Entertaining and using your garden all-year round can be an achievable option if some handy tips are implemented to keep it in tip-top shape.
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With summer gone, it’s time to rejuvenate, revive and refresh your garden so it continues to flourish long into autumn and winter.
Keep up the watering as there’s still plenty of hot days to come and remember to add a splash of colour with potted plants or bright and bold furnishing accessories.
If you create a space and garden that you want to be in then the chances are maintaining it will become less of an effort. Starting with the basics is top of the list for keeping your garden green, says David Hardie, national garden care buyer at Bunnings. “With a defined space of lawn, plantings and perhaps some paths or hard surface areas, the garden will start to come to life,” David says. From this, it is easier to keep the garden healthy and lush beyond summer, he adds:
- Mow weekly: Mowing the lawn on a regular basis will keep it healthy and remove weeds before they have a chance to reproduce. Heading into the cooler months, growth will slow so remember to raise the mower to a minimum of 50mm to keep a good surface area for photosynthesis.
- Nurture plants: While we pay extra attention to plants in hot, dry weather by using mulch and fertiliser to help the soil retain nutrients and moisture, the same can be applied in autumn and cooler months. A good fertilising and mulching while the ground is still warm helps the plants store food to survive through the dormant months.
- Keep weeds at bay: Weeds are the bane of every gardener’s existence and they be aggressive in winter with “winter grasses” popping up across the lawn and garden beds. To combat weeds, use extra mulch on the soil while the soil is still warm and mow the lawn regularly to stop them from spreading.
- Water regularly: As solid rains are still weeks away, keep up a regular water to your garden to prevent it from drying out, taking into consideration state water regulations. Have a watering can readily available to top up potted plants and flowers that look thirsty and in need of a little extra care.
- Consider a scentscape: Enjoy the fresh scent of herbs by planting seeds to grow herbs such as thyme, sage and tarragon that will withstand the warm weather without requiring a great deal of maintenance.
- Save water: Save money and recycle water by using a rain tank to collect water to use on your garden during dryer periods.
