Winter Gardening

Yes, it’s Winter. Yes, it’s cold outside. Yes, all we want to do right now is curl up in front of the fire and watch telly...but I have wonderful news for you Greenies, there are lots of beautiful plants that thrive in the cool Australian Winter.

So, throw on your wellies and your warmest winter jacket and head on outside. 

With clear sunny days followed by cold nights, the soil temperature drops, making winter the perfect time for planting flowers.

If it is aromatic reprieve from the customary slow cooking winter stew or roast lamb that you seek, then the garden is your answer. Riddled with beautiful scents, as the flowers open to full bloom in the hope of attracting pollinators and eagerly awaiting Spring time.

Here are some absolute beauties, that will thrive in your winter garden:

Lavender

Lavenders originally come from the Mediterranean, so are great for water-wise gardeners. They thrive in well-drained parts of the garden, and only require minimal watering. Lavenders cope well in exposed, sunny, open positions, and grow to one-metre. They flower prolifically in winter, but remember...you must prune these darling plants or they will become leggy and straggly.

Begonia

Suitable as a thick ground cover, begonias do well planted under a nice shady tree. The stunning bright pink five petal flowers grow in clusters on long stems, and guess what...? They open....in WINTER! You might even see these little flowering beauties in  white, mauve, and red.

Woodland Cyclamen

This clever little Cyclamen becomes dormant through summer, known as its ‘resting phase’. Lovely marbled leaves then appear in early autumn, creating a mottled carpet look. But it is during the winter months when this plant’s colours truly shine! Beautiful coloured flowers will appear in white, pink, mauve or red. 

Cymbidium Orchid

The Cymbidium Orchid  is a wonderful winter gardening option. These bud at the beginning of winter and flower from May to August / September. Light is the most important factor for an orchid to flower. Dappled light is best. Cymbidiums can be grown indoors, but must be in a well-lit position and really, these beautiful living creatures prefer the outside. As an added bonus, these plants are generally pest free. Hoorah!

We think the garden in Winter is just as beautiful as Spring. A winter garden to us is slower and gentler but equally as precious.

Happy gardening Green Thumbs!