1. Pruning
Roses are the most well-known of plants that love a winter prune. Cut back about a third of the plant, starting at the top. Pruning deciduous fruit trees will allow sunlight into the centre of the tree, helping promote growth all over during spring. Cut the dead flowers off hydrangeas trimming to just above a pair of healthy buds. That’s next season’s bloom!
2. In the veggie patch
In all areas of Australia, early winter is perfect for planting members of the Brassica family. They include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli. Legumes like peas and snowpeas should also be planted now. If you love asparagus, plant crowns in winter. Leave them for the first year and you’ll be rewarded with tasty spears during the second season. With all winter veggie plantings, improve the soil first with loads of organic matter.
3. Add some colour!
Flowering colour isn’t just reserved for spring and summer! There’s a whole host of winter flowering plants that can help brighten up your garden and your day! Pansies, primulas, polyanthus and violets planted now will all add a splash of colour to your winter garden right through into spring.
4. Start a project
Winter is the perfect time to start a landscaping project or make improvements to your garden. The mild weather makes a bit of hard yakka a lot more comfortable than during the heat of summer. Build a garden bed, pave the courtyard or extend your deck. It’s all a lot easier during winter!
5. General maintenance
Pull out weeds from garden beds before they can spread over spring and keep them down with a fresh layer of mulch. The maximum depth of mulch should be around 5 centimetres and keep it away from the stems of your plants. Aerate your lawn with a garden fork and keep on top of lawn weeds too. The soil is softer now so they should be easier to remove. Keep an eye out for the first growth of Bindii and spray lawns when they first start to appear.
