Just because the weather is cooler doesn’t mean your garden has to go into hibernation.
Winter is actually a great time to get out in the garden and start growing plants – planting at this time of the year means they won’t bolt to seed as quickly as they would in Summer and you’ll be able to enjoy a longer harvest.
In Australia, Winter begins in June and lasts until the beginning of September with the average temperature range around the country 10 C-15 C.
Make sure to prepare the soil for your Winter garden before planting by raking up any leaves and debris on the surface, turning the soil over with a spade to aerate it and improve drainage and adding a layer of compost or manure to enrich it.
Vegetables to plant in Winter:
Among the most popular choices are leafy greens such as cabbage, kale and spinach.
Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and potatoes are ideal for Winter gardens as they can be planted early in the season and harvested before the first frost.
Try these recipes to use the bounty from your harvest:
Herbs to plant in Winter:
Rosemary is a hearty plant that can withstand cold temperatures, making it a good choice for Winter gardening – it loves sunlight, so make sure to choose a spot in your garden that gets at least six hours of sun a day. You can also grow this herb indoors near a sunny window.
Other hardy herbs to put in the garden include thyme, coriander and mint.
Herb recipes to try:
Flowers to plant in Winter:
While the days are shorter and the temperatures cooler, there are still plenty of opportunities to get your flower garden growing during Winter.
Also known as Sweet William or pinks, dianthus is a versatile group of flowering plants that come in a wide range of colours and sizes. Make sure to plant these in late Autumn so they have time to germinate before the cold weather sets in, or buy seedlings from a nursery and transplant into your garden bed.
Other flowers that can be planted during Winter include violas and snapdragons.
