YOUR BEST GARDENING YEAR EVER Follow our season-by-season guide

With a bit of effort, you can enjoy an abundance of colour and fragrance in your garden

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Your BEST GARDENING

YEAR EVER

WHETHER DREAMING UP A BACKYARD MAKEOVER OR REVAMPING AN EXISTING GARDEN, PREPARATION IS KEY. FOLLOW THIS SEASON-BY-SEASON GUIDE AND GET GROWING WITH CONFIDENCE

Welcome to a new gardening year! Kick it off with a few projects and finally achieve that perfect outdoor oasis you’ve always dreamed of. The secret to success is to have a plan, so we’ve asked the experts for strategies for each season to ensure this year is the year for your garden.

Summer

Planning

While summer isn’t the best season for planting projects, it’s a great time to plan for the year ahead. Sue Edwards of Seasol suggests looking at your space, the time you want to spend in it and the purpose it serves for you and your family. Make a wish list, which might include a vegie patch, a scented garden, entertaining areas, paths, a lawn, a water feature or an irrigation system.

Also consider how you can improve existing features – do you need to cut back an overgrown tree, or does the lawn need a weed treatment? “Starting with a plan will help you determine what needs to be done, which products need to be purchased and a suitable time frame,” explains Sue.

Horticulturist Chloe Foster (@fosteryourgarden) suggests observing your garden before embarking on major works. “Watch how sunlight moves through the garden and see where rain runs and pools,” she says. Understanding your garden’s microclimate helps ensure you’re working with it, rather than against it.

You can still plant summer vegies in the heat, but take precautions to protect them from the hot conditions

Care and maintenance

If summer’s rapid growth has taken over, you’ll need to get rid of weeds and debris to better understand the lay of the land. Hand pull weeds or use an organic weedkiller for large areas. Secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw may come in handy, too, for tackling overgrown shrubs and trees.

SHOP

Seasol seaweed health tonic concentrate, $22.95/2.4L, I/N: 2962112

Eco-Organic Garden ‘Slasher’ organic weedkiller concentrate, $31.75/1L, I/N: 2962229

Pope 7.5m soaker hose, $14.81, I/N: 3123300

Fiskars ‘P321’ solid bypass pruner, $24.95, I/N: 0241661

Fiskars aluminium weeder, $10.95, I/N: 3360133 Coolaroo 3.66m wide 50% shade cloth in White, $27.40/linear m, I/N: 3300400 Eggplant

Tomatoes

Zucchini

What to plant

Take care with what you plant in high summer – plants need more water and care to become established in hot conditions. Those you could plant now include summer vegies such as beans, chillies, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, pumpkin and zucchini. Consider erecting shade cloths to reduce heat stress and apply a fortnightly dose of seaweed solution to promote healthy roots. Always water deeply, as this encourages the roots to grow deeper into the soil, which in turn helps plants better withstand hot, dry periods.

Autumn

Planning

Now is the time to plan and plant your cold-season vegies. If you’re starting a new patch, consider the availability of light and access to water. Most vegetables need six hours of sunlight, but leafy greens like lettuce and kale can get by with four to six hours. Edible plants also need a regular supply of water, so it’s ideal to have a tap close by. Alternatively, invest in a retractable hose or install an irrigation system to make watering easier.

“Working with the seasons instead of against them makes gardening easier and gives you results. It can also save you time and disappointment”

Sue Edwards, Seasol Murraya

This season brings muted autumnal colours and an opportunity to take stock of your garden

Care and maintenance

Add compost, aged manure or pelletised fertiliser before planting, and spread a layer of mulch to help conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds. Also regularly check on your plants. “A weekly stocktake allows you to see what’s going on and if there are any problems that need fixing,” says Sue.

SHOP

Manutec Garden Care soil pH test kit, $27.42, I/N: 3016727

Oreco ‘Sweet Garden’ organic sugar cane mulch, $16.94/26sqm, I/N: 2961137 (not available in WA)

Holman 15m portable hose reel, $33.60,

Pope ‘Vari Arc’ I/N: 3121100 watering kit, $59,

I/N: 0372583 Seasol ‘Super’ compost, $8.17/25L, I/N: 0274164

Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered. Turf

Daffodils

What to plant

This season is the perfect time for planting evergreen shrubs or trees, or transplanting existing ones, says Chloe. It’s a great time to lay turf or repair bare patches, too. “The soil is still warm, and plants can establish better without the stresses of extreme weather,” she says. Before you plant, check how much sun and shade the area gets and choose species accordingly. If you love flowers, now’s the time to plant spring bulbs in garden beds or pots. Try daffodils, jonquils, tulips, hyacinths, ranunculus, anemones or freesias.

Winter

Planning

The cold season is a good time to start or continue to chip away at larger projects such as constructing a garden path, creating an outdoor cooking or entertainment area, or installing a shed, but aim to focus on just one at a time so the jobs don’t languish unfinished. Start by assessing the scope of the project, then contact relevant tradespeople and suppliers to gain as much knowledge as you can to understand what’s involved. Source all the materials that will be needed, including paint colours and finishes, to ensure the project is ready to go. But if it’s beyond you, don’t be afraid to outsource.

Save larger jobs, such as installing outside structures, for the cooler weather

Care and maintenance

Winter, when growth slows right down, provides the perfect opportunity to get a few jobs done. Now’s the time to hard prune deciduous trees and shrubs, cutting them back to a manageable size. Deciduous shrubs and fruit trees can also be treated for pests and diseases; for example, leaf curl on stone fruit, powdery mildew on roses or scale on citrus.

Lemons

Roses

Cabbage

What to plant

Deciduous trees and shrubs, like roses and fruit trees, can be planted now – find them as bare-rooted stock in stores. Unless you live in a warm, frost-free zone, avoid planting evergreen species, as they could succumb to frost damage. Wait until early spring, or when the chance of last frost has gone, before planting.

Hortico insect and disease control spray for roses and flowers, $6.96/750ml, I/N: 2960034

SHOP

Fiskars ‘PowerGearX’ UPX82 tree pruner, $169, I/N: 3350853

Stilla ‘Windsor’ 2.3m x 1.84m x 1.32m cedar shed, $1,742, I/N: 3316920† Yates lime sulphur concentrate, $17.58/500ml, I/N: 2962741

Tuscan Path 600mm x 600mm x 20mm porcelain paver in Sand, $32.04, I/N: 0129320

Ryobi AC 2300W 16" (40cm) chainsaw, $172, I/N: 0082939

Saxon telescopic bypass lopper, $19.99, I/N: 0232278. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Parsley

Lilac

Take advantage of the warmer weather and get your vegies in the ground in spring May bush

Spring Planning

This is the season of warmth and renewed hope! Longer days also mean more opportunity to spend time outside in the garden, so in many ways, spring is really the first season of the gardening year. Everywhere you look, in gardens big and small, plants are bursting into life again – spring-flowering shrubs like murraya, may bush and lilac are covered with masses of blooms. It’s a time of year when gardeners are spoilt for choice with planting options – from delicious vegies, herbs and citrus trees to fabulous flowers and lush lawns. For inspiration, take a stroll around your neighbourhood and see what plants other people are growing and make a note of any that might work well in your own garden.

Care and maintenance

“The garden bursts into spring growth, so help plants along by feeding with a granular or liquid fertiliser,” says Sue Edwards. Refresh tired lawns by aerating, dethatching, top dressing and finishing with a good feed. Keep an eye out for insect pests like caterpillars, scale and aphids and, if necessary, control them with an organic spray.

SHOP

Saxon mini greenhouse with seed tray, $11.98, I/N: 2960182

Trojan all steel spiked aerator, $30.55, I/N: 0131548

Scotts Lawn Builder ‘Tough’ custom grass seed, $17.98/1kg, I/N: 0335723

Munns Professional ‘Buffalo Booster’ lawn fertiliser, $24.39/5kg, I/N: 0049346

Yates ‘Nature’s Way’ ready to use citrus

and ornamental

spray, $14.53/750ml, I/N: 2962024 Seasol lawn top dress mix, $8.17/25L, I/N: 0274165. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

What to plant

Vegetables, fruit, and herbs grow well when planted in spring, as do many flowering annuals and perennials. In cool and warm temperate zones, get a head start on summer vegies by sowing seeds in a warm spot indoors. This allows time to improve beds and, when the weather warms up, the seedlings will be ready to plant. Lay turf or sow lawn seed in spring – prepare the ground by weeding, grading, levelling and adding underlay.

Keep in mind…

n Wear gloves, long sleeves and a mask when handling potting mix, mulch and compost, and when pruning. n Take care when selecting your plants as some can be poisonous to children and pets, and store all garden chemicals out of their reach. n After applying fertiliser around edible plants, delay harvesting for a few days and rinse well before cooking and eating. n Check with your local authority if watering restrictions apply in your area, and adjust irrigation timer settings to suit. n If using products to deal with pests, diseases or weeds, always read the label, follow the instructions carefully and wear suitable protective equipment.