Gorgeous Gifts, Japanese Azaleas & Rhipper Indoors

KURUME AZALEAS
As the Kurume Azaleas arrived this week it reminded me how much I miss being able to travel. So I’m planting some Azaleas to feel the essence of Japanese at home. 
Kurume Azaleas are named after the town of Kurume which is situated on the Japanese island of Kyushu in southwest of Fukuoka Prefecture. With small rich green leaves and an abundance of flowers they offer an eye catching floral display during spring, and will also flower again throughout autumn and winter. 
In Japan you can see them in diverse settings between rocky mountain outcrops and clipped manicured gardens. They are extremely hardy and can tolerate full sun but water is the key to their success in the hot weather.
White and Scarlet Dragon are ideal for pots on shady patios or outdoor entertainment areas. They also do well in garden/borders or grouped together for mass colour displays as a flowering carpet underneath trees. Apply heavy mulch for summer.
As all Azaleas love acidic soil feed them with Camellia and Azalea fertiliser. 
HEIGHT 0.75M x WIDTH 1M

So grateful we were able to travel in 2019.  

Japanese flowers filled with  inspiration -Carolyn

INSTAGRAM  INSPIRATION 
Gorgeous week to watch the bees they’re loving our Philotheca ‘Flower Girl’ and lavenders, particularly the the deep Purple Javelin  variety

Assorted Mistletoe Cactus in White Cylinder Pot 

Rhipsalis are a group of cactus that have developed to survive in forests. Most varieties flower in spring and flower well after cool winters. Rhipsalis are super dry tolerant however keep watered throughout the growing season, fertilising when new growth appears in spring. 

The super sculptural foliage of these mistletoe cacti look great contrasted against this simple white cylinder pot. Position indoors or outside in the shade, the pot will look particularly impressive placed at a height allowing the leaves to trail down. 

Honey Sweet Corn
A highly recommended early variety
The cobs are large and a light golden colour, with a very sweet taste
Ideal eaten on the cob, picked just prior to cooking

Corn requires full sun and must have protection form strong winds otherwise you will have very floppy corn. 
Corn is best planted in a block style formation as this encourage better cross pollination, which mean more corn for you. Yay. The more you can plant the better, remembering to keep 40 - 50cm apart. 

Make sure you add lots of organic matter to the soil ie manures and compost, even add a bit of wetting agent to retain moisture. 

Heres a tip, pile up compost around the base of the stem, its called “hilling”, making mounds of compost about 15 – 20cm high will increase the amount and flavour of your sweet corn, and will also keep them upright.

Corn doesnt like to dry out, so keep the water up to them especially during windy days. But make sure you dont do over do it. 

When will it be ready? Two to three weeks after flowering, sweet corn is generally ready to be harvested. You’ll know when it’s flowering because the bloke flowers look like wheat. Sweet corn is good to go when the little tassely bits at the top of the cob are brown and shriveled, the husks are no longer glossy and the corn kernels ooze a milky sap when you jab it with your fingernail. You have a pretty small window of time in which to harvest corn, so when you reckon they are good to go, get harvesting and then get eating! Enjoy!

Water the Garden

with our great range of indoor and outdoor watering cans. Something for everyone from the basic performer to fancy finishes and animal cans for the kids

Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem'

A very hardy Australian native shrub, Wynyabbie Gems make a great ddition to any garden. They have greeny grey slim leaves that have a white underside. They produce beautiful light violet flowers throughout the year once mature.

They are useful for a hedging plant and can be cut back to the desired size. Westringa can tolerate dry soil and thrives in an open, sunny position. At a mature age, they can grow to approximately 1.5 x 1.5m.