The final month of Autumn has arrived. 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.
What to do in The Flower Garden this May
If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your garden then look no further than 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
Mulching the Garden This May
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 in the Garden This May
This is a great time to plant roses in Queensland. Prepare the soil by adding lots of organic matter and blood & bone. Potted roses are available through the cooler months and continue to produce lots of buds and blooms. This is a great opportunity to see and smell before you buy.
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.
Taking care of your lawn
Be sure to fertilise your lawn. The best chance to maintain great lawn is to encourage a strong lush lawn in winter with a healthy deep root system. Many of us experienced problems with lawn grubs throughout the wet summer. Fertilise now to help with the recovery of your lawn.
The start of May is a great time to begin this process to give your lawn enough time to establish strong growth over the cooler months before the summer heat returns.
The Edible Garden this May
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. If you’re interested in learning how to grow seed potatoes in Brisbane, make sure to check out our recent blog post. 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.
