opinion
Charlie Albone: Act now for the coming cooler months and the promise of spring

Australia has a wide and diverse climate range with only very few places where gardening stops due to extreme weather. WA’s mild Mediterranean climate allows us to grow year-round with bountiful harvests. And the key to success is getting your plants in the ground at the right time. Autumn is my favourite season. The summer heat subsides and there is plenty of time to get plants established before it gets cold. Focus on structural plants, trees and hedges as these will root out in autumn and winter and then really shoot ahead in spring. Apply an all-purpose fertiliser to the root zone of deciduous trees and shrubs (blood and bone or chicken pellets) before the leaves change colour so they can store all that energy for next spring. Bulbs can go in the ground at the end of autumn and be ready for spring as well. Daffodils, jonquils and tulips are some of my favourites. In the productive garden, brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts grow well and be ready for harvest through winter. Winter is when things slow down. The cooler weather leads to less growth, but doesn’t mean you can’t plan and keep planting. For deciduous trees and shrubs, including stone fruits and roses, buy bare-rooted stock and get them in the ground. These are a fraction of the cost of when you buy them in summer and will establish quickly. Ordering online sometimes offers good savings. Make sure to soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting. Out in the veggie patch, onions, garlic, kale and spinach can all be sown and grown. Get on top of your soil by improving it with a compost mulch, allowing worms to drag it into the soil for you. A granulated soil-wetting agent will also make sure your soil doesn’t dry out during the dry winter period. Embrace the cooler weather and slower pace of life as it won’t be long before you’re back to the quicker pace of spring. Spring is all about new growth and a sense of excitement. It’s time to go crazy with annuals, herbs, vegetables and flowers. Petunias and pansies will bring quick and lasting seasonal colour to a garden bed; marigolds out in the veggie patch will warm it up and work as an excellent companion plant for tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and an array of herbs like basil, mint, parsley and coriander. You really can’t go wrong by planting in spring. With the extra growth comes the requirement to add some extra nutrition for your plants. Slow-release fertilisers are great but you can also supplement with a fast-acting liquid feed once every 7–10 days for maximum results. Don’t forget to prune the hedges you planted in autumn too. Waiting too long to give your hedges their first prune will only make them leggy in the long run. Dense solid forms are a result of pruning a little but often. Summer can be a hard time in our gardens with often-damaging stifling heat. Drought-tolerant plants like lavender, echinacea, euphorbia and a plethora of succulents bring colour and interest. In the vegetable patch, pumpkins, capsicums, melons and chilis will lap up the high temperatures. It’s important to keep on top of your watering. Ensure plants have all the moisture they need. Water less often but give you plants a really good soaking and top up your mulch to lessen evaporation for the best results.

opinionCharlie Albone: Act now for the coming cooler months and the promise of spring

opinion
Charlie Albone: Act now for the coming cooler months and the promise of spring