What’s The Most Fragrant Rose? - Jun 21, 2025
Dear gardening friends
This truck turned up full of dead sticks yesterday. Well that's what customers call them. Flemings grow most of the deciduous trees that are sold all around Australia. They deliver them bare rooted and that's why they look like dead sticks.
When the truck driver opened the back door my staff groaned. The driver starts passing out the bare rooted trees, the roots are covered in mud, so are we. We soon look like we've been mud wrestling.
The trees get sorted, fruit trees, spring blossom trees, Weeping maples etc. Then it's time to start potting up.
Tylor's back to help us, he's now being called Harry Potter because he pots trees so quickly and he can talk non stop while he's doing it.
Josh takes the trees in on trolleys and expertly arranges them by varieties. It's dwarf Peach and Nectarines first then Apples and Cherries. It's all dwarf varieties now, because gardeners have such small gardens or they grow them in pots.
I'm pruning the roots and the branches of every tree, and making sure they have the best chance of survival. We are using Tim's Best Potting mix, so they are being spoilt this year.
It's important that they get potted quickly before the roots dry out. They are watered daily once potted so the soil is kept moist. The trees might be dormant but the roots keep growing.
It's an exciting time because now the nursery looks full again with 1500 Rose bushes and hundreds of fruit and spring blossom trees. We have a system, every plant potted, gets our love.
Tylor's still talking, I've just discovered he's got two phones, "I get so busy" he tells me, I need two phones. I haven't heard them ring once mate?
He laughs, potting up plants brings us all together, stories get told, we find out more about each other.
I booked my car in for a service in Blacktown, it was jumping like a kangaroo, so my mechanic told me I had Carburettor problems. I'm a mechanics dream.
I bought a car once and the salesperson wanted to know if I wanted to look at the engine? Does it have one? I asked him.
Yes was his reply, that's great I said.
So I dropped my car off at the Carbi guys workshop, come back in a hour he said, so I started walking. I came across this beautiful rose bush growing outside a beautiful vintage looking house.
It's a Just Joey Rose, it had the most amazing display of apricot, highly perfumed flowers. I reached over and gave one a big sniff. It's a very unusual thing to do for a man, you nervously look around. It's a bit like hugging someone's tree.
The perfume was incredible, it made me close my eyes. The flowers were huge too with a rippled petal. So much to love about this rose and disease free too.
I went back to the mechanic, my car took off like a V8. I actually drove back to tell him how much I loved him. My car had never gone like this before. My Kangaroo days were over, no more chipped teeth.
I've never understood David Austin Roses but last year I went to Berry on a day trip, I may have been going to get Donuts, I'm not saying.
But it was a busy day in Berry, the sun was out, and it seemed like everyone was dreaming about Donuts that day. I had to park a long way from the Main Street, I don't mind walking, you see things.
As I came around the corner, I discovered an amazing Rose garden. It was in a retirement village, the houses had all been built to look old, they matched the residents.
This rose garden was spectacular, it was full of David Austin Rose bushes, you could smell them, it looked like a David Austin Catalogue. I was expecting to see David, perhaps he's moved to Berry, he might love Donuts?
A guy came out of the house, he wasn't that old, he might have been younger than me, he had a Rose Spray bottle in his hand, it might have been Yates Rose Shield?
"I love your garden, mate". He looked like he was about to spray me, but he didn't. He smiled.
That garden has made me buy David Austin Roses this season, we have so many, it's worth a drive, I'm expecting the guy from Berry, I hope he brings donuts.
I'm having great success growing Cauliflowers. One of my customers told me the only flower he grows is a Cauliflower, he may have inspired me.
When you get your soil right you can grow anything. Success isn't an accident. I always dig Tim's Cow manure into my garden at every change of season. I add a handful of Garden Lime per m2. Then dress the soil with Tim's 'FAST FOOD'.
I cover the soil with Sugarcane and this helps stop the weeds growing.
Now everything grows!
I've discovered a great Cauliflower and Chicken Curry stir fry, that will help me consume so many Cauliflowers.
I also tasted a great Cauliflower soup that a friend once made for me. I can still taste that soup. It's in my head.
New gardeners often think that when they buy Premium Garden Mix everything will grow. Premium Garden mix has almost no nutrients or fertiliser. It's made from recycled Greenwaste and that's why you find broken glass and plastic.
Premium Garden Mix is like Premium Potting mixes. They are Premium by name only. Add the Tim's Cow Manure and Tim's FAST FOOD to make your plants grow.
You still have time to grow Winter Vegetables.
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Garlic, Silverbeet, Broccoli, Lettuce, Carrots, Onions and Peas. Gardening in winter is easier.
Zoom zoom.
The Red Scarfs are back!!!!!! I've had the Scarf factory in full production this week, it was freezing. Come get one, $10.00, bargain.
Happy gardening
Tim