I had a long list of supplies to buy. Fertilizer (my tropical fruit trees need a lot of it in our sandy soil). Organic insecticide - I got Organicide, made from sesame oil.
I really wanted a another condo mango tree, I had my mind set on either Mallika or Nam Doc Mai. This time, they only smallish mango's they had were Carrie, still too big for the space I have in mind.
 While looking through the mango trees, I noticed this beautiful red guava shrub for $13.99, so I decided to buy it. My wife wanted to know: "How many more guava trees can you plant", my reply, "How many more pairs of shoes or handbags do you possibly need" - I rest my case. |
 Then came the hard decision where to plant it. I decided to expand my very first border to the left as there is space to spare. So I removed the turf and used it to patch bare spots elsewhere in the garden. I planted the remaining gazania seedlings, some pineapples I had been growing all winter and the guava. |
I also bought some miniature crown of thorns in various colours for the border in front of the front window, the sanchezia's I had growing there really took a beating with our colder than normal winter and only the bare stems were remaining, so I pulled them out.
I didn't realize plants were so expensive there. Converted, small trees would probably go for about $5-8 here.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I will totally use your line. How many handbags indeed!
Hi Chris, the guava was very cheap, normally, fruiting trees at HD cost $26.50 in 1 gallon containers, $39 in 5 gallon containers, at the specialty fruit nursery here, they start at $35 for 1 gal, and go up to $75 for certain plants. Larger specimens can cost $100's. I wanted to buy a ready for fruiting jaboticaba and it would have cost $600!
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Nam Doc Mai, hope you find one. Where is the best place to buy fruit trees near you, Excalibur? I want to come down for the Mounts sale and would like to get some.
ReplyDeleteExcalibur is definitely THE place.
ReplyDeleteAnything you want. Close to Mounts Botanical garden also.
Quite a treat to go there. If you go when all the summer fruit is in season, you'll most likely be treated with tastings. Its always fun to hop on one of their golf carts with a guide and being driven to select your own tree.
Great bed and purchase!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It sounds like Pine Island, only closer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kimberley - the red guava, not only beautiful but useful too ! And I really like the pineapples when they grow large, they look so unusual.
ReplyDeleteThose are crazy expensive! I've never gotten anything for higher than $2. Or maybe that just makes me cheap'o. hehehe
ReplyDeleteI thought I was cheapo - hehehe
ReplyDeleteYeah, rare fruits is an expensive hobby here. I decided beforehand that I will spend money on trees that take a long time to bear, i.e. mango, lithi, persimmon, longan, starfruit, jaboticaba, pitomba etc.
The rest, I'm growing from seed. Even some of them will take a long time to bear, but I can't buy every single rare fruit I want, so I have to make a trade off. Right now, I have goji berry, magenta dragon fruit and yesterday and tomorrow and Dioon spinolosum seeds planted.
Just bought more seeds from tradewindsfruit.com
Muntingia calabura - Strawberry Tree
Red Malaysian Guava
Eugenia uvalha - Uvalha
Opuntia ficus-indica
All for less than the price of one shrub.
size123,
ReplyDeleteWhen is the sale at Mounts, I don't see anything on their calendar of events yet ?
The Mounts sale is April 24 and 25. I am already getting worked up, it is one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteWe're both cheap in our own way. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat's why I read your blog. It gives me ideas.