The Winter months in Melbourne can feel like a dark and dreary time for gardens everywhere. The season is deplete of colour, leaving a cold pallet of brown and grey. Heavy winds cause chaos in plant beds, rain causes a layering of slimy leaves and frosts can kill off coveted plants. It’s not a pretty sight.
For many homeowners and property managers, garden maintenance is the last thing they think about doing in Winter. It’s easy to give their landscapes the cold shoulder and attempt to make up for lost time come Spring.
But as it turns out, this is not necessarily the best strategy. Winter is the perfect time to give gardens some time investment and a much-needed attention to set them up for a ‘bloomin’ marvellous’ second half of the year. In fact, leaving many things until after Winter can hurt a garden more than help it. You just need to know what to do to achieve the right results.
Here are our top tips to give your gardens the attention they crave this cold season, as recommended by our expert landscapers:
Sort Out That Pruning
Many plants and flowers demand pruning and maintenance this time of year. Leaving them too long can create growing problems in Spring and make your landscape unkempt and unattractive. This is the number one job that should be on every Winter gardening list to keep the garden looking lovely all year long.
Start with your flowers. Now is the time to freshen up those roses. Make sure you cut into them heavily, leaving only three or so main stems. Gardenias should also get your attention, as well as Frangipanis and similar varieties. Ornamental grasses should be cut close to the ground to keep them healthy and lush.
Fertilise and Mulch
Winter is not all about preparing your plants for the cold – you also need to think about your soil. Fertilising those garden beds provides your plants with the nutrients they need to stay healthy and strong in cold. Spray fertiliser or lime sulfur anywhere that plants and flowers are growing to perk them up and protect them against the harsh cold weather.
Mulching should come straight after fertilising on that Winter checklist. Add a blanket of mulch to garden beds for extra protection against the elements. You can use a variety of materials for the job – animal manure and compost works well, as do wood chips, straw and even leaves from your own garden. Use a rake or your hands to ensure it’s spread evenly across the surface of the soil.
Planting
Most people think to plant in spring, but Winter can be a better option for certain plants.
Evergreens stand out from the street and look amazing during the colder months. Planting and incorporating evergreens into your garden design adds beauty and structure to a space. They come in a range of Winter colours that makes any yard feel cosy. The fur style leaves can be seen in greens, yellows and blues that add texture and make any landscape look picturesque.
Deck out your Garden
The shivering cold weather may be upon us now, but it won’t last forever. Summer is right around the corner. That means one thing – entertaining, and gorgeous outdoor living in the sunshine!
Private decking in a home is the Australian dream and a great way to add value to your property. It’s the perfect option to bridge the indoor living space into the exterior and displays luxury and elegance, while providing an inviting place to sit back and relax with a drink at the end of a hard day. Modern decking and paving come in a range of styles and colours so there’s a project to enhance the look, feel and value of your property out there. Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for the warm seasons.
Pressure Spray & Clean Up Time
Heavy winds and rain in Australia pulls leaves and bark off trees, and spreads it all over lawns and paving along with twigs, sticks and debris from flower beds. While this just a part of every Winter cycle, you shouldn’t let it affect the presentation and appearance of your property.
Professional gardeners always plan for one or two big Winter garden clean-ups to keep yards in top shape during the season and its worth scheduling in the extra time. This includes raking leaves bark and twigs, some garden edging, cleaning up plant beds, creating compost and removing green waste. The results after a clean-up will always impress.
Get rid of leaves and dying plants
When dying leaves in your garden find their way to the ground, they provide the foundation for new life to grow in Spring. You can help this process by making sure damaged plants from the Winter chill get removed. This keeps the bugs and diseases from eating away at your precious landscape.
While you’re in there, dig out the weeds that have sprouted through the surface. Take your watering can out and give the garden enough water to keep your plants healthy and moist – particularly if the rain hasn’t been falling.
Winter shouldn’t be a time to despair about your garden or property’s landscape. The right attention will have it looking divine and inviting all through Winter and the rest of the year.