It’s A Floral Fragrance Factory!!!

Dear Gardening
Do you have a wall or fence in a sunny spot where you might be able to grow a climbing rose? David Austin has released a new Climbing Rose into Australia called “James Galway”.

This Climbing Rose has huge petalicious roses that have a magnificent fragrance. Your blank wall could become a floral fragrance factory. This fast growing climber will cover 2-3ms of fence in a hurry. It will start to flower in late October and it will flower for 9 months.

To make your climbing rose grow faster dig Tim’s Cow manure into your soil. This will revitalise your soil, break down clay and attract worms into your garden. Organic fertilisers like Tim’s Cow manure make your plants so healthy, they are able to fight off pests and diseases.

We have 20 “James Galway” Climbing Rose bushes in our nursery today. We have a huge selection of David Austin Roses but they always sell out fast.
Zoom zoom.

I’ve driven past this house several times and I’ve noticed there’s always someone sitting out the front, overlooking this colourful garden. I stopped today and said hello. It’s interesting how you can start a conversation.
“I love your garden” got me started.

Well thank you Chris Masluk replied. It’s not looking that nice, it’s winter, I’m going through it at the moment, cleaning everything up, I’m starting at that end, and working my way down to here.

Chris has got out of her chair to talk to me, she’s got a friend here today. “This is my in-law, she’s staying with me at the moment because she’s had an operation and she can’t get up the steps at her place.”
Is she a good cook? I ask.

They both smile Chris tells me she is a good cook and Laura agrees, I’ve noticed that good gardeners are often good cooks.

Laura’s a bit suspicious about me just appearing and then she notices I’m taking notes. “So what do you do?” Well I work at a nursery, I reply. Yes says Chris this is Tim, you know I’m Karyn’s second cousin. She worked for you.

Chris tells me that she used to have a garden out the front but when they put the patio on the house it all got concreted, so she grows everything in pots. It’s a colourful garden, somethings look dead at the moment, but then spring comes and it all wakes up, so I don’t throw things away.

“I bought a Macarthur Rose from you and I absolutely love it, the flowers are huge, I love the red flowers and it has a perfume too, it’s not looking so good at the moment though.”

Do people tell you they love your garden? “All the time, they stop here and tell me how much they love it, it makes them happy, they say. I meet so many people because of this garden. When my husband was alive he’d tell them “it’s hers”. He sat out the front too.”

“I bought that tree off you, you know, it’s “Pink Cascade” I love the pretty pink flowers, it gets berries,it can be a bit messy, but a lady walks past here and she picks them and eats them, the birds love them too”

What’s with the Pink Floyd shirt? “I own about 5 of these, they are so comfortable I love wearing them”.
I’m going to prune that Rose for you, it’s still alive.

I had a friend coming over for dinner so I thought I’d make him a curry. I only had 15 minutes to prepare it because I was going to do the Park Run in Camden. I don’t run.

I’m a walker but I moved very fast to prepare this Curry. Let’s call it The Fast Curry!!!!

In the bottom of The Slow cooker I put Chuck steak 1.5kgs cut up into chunks. Dust with Plain Flour. Then add 1x Onion, 1x Celery stick, 1x Eggplant, 1x Leek, 1x Lemon, Handful of Dried Apricots, Handful of Sultanas, 2x handfuls of dry Chick peas. 3x Table spoons of Curry powder, 2x Chillies, 5x Tomatoes, 3x Anchovies. 1x Big Can of Tomatoes. Pink salt, Black pepper.

Cook all day on low. Then stir in Greek Yogurt until you like the colour. Serve with Dollop of Greek Yogurt and Cucumber and white or brown rice.

I’ve fallen in love with Chickpeas, they are chewy and amazing, they could replace the meat easily. I ate the Lemon skin and all. It was delicious. Of course you cut everything up.

I dropped an entire bulb of Garlic in.
I didn’t peel it, I’m very rough.
See comments for finished dish.

I get my Curry powder from Greenvalley Spices. This was the Malaysian curry. It’s not hot, the chillies give you the heat. This serves at least 6-8 people.

You’ll save so much money you can buy more plants. I added Woustershire sauce too.
Check spelling.

We were in Cairns this week and we travelled to The Atherton Tablelands. The famous “Curtain Fig Tree” lives here, it’s also called a Strangler Fig. I’ve heard a lot about this tree, it was mesmerising.

Like other Strangler Figs, it began life high in another tree, it sends roots down to the ground, and gradually envelopes its host. The spectacular “curtain” of aerial roots, hangs about 15 metres to the ground.

The Curtain Fig is estimated to be several hundred years old (our guide said 800 years) and is one of the most impressive examples of the Strangler Fig growth habit in Australia.

This tree reminded me of The Avatar Tree in the movie. It’s pretty incredible how it gets started.

1. A bird or other animal deposits a fig seed in a crack or branch of another tree.
2. The seed germinates as an epiphyte (a plant growing on another plant).
3. Roots grow downward toward the soil while the fig expands around the host tree.
4. Over many years, the fig’s roots and trunk can surround the host, competing for light, water, and nutrients.
5. The host tree may eventually die and decay, leaving a hollow center inside the fig.

Strangler figs are important in tropical ecosystems because their fruit feeds many animals year-round, making them a classic keystone species in many rainforests.

They are growing everywhere here in Cairns, you don’t have to travel far to find them, there’s a beauty in town.

Cairns is beautifully landscaped using Native trees from this part of the world and tropical trees from around the world.

Yesterday I found a Native Crepe Myrtle tree that they grow as street trees up here. I’ve bought one to plant in Campbelltown just to see how it grows. You’re going to love it. I’ve just flown back and I went straight to the nursery, to pot it up using Tim’s Best Potting mix.

Happy gardening
Tim