plants in season - winter

CRIMSON CORDYLINES:

Providing sensational all year-round colour with its variegated leaf forms,

Red Sensation

and

Red Star

varieties are ideal for patio pots located in full sun/part shade locations. Just remember to protect from frost in colder climates.

EVERGREEN CREEPER:

Orange Trumpet Vine

(

Pyrostegia venusta

) puts on a display of bright orange flowers through the cooler months. It is a warm climate plant that needs to be shielded from cold conditions, so is not suitable for Melbourne.

FRAGRANT JASMINE:

Flowering in both sun and semi shade,

Jasmine

(

Jasminum

) is a vigorous scrambling vine that has exquisitely perfumed, starry pink/white flowers.

DELICIOUS FRUIT TREES:

Experience the joy of fresh, healthy, sun-ripened peaches, plums and pears from your own fruit tree. This is a great time of the year to check out a wide range of fruit-bearing varieties.

LOVELY LAVENDER:

Featuring an abundance of fragrant, violet-blue flower spikes, lavender is perfect for container growing but is equally at home in the open garden. The popular

Avonview Lavender

is a hardy variety that blooms for most of the year.

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES:

Start preparing a waterwise garden with an ornamental or native grass species. Plant now and you’ll only need minimal watering throughout spring and summer. Look out for

Lomandra Tanika

and

Dianella King Alfred

.

POTTED PANSIES:

One way to warm up your home this winter is with a colourful display of pansies. Preferring sunny, well-drained spots in the garden, pansies flower from autumn to early spring. They come in a great mix of colours and look lovely when arranged in pots or hanging baskets.

WINTER ACTION PLAN

1. Cut roses back hard and feed with cow manure and mulch
2. This is a good time to transplant shrubs or trees to another location in the garden
3. Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous and semi-deciduous trees
4. Prune deciduous summer fruit trees
5. Feed indoor plants with Seasol to reduce stress of cooler temps
6. Choose from the large variety of deciduous fruit and ornamental trees
7. Carry out general maintenance while ground is soft and penetrable
8. Sharpen gardening tools and service mower
9. Catch up on your favourite gardening books
10. Visit your local nursery for inspiring design ideas