The final month of Autumn has arrived. The daylight hours are shortening, and deciduous trees are beginning to lose their autumn leaves. The cool weather is here, and as we begin to layer up and prepare for those chilly nights, we also need to prepare our gardens for the coming season?

The Flower Garden

If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your garden then look no further then Fuchsia, these beauties make for a spectacular display of colour, are profuse flowering, and love the cooler weather.

There are many flowering annuals ready to plant now that will continue to display vibrant colours as winter approaches:

• pansy
• violas
• dianthus
• sweet peas
• nemesia
• primula
• polyanthus

Mulching

Nobody likes weeding, so be sure to apply a thick layer of mulch to your garden. This will help to suppress weeds and help the soil to retain warmth for the coming cooler months.

Using a mulch rich in nutrient value, with lots of organic matter will encourage earthworms into your garden to aerate and purify the soil.

Sugar Cane, Lucerne, and Pea Straw mulches work particularly well in vegetable, herb and flower beds.

Roses

If you are hoping to plant roses this coming season, now is the perfect time to prepare your garden. By adding organic matter, blood and bone and moisture into your soil, you will be giving enough time for the soil to go through the necessary process of breaking down and enriching. Depending on the Ph level and your soil type, the quantities of these will need to be adjusted accordingly.

To give your new bare rooted roses the best chance to survive and thrive, do this 4-6weeks prior to planting.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and while you may settle on a box of chocolates or some cut flowers, think instead about gifting your mum with something she can cherish for a long time. Chrysanthemums, cyclamen, and orchids are all beginning to flower and are all perfect gift ideas for Mother’s Day. Orchids are long flowering, cyclamen are easy to maintain, and chrysanthemums can be kept indoors while flowering and then can be planted, cut back, and enjoyed in the garden later. If they don’t tickle her fancy, we have a large range of other indoor and outdoor plants to pick from.

Lawn Maintenance

Be sure to fertilise your lawn. The best chance to maintain your lawn is having it strong and healthy going into winter. The start of May or earlier is the best time to get this done, as it will give your lawn enough time to establish strong growth before the winter frosts hit.

The Edible Garden

Now is the ideal time to start planting cool weather vegies:

• broccoli
• cabbage

• cauliflower
• kale
• leeks
• lettuce
• onion
• peas
• beans
• radish
• snow peas

Seed potatoes are also being planted now in many regions. Come in store today and chat with your local garden experts for the best advice and find out what is best suited to your garden.