. It's been bred by the same nursery who gave us the Cyclamen "Purple Dragon".

You must come and see both of these exciting new releases. We might be the only nursery in Sydney who has them for Easter. Our friends from South Australia have grown these plants for us.

Remember to grow your Cyclamen outside in the cold. They love the cold weather and they usually drop dead when you grow them inside in a heated room.

They actually thrive outside where they get morning sun and then shade. Pot them into bigger pots using Tim's Best Potting mix. If you buy a ceramic pot and a Cyclamen, we will do this for you, at no extra cost. Water once a week, and enjoy the flowers all autumn, winter and early spring.

It's hard not to look a little bit crazy when you're taking a selfie. But I noticed Ian has kept his composure. Ian and his wife Sharon own Plaza Book & Music Exchange in Campbelltown.

I've bought a few books from him recently, one of my followers told me I write like Hemingway, so I've bought one of his books and I loved it. He writes so simply, and talks about food and wine a lot.

But I think "I write like Hemingway" is a big call, yes we both use a pen, but Hemingway actually used a pencil.

Anyway it gave me a laugh and I've enjoyed reading his books and they are so small and easy to read.

So I picked up another one today for $4.40 and I can bring it back, and get $2.20 credit.

Ian doesn't know this, but I often watch him as I'm drinking my coffee in the morning. He takes his business very seriously and it fascinates me. I also listen to him talking to his customers about books that might interest them. How lucky are we to have Ian.

He told me his wife started the business in 1987.
Now Ian and his son Alex, works here too. I started my business around the same time, but I've only discovered books recently.

Plaza Books and Music Exchange is about to boom. Campbelltown Library is moving into the Arcade. I know that's controversial but Queen street needs an injection, this might help. The IQ of Queen street is about to double.

I'm a big fan of Queen street, I love the people it attracts, they are alive, and you could be sitting beside a millionaire, and you'd never know.

It's week 3 of our Potting mix trial. These Premium Australian Standards Potting mixes have been inconsistent. We've redone the trial because last time there were so many anomalies.

Tim's Best Potting mix is the only brand that has been consistently great, in all three trials. We are very proud of our potting mix and you should always get great results. It's worth the drive.

If you live in other states around Australia this will help you choose the best potting mix. The good news is you can grow vegetables in pots or simply grow them in the bags!!!!! Don't forget the drainage holes.

If you've bought the potting mixes that haven't been successful, then now you know why your plants didn't grow. You might not be a brown thumb after all. You've just bought the wrong brand.

Camellia Sasanquas are bursting into bloom. These old world shrubs have glossy green leaves and these beautiful flowers. They can be used for hedging, shrubbery or grow one in a big pot.

To make them grow faster build your gardens up with compost and cow manure to improve your soil. Raising them up makes them grow faster, it's simple. Mulch around the base with Sugar cane and water often.

Tip prune during the growing season. This tricks your Camellias into growing faster.

We have a great selection of Camellias in the nursery today. These could be grown successfully between houses in that shady/sunny spot. You'll look out onto green leaves and flowers instead of houses. How good is that?

I've discovered this one pot wonder recently, and I've cooked it using several meats and they all taste delicious. The vegetables cook at the same time as the meat, and it makes its own delicious sauce.

I use fresh Rosemary from the garden and home grown Garlic. The smell is amazing too.
It tastes so juicy!!!!!!

There's no recipe. It's just Lamb chops x 8 arranged so you make pockets for the vegetables. These are Cherry Tomatoes, Red Capsicum, Yellow Capsicum, Eggplant, Onion, Field Mushrooms, Garlic, Lemon juice, Soy sauce, Honey, Olive oil, Pink Salt, Pepper and Cappers.

It could be improved with Anchovies!!!!!!
Serve with Hummus or Greek Yogurt.
Cook at 180 until it browns.
Yum yum.

We are open every day over Easter 9am to 4pm. Make sure you come for a visit.

Happy gardening
Tim