Tree Farm
Ten years ago landscape designer, Michael Pfahl and horticulturist, Ronan O’Connor had problems finding large trees suitable for the landscaping projects they were working on, so they decided to grow their own. Today their nursery, Treekeepers Nursery in Bowral, New South Wales, stocks over 10,000 trees ranging in age from 2-35 years old. The number of different species grown varies from 100 to 200, and includes favourites such as liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua), holly (Ilex aquifolium), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and blue spruce (Picea glauca). Ronan particularly likes the autumn colour of the swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum), a water-loving tree from the swamps of North America which does very well planted around Australian dams.
Treekeepers is a traditional nursery in the European sense, because the trees are field grown (grown in the ground) as opposed to container grown. Mick and Ronan use an organic approach to tree farming. They usually find that drastic pest and disease control methods are not necessary, and in most cases good plant husbandry is all that is needed.
As well as growing, supplying and planting nursery trees, Treekeepers also specialises in moving mature trees.
Further information
Treekeepers Nursery, Oxley Hill Road, Bowral, NSW. Phone: (02) 4861 1349. Hours: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-3pm (other times by appointment).