Care for a cold weather garden and be rewarded with a fabulous spring bloom

THERE’S plenty to enjoy in outdoor spaces even as the temperatures drop, writes Mercedes Maguire.

Planting out - Stock Image

Bears may hibernate in winter, but gardens certainly do not.

Many mistakenly think winter is a time to abandon your outdoor areas to the elements, but in fact the opposite is true. Winter is a busy time in your garden as you protect it from the cold winter elements and prepare it for a fabulous spring bloom.

Director and principal designer at Landart Landscapes, Matt Leacy, goes one step further.

“Think of your garden during winter as going through a pre-training diet so it’s in tiptop shape for kick-off at the start of the footy season,” Matt says.

Winter flowering succulents are a great addition to this garden by Landart Landscapes.

Consider planting veggies like broad beans, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower this winter. Picture: iStock

While his footy analogy is a little sharp, it makes perfect sense. Horticulturalists agree winter is the time to get your garden in good shape and protect it from the elements so it can really burst come spring.

“A common mistake people make is to think there is nothing happening in their garden during winter and that they should stay away,” Matt says. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Winter is the time you should do all the things you haven’t had time to do during summer so when spring comes, your garden will look great. If you wait till spring to get your garden going, it may be too late.”

Tiered lawns like this one designed by Harrinon’s Landscaping need care throughout colder months.

WINTER WORKOUT

May is a great month to clear, aerate, mulch and fertilise your lawns to protect them through winter and keep them looking great.

1 Lawns may be quite messy due to deciduous trees dropping leaves throughout autumn. If you don’t remove this layer, it makes it difficult for your lawn to receive adequate sunshine and water. Raked leaves can be used as mulch or compost. Remove weeds for the same reason.

2 Use a garden fork or spike to make holes in your lawn to create better drainage, particularly in areas of heavy foot traffic where the soil may be compacted.

3 You can add a high sand top soil mix to your lawn after aerating it, which helps keep the soil open and water draining through it.

4 Mulching will help keep your soil relatively warm and protected through the colder months. It also keeps weeds at bay as they find it difficult to grow and helps your soil retain any moisture you add.

Foliage for year-round colour from Landart Landscapes

A WINTER BLOOM

While we associate beautiful blooming gardens with spring and summer, it is possible to also have a great looking lawn with pops of colour throughout winter. Matt suggests adding colour through potted plants such as Pansies, Daphne, Pieris Japonica (or Lilly of the Valley shrub) and Sasanqua Camellia.

Several succulent varieties, such as Echeveria, also flower beautifully during winter.

However, landscape expert and Selling Houses Australia presenter, Charlie Albone, warns home gardeners to be careful not to over-plant in winter.

“Winter planting requires forward planning,” Charlie says. “It can be difficult as you may want to fill every possible space, but remember the existing plants will come back in spring which can result in over crowding.”

Hardy potted plants make a welcome addition to the winter garden like this one from Landart, especially
in sun soaked locations.

Charlie says the trick to getting year-round interest in your garden is to have structure on your grounds such as low hedging and topiary or architectural plants to create boundaries.

He adds picking plants that are foliage based rather than flower based will give a full look to your beds year-round.

Winter time can also be a great period to plan your next gardening project, such as a veggie patch.

Vegetables like spinach, cabbage, lettuce, snow peas and garlic thrive through the colder months and will be a delicious addition to your winter kitchen.

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More Harrison’s Landscaping, harrisonslandscaping.com.au; Landart Landscapes, landart.com.au; Tait Outdoor, madebytait.com.au

Pruning your winter garden

GUARD AGAINST GARDEN GAFFES

Heavy rain, early morning frost and cold temperatures can be tough on your winter garden. Help your garden thrive throughout the colder months by avoiding these common mistakes.

1 Don’t overfeed Plants grow at a slower rate during winter, so they need less fertiliser.

Solution Reduce your regular amount of fertiliser by half.

2 Don’t over-prune Winter is a good time to keep trees and shrubs well pruned. But go overboard and you risk plants oozing sap. Solution Cut to the tree’s natural shape.

3 Don’t overwater Plants that receive too much water can develop root rot and stunt growth. Solution Avoid watering altogether, unless your lawn is bone-dry.

4 Don’t over-mow Lawn growth decreases substantially during winter. Solution Mowing once every three to four weeks is sufficient.

Source victa.com.au