Title image above is copyright © Rob

First published 20th October 2025

Hello everyone, again keeping to the format of previous newsletters:

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Item 1: Things of Beauty
The Azalea Collection is both a Thing of Beauty Item as well as the Wollongong Botanic Garden feature for this newsletter.

Unfortunately I missed peak flowering time by two or three weeks, but was still able to photograph some individual flowers holding up well:
The Wollongong Botanic Garden Azalea Collection

A second Thing of Beauty is a shout-out/plug for Farouk from Sydney’s YouTube Channel “Organic Grow”. His garden is his blessing and he sent me this video with his Sherwood jujube tree mentioned at the 1:12:00 mark. I asked if I could give him a plug and please find his channel here.

Item 2: Please Don’t Do These!
The running theme of these newsletters’ Item 2 has evolved into “different”, and today I’m going with two things that are different all right(!!):
Don't do This, Boys and Girls!
Don't do This Either, Boys and Girls!

Item 3: Plants of the Month Since Last Newsletter
Plant of the Month: September 2025
Paintbrush, Torch or Blood Lily (Scadoxus puniceus)
It takes four or five years for this species to flower, and what a show when it does! The flowers on the paintbrush lilies here are well past their prime and going to seed, but the beautiful wavy foliage will keep going strong until late summer.
Available here.

Plant of the Month: October 2025
Bonsai Starter: Green-leaf Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Aoyagi’ x) in 4.1 L Air-Pot Container
Grown by me from seed sown in 2021. The seeds were from an ‘Aoyagi’ cultivar and were given to me by a man with a Japanese maple collection to die for (thank you Chong!).
This tree will develop the most dense, fibrous root ball every bonsai needs in this Air-Pot container. Available here.

Item 4: Other New Blog Posts Since Last Newsletter
Spring is here and ’tis the season for Air-Pot containers!
Prickly-Leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca styphelioides) Bonsai in an Air-Pot Container
Using Decorative Pots With Air-Pot Containers — thank you Robyn for the post idea!
Ways to Stop Roots Going Through an Air-Pot Base — thank you Jonathon for your timely photos after the Don't do This, Boys and Girls! post went up!
Air-Pot Growth! — thank you Ross for the updates, and the before and after photos of your backyard makeover!

Item 5: Newly-Listed Items
The Air-Pot ® Prop-Pot and associated Combo Packs are back in stock.

Bonsai Starter: Green-leaf Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Aoyagi’ x) in 4.1 L Air-Pot Container available now

Potted jujube trees are already available and being picked up before I’ve had a chance to list them, but they will be listed here from this week. All very leafy and covered in flowers.

Thank you for reading! Please never hesitate to get in touch with any questions either as I am more than happy to help in any way I can.

Best regards,

Kristi Ellinopoullos