Winter is just around the corner! Are you ready to get your garden going but don’t know where to start? No need to stress, we’ll provide you with all you need to know when it comes to successful late autumn gardening right here in the Southern Highlands.
With the cooler temperatures of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, May is still a great time to get creative in the garden. Now is the ideal window for preparing and planting, so you can enjoy a full and vibrant garden over the coming months. With the right knowledge and some helpful advice, you can ensure that your garden blooms perfectly as winter approaches!
But first, let’s talk about MUM!!
May is the month to remember our mums, step-mums and mums-to-be with Mothers Day, Sunday 14th May. We are fully stocked with beautiful flowers, shrubs and houseplants as gifts to brighten your mum’s day if she loves her plants. But, if you’re looking more for an experience rather than a plant for mum, then consider booking her a place in our May evening “Air Plant Workshop”. This will be sure to delight her, especially if she loves a glass of wine, a charcuterie board and is a plant lover. She’ll learn how to create an air plant (Tillandsia) masterpiece without even needing a garden … or a pot of soil!!
May is a month full of last chance opportunities, so make sure you do these things now and your garden will survive winter and look great when spring arrives. A good garden tidy up now, before it gets too cold, will surely be rewarded.
Here are 5 last-chance tasks to do during May to help keep your garden healthy and looking vibrant:
1. Prune trees and shrubs
Pruning helps encourage new growth, as well as improving air circulation and sunlight penetration. Pruning your hedges and shrubs keeps them compact and will help maintain their shape and fullness.
2. Feed your lawn
Replenishing soil with organic compost or fertiliser will help ensure a lush, green lawn throughout winter. Lift the blades on your mower now and keep your lawn a little longer during cooler months to protect it from frost.
3. Plant winter vegetables
Hearting lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage and onions are all great winter veg choices for cooler climates like the Southern Highlands.
4. Mulch gardens
Adding a layer of mulch around your plants helps retain moisture and protect them from frost, as well as suppressing weeds. Collect fallen leaves now for leaf mulch and it will break down to provide a rich source of nutrient for your garden.
5. Prepare garden beds for planting
Next month is the time to plant bare-rooted fruit trees, roses and rhubarb. Work in a generous amount of compost, manure and specific fertilisers to ensure high nutrient levels. It will take a few weeks to break down these organic materials and by getting this done now, the beds will be ready for planting out when new stock arrives in store next month.
If you have more questions around end of season gardening tasks stop in and chat with our experienced horticulturist will help you decide. With our help we’re certain you’ll have a successful winter garden!
As always, stop in and see us at the Mittagong Garden Centre with any of your gardening questions or needs.
We’re on the corner of Crimea and Old Hume Highway in Balaclava.
Open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.
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Thanks to Toni Salter, The Veggie Lady, for her contribution in writing this article exclusively for the Mittagong Garden Centre and our valued customers. We hope you enjoyed the article and found it helpful. For more information on the Veggie Lady www.theveggielady.com
