With summer gradually coming to an end, it’s time to start getting excited about the new season ahead and what it might bring: our first rains, an exquisite colour palette, and a chance to start thinking about where to plant those winter veggies in preparation for hearty winter broths, stews, casseroles and slow cooker recipes!

Plant Vegetables

Kalettes, Radicchio, Beetroot, Spinach, Chilli, Lettuce, Beans, Zucchini, Carrots, Pea, Spring Onion, Parsnip, Radish, Tomato, Rhubarb, Mizuna, Corn Salad, Leek, Kohl Rabi, Cape Gooseberry, Fennel, Eggplant, Cucumber, Celeriac, Cucumber, Chinese Cabbage, Broccoflower, Borecole, Bean, Artichoke, Turnip, Sweet Corn, Swede, Squash, Silverbeet, Pumpkin, Pak Choi, Parsnip, Onion, Mustard Salad, Micro Green Mix, Gherkin, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Pepper, Brussel Sprouts

Plant Flowers

Wildflowers, Poppies, Swan Plant, Phacelia, Sweet Pea, Swan Plant, Sunflower, Stock, Snapdragon, Pansy, Nasturtium, Marigold, Lupin, Lobelia, Livingstone Daisy, Hollyhock, Foxglove, Forget me not, Delphinium, Cottage Garden, Cosmos, Cornflower, Cineraria, Calendula, Aquilegia, Alyssum.

Feed and grow

Feed citrus trees with McGregors Fruit and Flower Fertiliser to encourage fruit development.

Deadhead roses and feed with PlantMax to encourage another flush of flowers.

Stock up on general fertiliser for the whole garden - wait until the first autumn rains and then give your entire garden a good feed.

Plant thin rows of carrots to ensure the roots develop evenly.

Pull out any summer herbs and vegetables and feed the worm farm or compost bin.

Cut the long leafy stems of tomatoes back to encourage the final fruit to ripen

OTHER FRESH IDEAS

Prune summer-flowering plants like pelargoniums, lavender, abelia, weigela, daisies, heliotrope and salvia.

Prune all evergreen trees, except those that bear flowers and berries in spring.

Divide and replant agapanthus, irises, daylilies and arum lilies

Bright lights spinach is a ‘fool-proof’ option for beginner veggie gardeners. It’s easy to grow, loves full sun but will tolerate shade, and creates a marvellous eruption of pink, yellow and green in your garden! Leaves can be used in salads, and stems work well as an asparagus substitute.