Natives
“Australian Native plants add colour and interest to gardens and are the best way to attract native birds, bees and butterflies to your backyard. Choose varieties that come from similar climate zones within Australia to ensure you are choosing plants which are hardy and waterwise. While there is a common misconception that Australian native plants cannot be combined with exotic varieties in a garden, a blended garden of natives and exotics can work very well. Try not to focus on just the flowers though, and consider the foliage, texture and form of Australian native plants throughout the year.”
Flowering Colour
“Vegies may feed our bodies, but flowers have the ability to feed our souls …… and bring a smile to our faces. Whether planting annuals such as petunias, salvias, vincas, alyssum, portulacas and impatiens, or perennials such as statice, daisies, Armeria, Convulvulus or lavenders, be sure to add some flowering plants to your garden for colour and cheer in the sunny months ahead. Have fun making up large mixed planters combining a few colourful perennial plants with some complementary annuals and use them as focal points or statement pieces in garden beds, or to frame entrances and pathways. ”
Fertilisers
“Feed the whole garden, from garden beds and lawns to pot plants and hanging baskets. I like to use pelletised organic based fertilisers once a season as they do so much more than just feed the plant – they feed the soil and encourage earthworm and soil microbial activity. Healthy soil = healthy plants = less pest and disease problems. Remember ‘Happy healthy plants don’t get sick’. Roses, fruit trees, camellias, orchids, and other flowering plants benefits from products which have been specifically designed to meet their nutritional requirements, as do native plants. Soluble fertilisers are great, however they need to be applied every few weeks. ”
Plant warm season vegies for summer abundance
“Prepare the beds in your vegie garden really well before planting your warm season crops like tomatoes, capsicums, chillies, cucumber, eggplants, pumpkins, zucchini and basil. Ultimately the quality of your crop is directly related to the quality of your soil, so be sure to work through plenty of organic matter in the form of compost and aged animal manures, as well as pelletised organic fertilisers. When the soil is improved and the soil temperature reaches 16 degrees, that is the time to start planting these summer crops. In cold districts, be prepared to grow seedlings on in pots where you can better protect them until the risk of frost is over.”
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