Hydrangeas Make You Happy!

Dear gardening friends
Gabrielle just called in with her Grandson Ethan. He’s such a lovely boy, he’s driven all the way from Albion Park this morning because his Grandma has always wanted to come to Tim’s . Ethan promised to bring her, as soon as he finished his HSC. He finished yesterday.

I met them in the car park, Gabrielle had a very worried look on her face “How do you know it’s the best” were her first words. “I mean how do you know it’s the best, how come it’s the best, I don’t want to know what’s in it, I just want to know why?”

I assumed she was talking about our Tim’s Best Potting mix, she follows us on Facebook she told me. They have come on a quest today.

Gabrielle made me smile, I told her gardeners come from all over the state to buy our Tim’s Best Potting mix, if it wasn’t good, people would complain, but they don’t complain, they all say how wonderful it made their plants grow, and they come back for more, and they tell their friends.

It could be better because it’s made fresh every week for us, we sell so much, they have to keep making it, it’s not sitting on pallets for months in a warehouse, it gets delivered here in the same week it’s made.

That’s just part of the secret, it’s got a long term fertiliser that keeps your plants growing for 6 months. You can grow just about anything in it. Hard to grow Natives don’t like it, but just about everything else does.

It’s great for Blueberries and Azaleas, Roses and Citrus. You can grow vegetables and flowers, indoor plants, Cactus and Succulents. It really is fabulous.

Gabrielle loves gardening, she’s fanatical, she showed me photos of her beautiful garden, everything out the back is in pots. She knows all their names.

Ethan is applying for an Electrical Apprenticeship, if you’re looking for one, give this boy a job. He can talk, he’s engaging, he’s got his licence, he’s got a Ute.

Hydrangea season has arrived. They are such beautiful old world shrubs, and they are incredibly hardy if you get one thing right. They only like morning sun, so they have to be planted on the eastern side of your house.

When you get up early, the eastern side of your house, is where the sun shines in the morning. This is where they love to grow, you can try and bend the rules if you live closer to the city, where it’s cooler and shadier.

But here in the Western Suburbs, where it’s hotter and drier, it’s best to follow the rules, or you’ll have sad, burnt looking Hydrangeas.

Blueberries are one of the most popular fruiting plants to grow because the Blueberries are delicious but they are also easy to grow in a pot.

Yes I get asked all the time “Can I grow that plant in a pot?”. Well Blueberries grow beautifully in pots, using Tim’s Best Potting mix. You don’t need to add anything else.

If you give someone a plant they will remember you, long after you’re gone. I’m sure many of you will know this, you’ve probably got plants from love ones in your garden.

This Cactus was given to me by Don Gregory, he rang me up one day at the nursery and said I’ve got a plant here that I want to give you. “Can you call in next time you’re passing by?”

When I turned up he showed me this amazing Balloon Cactus that he must have had growing in a pot for 30 years. I told him I couldn’t take it, it was too beautiful.
But he was really serious, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He really wanted me to have it.

He was old Don Gregory, he was old for a long time, I think you’ll know what I mean, but he didn’t know he was old, he’d often tell me how he was still doing gardening for a few old people in Carrington Retirement Village.
“They like me to prune their Roses.”

I took his Cactus and I potted it up into this beautiful stone pot that we’d had in the nursery forever, it was the perfect shape for Don’s beautiful big Cactus. It grew bigger overnight.

I took about 20 pups off the sides and potted them up, we sold them here at the nursery for $15.00. I gave Don $300 the following Christmas, he couldn’t believe it. He would often call in for a cup of tea.

Eventually he couldn’t drive, so I’d drop him off Potting mix. He loved to grow things in pots. Don owned Camden Garden Centre in the 80s. It was opposite Southwells. I used to call on him, when I worked for Swanes nursery.

I smiled when I saw Don’s Cactus flowering this afternoon, I thought about Don and his kindness.

I don’t just love trees because they are beautiful, l love them because they provide shade. I always try and park my car in the shade, I know where the shady parking spots are. I’m willing to walk much further from my destination, to park in the shade too. Sometimes this upsets my family.

Today I’m parking under a Chinese Tallow tree, I’m going to see my Chiropractor and he’s in Lithgow street Campbelltown. Josh looks after my tired worn out body, so I can still work.

I had to wait for the Dog Wash guy to move his car and trailer, to get this spot. It made me happy, it felt cooler as soon as I backed into this parking spot. Isn’t that amazing, you feel the cool pass through your body.

When I came back to my car it felt cooler. I’m sitting here writing this story, because my car feels cool.

But not all streets have street trees, you’d think it would be a Council priority. But they don’t have the funds or the manpower to make it happen.

If I had my way I’d let the homeowner plant their own street trees. They could choose their favourite tree from Councils website of Preferred Street Trees. Council could show them how to plant a tree, and where to plant it, on their website.

You could choose to help save the environment and plant your own trees. You’d be more likely to water it, because you paid for it, and it’s the tree you like. It might be an Olive tree.

Every year more trees get removed, than what gets planted. The tree canopy around Australia, that keeps us cooler, is shrinking. I find that frightening. The Government needs to step in and allow homeowners to plant shade trees on nature strips. Or we need to just start planting our own street trees, that’s what I’ve done.

POSITION VACANT, POSITION VACANT!!!
We have a horticulturist position vacant at Tim’s Garden Centre. One of our long term staff members is retiring after over 30 years service. This is sad news, but it’s also great news for someone wanting to join us.

If you’re a Qualified Horticulturist or someone already training to become a Horticulturist, we may have a job for you. You might be working at another nursery, and you’re looking for a change.

You can send your resume and your story to office@timsgardencentre.com.au

Blueberries grow about 1.5ms high eventually, so grow your Blueberry in a large pot, one that holds at least 2x bags of Tim’s Best Potting Mix.

They grow beautifully in the sun, they will grow even better if they if they get protection from the late afternoon sun.

If you read the label there will be all sorts of nonsense about adding pine bark etc etc to the potting mix. We just use Tim’s Best Potting mix here when we pot them up and they grow beautifully. We’ve got a couple here that are 20 years old.

Blueberries are in short supply, I’ve had to search Australia to find these. We have two varieties, nice plants from $21.99.
Happy gardening
Tim