We're all a bit disappointed to still be in lockdown but at least the weather is warming up and spending time outdoors and in the garden is even more enjoyable! Early spring is all about those first signs of new life as the blossom is followed by young leaves and more flowers. This is a great time to appreciate the natural world slowly waking up and getting going. Our plants and gardens will be going full speed before we know it!

Our new delivery of vintage and handmade treasures has arrived from India!

This vintage copper pot is handmade and full of character and charm. The hand-beaten finish means you can really see the work that goes into it. Great as a planter, extra storage or to add a point of interest wherever needed!

Our beautiful new range of Indian quilts are hand block printed with different but matching patterns on each side so changing up your decor is as simple as flipping your quilt!

Made from 100% cotton and fully machine washable. Available in single, queen and king sizes and matching pillowcases are also available.

Tony's Tips

September 2021

It’s spring! Finally! After a cold, wet winter, much of it in lockdown, it’s wonderful to see spring again. The blossom, the new golden-green foliage and the daily change in the environment makes everything feel a little better. The ability of plants to wake up and start growing in a very short period never ceases to amaze me. As a gardener, the trick is to take advantage of everything nature has to offer by pruning and feeding existing plants or planting new plants into such beneficial conditions that they have no choice but to prosper and grow!

This is the season to begin planting your new season vegetables, herbs and flowers, your trees, hedges and perennials into improved soil to facilitate maximum growth. In the nursery, we have started planting our Spreading Petunia hanging baskets and will soon be planting our Calibrachoa baskets. Spring is early this year and the plants are loving it and so should we! There is a lot of happiness in a garden or even in a pot or two on a balcony. Plant some happiness today.

Things to do:

• Cut out any lumps in your citrus tree stems to remove any citrus wasp larvae overwintering inside the tree. Feed with a high-potassium fertiliser to improve resistance and hang wasp traps to prevent re-infestation.
• Spray peach and nectarine trees with Kocide at least twice to prevent or break the cycle of peach leaf curl.
• Prune and feed winter-flowering shrubs such as natives, camellias, and daphne to shape and rejuvenate for the new growing period. Also prune salvias, hibiscus and plumbagos to promote new growth. Prune Oak Leaved Hydrangeas by a third and prune back Liriope muscari to about 5 cm.
• Feed all Cymbidium orchids, remove old flower stalks and pot up only if you have to, only to the next size up in orchid potting mix. My favourite (lazy) feed is a twice-yearly, liberal application of Osmocote.
• Feed lawns to help them recover from winter. Use a selective, broadleaf weedicide now to control weeds, including bindi, in your lawn.
• Dose blue hydrangeas with blueing agent now to ensure a strong colour.
• Feed gardenias every month of spring with Harry’s Gardenia Food.
• Plant early-fruiting varieties of tomato such as Sweetbite, Apollo, KY1, and Mighty Red into organically improved soil that hasn’t grown tomatoes for at least two years. Don’t feed plants until they are flowering well and already forming pea-sized fruit, then feed with a suitable fertiliser and dust regularly with Tomato Dust to protect plants from pests and diseases.

Plant of the Month

Lavender The Snow Princess

A new release for this month is Lavender The Snow Princess, the first really good white lavender with pure white winged flowers. Previous white lavenders have been found wanting but this one really performs. It grows up to 60 cm high and 80 cm wide, flowering from late winter through most of spring. The rules are the same as for all Lavenders; plant in a sunny, well-drained position and prune hard after flowering. This release completes the ‘Royal’ series of lavenders, which includes The Queen, The Princess, Ghostly Princess and Purple Reign.