About the Garden is published seasonally by JC & AT Searle Pty. Ltd. ABN 14 002 898 893 4914 D’Aguilar Highway, Kilcoy or P.O. Box 183, Kilcoy Qld. 4515 Ph: (07) 5422 3000 atg@aboutthegarden.com.au
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Bracteantha ‘Mohave’ series
With 7 very different colours available, Natures Decor Bracteantha ‘Mohave’ series are such an asset in multiple garden situations. Long flowering, the papery textured flowers are displayed from spring to late autumn. They have low water requirements once established, fairly tolerant to light frosts and can be grown in coastal gardens exposed to salt winds.
William and Catherine
English Standard Rose
Flowering: Repeat Flowering Bloom Size: Medium
Produces white, shallowly cupped, full petalled blooms with impressive regularity throughout the summer. They have a pure myrrh fragrance. Named to celebrate the Royal Wedding of William and Catherine. This rose habit suits well for floral cutting, pot displays and shady areas.
‘William and Catherine’
‘The Lady of the Lake’
Lobelia Laguna ‘Cloud White’ & Lobelia Lucia ‘Dark Blue’ are stunning plants with large clean flowers on cascading, well branched plants. Both varieties have long flowering time, making great container planting in a feature pot or hanging basket and are particularly suited to combination container planting for foreground or filler colour.
Lobelias are perfect for winter and spring colour when mass-planted with other low-growing shrubs in sunny garden beds. Choose a full sun to part shade position in well-drained soil or Searles
Platinum Potting Mix for pots. Mulch and water in well and regularly, particularly if planting into a pot, but ensure that the water drains well. Once established, apply Searles
Flourish Flowers & Foliage
Soluble Plant Food every month. Heat tolerant.
The Lady of the Lake
English Rambling Rose
Fragrance: Medium, Fruity
Plant Size: Medium Rambler
The japonica camellia is the undisputed ‘star attraction’ of the winter garden. Like other camellias, the japonica is long-lived, versatile and easy-care.
A sheltered position in dappled shade is ideal for most japonicas. Taller trees with light canopies can provide the perfect type of broken shade most japonicas love. In hotter and drier climates, a camellia is likely to need deeper shade; but don’t panic if conditions are not perfect. Camellias are basically tough plants once established and if the soil and drainage is good, they can be very forgiving.
It’s pretty, semi-double flowers, each about 5cm across, are held in sprays on long, slender and flexible stems. They are a pale pink colour and of open formation, each exposing golden stamens inside. They have a fresh citrus fragrance. Named after the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend, she also plays a pivotal role in Sir Walter Scott’s famous poem of the same name. Plant in a full to partial sunlit area. Support rambling growth with a trellis or fence.
Light-coloured flowers tend to be more sensitive to sun and wind burn than their dark pink or red counterparts, and morning dew drops can magnify sunlight on delicate petals. This can make red or dark pink flowered varieties a better option in north and eastfacing positions.
Camellias are ‘acid-loving’ plants and dislike soils with a pH higher than 6 to 6.5. In most parts of Australia, soils tend to be naturally acidic, which means correcting the soil is not usually necessary. In regions with naturally alkaline soils or heavy clay soils, plant in Searles Azalea & Camellia Specialty Mix for pot or garden applications. This mix will help maintain the ideal level of soil acidity for camellias, as well as providing all the nutrients needed for excellent growth, vigour and flowering. Always mulch well after planting and reapply mulch once or twice every year. When fertilising, always apply before mulching.
Camellias need plenty of water during their first few years, but once established are quite drought tolerant. Immediately after planting, water them regularly for about a month. After that, water once a week. During the second year, camellias should only need watering once a week in spring and summer and once a month in autumn and winter.
flowers
Perfect for patio pots and hanging baskets
Fragrant flower • Low maintenance
Self-cleaning, continuous bloom/re-bloomer
Nemesia was already among the showiest of garden plants, and now the ‘Aromance’ series ups the ante with highly fragrant, abundant flowers all year round in warmer regions, and from spring through early winter in cooler climates. The sweet smelling Nemesia ‘Aromance’ flowers with crushed berry-plum, pink and burgundy petals and sunny yellow hearts are borne on sturdy stems that continuously produce new buds as they grow. For better flowering, plant in Searles Platinum Potting Mix for pots and keep soil moist.
A classic winter highlight for indoor or outdoor winter colour. Australian bred and developed, the Princettia range is available in white, red and pink. This range has a larger bract and leaf size and the plant fills the pot quickly. To keep their bright bracts, plant in Searles Platinum Potting Mix
A compact and ornamental shrub known for its vibrant, purple-magenta pea-like flowers and small glossy grey-green leaves. This versatile and relatively low maintenance shrub has a long flowering period, providing a burst of colour to your garden year round.
Pink
Mulberry
Boysenberry
The latest breeding from Dummen Orange brings these old-world plants back, with large flowers and a uniform habit. Available in a wide range of colours including pinks, purples, blues and whites, with more colours to be added in the future. African violets make lovely plants and with proper care, can provide year-round blooms.
Premium potting mix and fertiliser specifically designed for cyclamen & african violet blooms.
Leptospermum ‘Starry Night’
An Australian native shrub prized for its unique darkpurple foliage resembling a starry night sky. Clusters of bright, star-like pink flowers contrast against the dark backdrop, creating a visually striking effect. This compact and hardy evergreen is well-suited for gardens and provides yearround ornamental appeal. Find in gardening outlets late winter.
Brachyscome ‘Mauve Bliss’
You’ll need your sunnies on to take in the vibrant colours of Brachyscome ‘Mauve Bliss’. Dotted across your garden, sitting in pots on patios, or making a splash of colour at eye level throughout the year ~ they’re irresistible. And the butterflies will thank you for a day-long tipple of nectar.
This variety grows comfortably in cool to sub tropical climates, in a range of moist well drained soils with full sun or partial shade. A light trim and an annual feed of native fertiliser will keep them flourishing, and your garden in a state of constant bliss.
Aloe ‘Southern Cross’
Grevillea ‘Jelly Baby’
Scatter throughout your garden these luscious deep pink flowers in winter to spring all but cover the grey foliage in a colour combination that always works. Easily grown in sunny spots with well drained soils, it is frost hardy, suited to coastal gardens and does well in cool temperate to sub tropical and semi arid climates. Its dense mounding habit requires only minimal trimming to keep it tidy so it’s ideal for path edging, wide garden beds, large containers in courtyards, and for a dramatic landscape focus, try mass planting.
Compact yellow flower clusters open simultaneously in mid winter giving Aloe ‘Southern Cross’ an incredible display for garden features. Well suited for mass plantings, rockeries, containers or as feature plants. This plant prefers to be positioned in areas of full sun with well drained soils. Aloe ‘Southern Cross’ is equipped with a moderate frost tolerance, as well as withstanding high levels of rain. It is a tough perennial and can flourish in harsh landscaping conditions. Prefers occasional watering, particularly during summer months and is a waterwise plant.
One of the oldest types of indoor plants easily recognized is palms. They are native to Mexico and Guatemala and were brought back to England and used as an indoor plant to grace their parlours, hence the name. Parlour palms were used as a medium size indoor plant and multi planted to appear full and lush. You rarely see a Parlour Palm larger than about a metre though they can get much larger in the correct environment.
For a taller elegant indoor plant, Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana) were often used. A single stem plant reaches metres tall and used as feature plant. Palms are traditionally slow growers and lend themselves well as indoor plants as they don’t outgrow their pots quickly or the space given to them. Another tall palm but one that suckers, is the Bamboo Parlour Palm or seifrizii palm.
An indoor palm which can have a height between the Kentia Palm and Parlour Palm is Cascade Palm (Chamaedorea atrovirens). This does sucker and looks similar and often gets confused with the Parlour Palm. You will find many palms have over half a dozen common names, which can be quite confusing.
Rhapis palm (Rhapis excelsa) or lady finger palms are also extremely popular as indoor plants. They can get as tall as a Kentia Palm but are a suckering palm and so can be dense and work well as a screen.
For well sun lit areas, Golden Canes Palms (Dypsis lutescens) are often a popular choice. If the light is not bright enough, they will lose their golden colour and become prone to pests or disease.
Depending on your region there are other palms you could use, Chinese Fan Palms for example. Be aware not all plants that have the name palm in their names are palms such as the Sago Palm or Ponytail Palm.
The key to growing indoor palms is to use the right potting mix, Searles Indoor Potting Mix is perfect. For fertiliser, use one specific for green leaf growth like Searles Flourish Indoor & Greening and a slow-release fertiliser - Recharge Pots & Gardens. Palms used indoors usually flourish in medium to high light indoors but the main threat is incorrect watering. They hate wet feet and saucers sitting in water or soggy soil, which can easily lead to root rot.
Rhapis palm
Parlour palm
Parlour palm
Kentia palm
Golden Cane
Globe artichokes (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) are a striking and nutritious perennial vegetable prized for their edible flower buds. Native to the Mediterranean, they flourish in warm, temperate climates with well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. These hardy plants can be grown from seeds, offsets, or divisions and require consistent watering, especially during dry spells. With their striking silvery foliage and tall, thistle-like flowers, globe artichokes not only provide a delicious harvest but also add ornamental value to gardens. Proper care ensures multiple seasons of productive growth, making them a rewarding addition to any vegetable patch.
Globe artichokes are the typical form that people imagine when artichokes are mentioned. These buds can be green, purple or a bronze colour. Globe artichokes are often planted by using the suckers of existing plants. They have what looks like fleshy scales covering the buds and when you harvest them cut a bit of stem at the time. There is a form that is an edible root, Jerusalem artichokes.
In the first fruiting season from the suckers, you can expect 4-6 heads and then in the following two years this is doubled. The four-year-old stage is typically when they are used for propagating through division of the suckers, as their quality and quantity of heads has decreased. If you start the process of globe artichoke from seed, then you will need to add two seasons before harvest time. They may shoot more heads but if left to develop they are small so the practice of de-budding is used to decrease the yield number but increase the size of the individual head. You can plant the suckers from autumn through to spring, except in the tropics where they struggle.
The trick to artichokes is to make sure you have plenty of room, a very sunny aspect and extremely good drainage. The main issue with artichoke is crown root rot caused by poor drainage. When preparing the soil dig in 5 in 1 Organic Fertiliser into the soil, following the directions on the back of the packet. Follow this up once they are settled with 5 in 1 Pellets every three months and Seamax Organic Fertiliser fortnightly.
They are considered a frost tolerant plant and when watering, try to not wet the leaves but only around the base of the plant. You only need one plant per person, but if you love them, plant two instead. Stagger the planting so you can harvest winter to summer. It only takes three months for the flower spike to shoot to the time it is ready to pick. Even if you are not a lover of the vegetable, they do make a magnificent ornamental plant.
Jerusalem artichokes are a pretty, lower growing plant with a yellow flower. It is not the bud that is edible but the root. The top of the plant will die down and this signals it is ready for harvest, similar to turmeric or ginger. This is not related to the globe artichoke. It is easy to become confused as they sound like they are from the same family. for artichoke recipes see page 13
Which potato variety to use is up to your taste preference. Seed potatoes are best planted late autumn to early winter in warmer areas and late winter to early spring in cooler areas.
Choose potatoes that are certified seed potatoes. These are tested to be virus free and suitable for Australian gardens.
Being so nutritious and easily grown in poor soil, it is a favourite to grow for success. Left to its own devices, the potato is a perennial plant, but as the only edible part, the root, must be dug up, it is usually treated as an annual.
Where to plant potato
Potatoes need open ground with excellent drainage and acidic soil. Do not plant where capsicums, eggplants and tomatoes have grown the season before. Roughly cultivate the bed and mix in a thick layer of Searles Premium Organic Compost Cover with sugar cane mulch and leave for two weeks before planting.
has stopped growing. When the foliage begins to wilt, the crop is ready to harvest. Potatoes can take 15-20 weeks to mature. Store harvested potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place—a mesh basket in the bottom of a wellventilated pantry is ideal.
How many potatoes to plant
Look for potato growing bags at outlets if space is limited
Two to three kilos of certified seed potatoes (or tubers) will produce a sufficient crop for an average family. These are recommended as they have been specifically bred to be virusfree, ready to plant, and available from good garden centres.
For planting potatoes in gardens, cut up the larger potatoes so each piece contains at least two eyes. Allow the cut surfaces to dry before planting. Smaller potatoes can be planted whole. Remove the mulch and place the seed potatoes, with the eyes facing upward, at 50cm intervals, in rows about 80cm apart. Cover with a layer of soil excavated from between the rows and replace mulch.
Build up soil and mulch around the developing green shoots, ensuring the tubers are never exposed to light. Irrigate the depressions between the rows weekly and keep the mulch moist until the foliage
Pests and diseases
Potatoes may be susceptible to scab. To combat this disease, keep soil moist and well drained and don’t add lime. If blight appears (purple blotches on leaves), treat weekly with Searles Mancozeb
Potato Companion Planting
Potato like to grow with broad beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and peas.
Sweet potatoes can be planted all year round in warmer areas in Australia. For temperate and cooler gardens, plant root after the last frost. Choose a sunny, sheltered position in the garden or large pots. More info, scan QR code >
2 whole washed potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
5 Tsp double dollop cream
6 Tsp soft blue cheese like gorgonzola
Walnuts, to garnish
Handful of steamed spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste * This recipe makes 2 serves.
Bake whole potatoes in 180˚C oven until baked through. Let cool slightly. Then halve potato and carefully scrape out inside of potato. In the halved potato skin that is left, place some butter in it and bake for another 15 minutes or until crispy. Meanwhile, mix the potato with some cream, the gorgonzola cheese and the wilted spinach. As a finishing touch some walnuts can be sprinkled on top for some extra crunch. www.aboutthegarden.com.au for
Bigos - traditional Polish dish
1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds,
3 juniper berries, slightly crushed
1 large onion finely chopped
4 chicken thighs
500g sauerkraut drained, chopped
300g white cabbage chopped
8-10 prunes pitted, halved
1½ tablespoons tomato puree
7g dried porcini mushrooms small handful
1 ½ teaspoons dried marjoram and paprika each
400g Polish smoked sausage kielbasa, diced or Chorizo if hard to find
5 tablespoons olive oil
Prepare
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil, add the caraway seeds, juniper berries and onion and gently stir often for 3 minutes. Add the chicken thighs. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Add the sauerkraut, cabbage, prunes, tomato puree, mushrooms, marjoram, paprika, pepper and 250ml of water and stir to combine. Cover, bring to the boil then simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Top up with more water as needed (make sure the mix doesn’t stick to the pan).
In a frying pan heat the remaining oil (1-2 tablespoons) and fry the chopped sausage until crispy, stirring often. Add fried sausage into the stew and continue cooking gently for 1-1½ hours. Add a little more water if needed. Shred chicken into pieces and return to pot.
Serve with boiled/mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Marinated artichokes
Ingredients
2 lemons, juiced and extra lemon juice to clean artichoke
6 globe artichokes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra olive oil to fill glass jar
160ml (2/3 cup) white wine or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp of sugar
Prepare
Salt, to taste
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
Large pinch chilli flakes
Add lemon juice into a bowl of water to clean artichokes. Start cleaning artichokes by removing most of the outer leaves until you reach the heart (lighter coloured centre). Remove inner most section of the heart also with a spoon. Cut into quarters, lengthways.
Boil artichoke quarters in lemon and salty water until just softened.
In a hot pan, add in olive oil, squeezed lemon juice of one lemon, white wine, sugar, salt, crushed garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and chilli flakes. Stir until combined and fragrant. Add in boiled artichoke quarters and combine to coat.
Transfer into a sterilised glass jar. Add in more olive oil to cover artichokes and seal.
Marinate overnight in the fridge before eating for best taste.
Serve on a bed of whipped brie and cream cheese.
Have you ever dug a hole in clay soil, filled the hole with planting mix, planted a plant only to discover later on it struggles to grow and remain healthy?
The area you have prepared is like digging a well, the clay soil can hold the water around the plant and not allow drainage. If the plant hasn’t had excessive rain, it still dies within a few years to due clay soil.
Once the tree’s roots have grown into the clay soil it is now prone to root rot issues when the rains do come. Citrus trees or camellias are often varieties highlighting this issue. They start to drop leaves or die from the tips back and general fungicides or insecticides do not remedy the problems. For root rot, a specific fungicide such as Root Rot is needed and may be needed to be used as a protective method.
An easier solution may be to choose plants suitable for your soil, look around to plants that flourish in your region as a planting palate. If you are determined to have specific plants that will not enjoy clay soil then consider planting them in larger pots and make the pots another feature in the garden. Planting proud is a term for using a mound or raised garden bed of friable well-composted soil to plant into so the plant is even further away from the clay soil. Clay soil can be improved with the use of gypsum reapplied regularly and using organic matter such as compost incorporated into the soil. Searles Natural Gypsum is ideal for breaking up heavy clay soils that crust, without altering the pH of those soils in any way. Regular use of gypsum will improve drainage and aeration of garden beds and lawns. Over years the soil will develop a loamier texture.
If you do have clay soil and have had issues with losing certain plants dig down near the drip line, to about 15cm and look at the soil. Has it gotten substantially wetter or does it smell dank? There may be where the problem lies.
Taking the
mystery out
of general pruning helps to release some of the anxiety that many gardeners feel when it comes time to pruning.
The first thing to consider is why you are pruning, it should be to shape the plant, remove damaged parts, encourage more growth or thin the plant to increase the air flow.
General pruning rules
• Cut out all dead, dying or diseased branches.
• Always prune after the plant has finished flowering or fruiting, so as not to remove potential flowers.
• Cut on a slant so water does not puddle on the pruned stems and possibly introduce fungal disease.
• Make a clean cut and do not tear away the last of the branches being removed.
• Always clean tools before and after pruning so any pest or disease is not transferred to other plants.
• Always prune just above a bud as that is the growing point for it to reshoot, if cut too far above a bud it will die back to the bud and become unsightly.
• General rule is no more than 1/3 of the length of the branch is pruned back at a time.
• Remove all pruned plant material and do not leave around the base of the plant.
• If in doubt use a sterile planting paint to cover large wounds to reduce disease entering the cut area.
• Use the appropriate tool, secateurs are not made to cut thick branches and so if it is wider than your finger you will need a different tool.
• Prune hedges regularly so they remain green and thick rather than seasonally where they may appear sparse and sticky.
• If you prune during the heat of summer the lower leaves may burn slightly as they have not had direct sunlight before.
• Some plants do not cope well with pruning such as Book Leaf Pine trees.
• Indoor plants may need pruning but not as regularly as the outdoor plants.
After pruning consider a light fertilising and a fortnightly application of Seamax, this will encourage new growth. Don’t be afraid to prune and not always in the winter, if you are truly concerned a light prune and fertiliser will invigorate fresh shoots and then a month later prune down to the new shoots.
Weeds in lawns should be sprayed in winter when they first appear but you are only killing the weeds that have germinated and respraying is needed. Always choose a selective herbicide by selecting one for your lawn type and what type of weeds you are trying to kill.
When trying to spread very fine seeds like lettuce, lobelia, poppies etc, using this trick from yester years will make all the difference.
Use an old salt shaker, with washed river sand or horticultural sand in it. Add the seeds to the shaker and mix it around. The sand will assist in thinning out the seeds and stopping clumps of seedlings sprouting. If the seeds are too fine, get an old water bottle and make small holes using a pin or nails.
We love beneficial insects. Not only do they help control the bad bugs but many beneficial insects, like bees, aid pollination.
Most pesticides and insecticides including many organic alternatives are non-selective and therefore may harm beneficial insects. Thoughtful consideration is paramount when controlling bad bugs to ensure the good bugs are protected. Here are some quick tips for the good fight.
• Bring in the good bugs and animals. Select plants that bring in beneficial insects, birds and reptiles. Beneficial insects such as ladybug larvae eat aphids.
• Consider using an insect proof mesh cover over your edibles.
• When using sprays, avoid spraying at the time of flowering and fruiting or in areas where bees are collecting pollen from flower heads.
• Spray early evening when the bees are not active and have gone back to the hive.
• Select more modern plant breeds that have been bred to be more resistant to pests & diseases.
• Be vigilant, spray early. Early detection of bad bugs and immediate control will result in less spray use.
• Generally, pesticides are fine to use for indoor plants as many beneficial insects aren’t common indoors so spraying can take place. For full article scan QR code.
Blue banded Bees (Amegilla cingata) are an Australian native bee and common around much of Australia, even in the suburbs. Blue banded bees are named after the blue bands around their black abdomen. They are not traditional hive builders, but rather the female has a solitary nest sometimes in rocks or in mortar joints. The nests are often grouped together, like a community. They only live for approximately 40 days and the egg to hatching stage cycle takes 7 days.
At night the male blue banded bees perch together on twigs and branches, holding themselves in place with their strong mandibles. From a distance you may mistake them for wasps, but the five blue stripes signify a male blue banded bee. Female blue banded bees have four stripes, and they are most active in the warmer months.
Scan QR code for more info
Seed & Salt Shakers
allzones
winter planting & care guide
> Plant easy growing winter broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Grow Brussels sprouts in cooler regions. Enrich the garden bed with 5 IN 1 Organic Fertiliser, then liquid feed weekly with SeaMax Organic Liquid Fertiliser to keep their growth strong. Harvest heads young and protect by treating any visual pests and diseases early. Net crops to reduce the risk of cabbage white butterfly and caterpillars.
> Plant bare-root deciduous plants, such as, apples, pears, plums, apricots, figs, mulberries, cherries, pomegranates and nut trees. Plant rhubarb and asparagus crowns. Before you buy bare root stock, check its roots and stem health to ensure better establishment and plant health in the soil. Soak roots before planting with a half rate solution of SeaMax Organic Fertiliser to increase root establishment.
grape vines and figs. Apricots are better pruned in autumn when it’s dry.
Oranges, lemons, limes, kumquats, mandarins and other citrus tree trees can be ideally planted now. Some are available as bare root plants. Follow the directions on the plant tag for successful establishment. Plant in rich nutrient soil and fertilise these hungry feeders often with regular watering and plenty of citrus specific fertilisers.
> Lettuce, kale, leek, cabbage, spring onion, and many Asian greens like pak choy, mizuna and tatsoi grow well and fast. Harvest young and regularly for a better taste and to bring on more leaves. Winter herbs such as, rosemary, chives, rocket and sorrel are in abundance now. Check for caterpillars on leafy greens such as lettuce, cabbage and broccoli. Control with Searles Bug Beater
> Pruning can take place at the end of winter on 2+ year old trees, focusing on dead, diseased, and damaged branches, after this, looking at shape. Prune deciduous
New leaves in citrus going yellow – this is a sign of iron deficiency and can be treated with Trace Elements.
> These herbs will grow right through the winter period and beyond - parsley, sage and rosemary. They make lovely plants for Mediterranean plantings and mixed garden plantings. Oregano and thyme make great ground covers. For bay leaves, grow in pot to restrict growth and spread.
> For quick and delicious results in pots, raised beds & gardens, plant veggie seedlings in Searles Herb & Vegetable Specialty Mix which will fuel veggie growth for up to 9 months. For organic veggie gardens, dig into existing soil 5 IN 1 Organic Fertiliser to provide organic nutrients for healthy plant growth.
> Look out for gall wasp damage on citrus trees, remove affected branches and burn or bin them. For citrus, control white louse scale with Lime Sulphur.
Leaf curl
To protect stonefruit from leaf curl and other bacterial diseases, apply Lime Sulphur or Copper Oxychloride while the tree is dormant in winter and at early bud swell. Additional sprays may be necessary. Lime Sulphur will also control blackspot and powdery mildew on apples and pears.
Citrus yellowing
allzones
winter planting & care guide
> Fuchsias are in full bloom during winter. Fuchsias flourish in cool, shaded areas with well-draining soil, regular watering, and occasional feeding for vibrant blooms.
> Winter sunlight is reduced, so move indoor plants to a brighter, warmer position in the house. Let the potting mix dry out before watering to reduce fungal and root diseases. Keep plants away from heaters.
> Plant winter flowering annuals such as pansies, violas, cyclamens, primroses and kalanchoe.
> Spread some winter aroma around the garden by growing winter-perfumed luculia (great for frost-free areas), Daphne odora (for cooler regions) and Osmanthus fragrans - fragrant tea olive (delicate winter flowers on evergreen shrub that smell like sweet apricots). Some Camellia japonicas are lightly scented. One deciduous tree with sweetly scented flowers during winter is Wintersweet or Chimonanthus praecox. They grow well throughout southern or eastern Australia.
Winter rose (helleborus) for semi-shady areas
> These eye catching winter flowering natives are on full display nowGrass-Leaf Hakea (Hakea francisiana) a large shrub with pink-red brushes. Small-leafed Clemetis (Clematis microphylla) fast growing vine with star like white flowers, ideal for fences and as covers. Eucalyptus caesia ‘Silver Princess’ displays red and glossy young branches with older growth being covered in a white residue. Australian Heaths (Epacris spp.) displays vibrant pink, white or the combination pink/white tubular flowers along its stems.
> Winter is a good time to give deciduous plants a prune for warmer weather regrowth. Hydrangeas, roses and grape vines benefit from a good prune early winter. Use sharpened clean blades on your pruning tools to minimise stem damage and reduce disease exposure.
> Grevillea ‘Winter Delight’, banksias, emu bush, correas, epacris, croweas, buddleja, salvias, native wisteria, Hardenbergia violacea (purple coral pea) are gorgeous winter bloomers for the native wildlife.
• salvias
• pansies/violas
• hakeas (cool areas)
• pincushion hakea
• sweet peas
• Camellia japonicas
• cyclamens
• hellebores
• polyanthus
• Banksia ‘Birthday Cakes’
• orchids
• lobelias
• dianthus
• calendulas
• magnolias
• french lavender
• flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta) (warm areas)
• correas/croweas
• rondeletia
• Hamamelis mollis (cool areas)
• hyacinth (cool areas)
• daphne (cool areas)
• boronias
• poinsettia
• snapdragons (warm areas)
• nasturtium
• red hot pokers
• sedum
NOTE: This may vary in different climatic zones.
Correas
magnolias
Fuchsias
plant & grow by climatic zone
Potting soil or growing media, also known as potting mix, is a substrate used to grow plants in containers. Despite its name, little or no soil is usually used in potting soil.*
Searles Potting Mix does not contain any loam, just organic matter composted for over 12-16 weeks. Searles Potting Mix has controlled release fertiliser added, as well as Penetraide Re-Wetting Granules and water crystals plus zeolite, trace elements and minerals, so no further additives are needed.
Since Searles Potting Mix has been composted, no seeds or insects can survive the process. Garden soil collected from the backyards can have weeds, weed seeds, pests and diseases present. To achieve better plant health, growth performance and ideal drainage properties for potted plants, for best practice, use only potting mix when planting new pot plants to avoid unwanted nasties appearing at a later time. Potting mixes have different sizes of bark pieces to aid aeration for drainage. Solid uniform mix pieces will result in the mix settling into a solid mass not allowing drainage or root penetration and kill the plants.
Searles potting mix range is designed to be used without blending with fertiliser, sand, perlite, etc. Diluting potting mix will reduce its designed effectiveness and performance. This usually works out to be a timeconsuming project and it costs a lot more by adding extra unneeded additives.
With the advancements made to modern potting mixes you achieve a much higher performing plant with a lot less effort.
*Credit Wikipedia
FLOWERS
> Australian natives like acacias, banksias, ozothamnus (Rice flower), Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’ and melaleucas will bloom now.
> Grevilleas are very easy to grow and are ideal in a dry “waterwise” garden. Most of them flower from winter to spring but some will give you blooms all year round. All Grevilleas love full sun and dry feet. Grevilleas like a soil low in phosphorus, so plant them in Searles Native Plant Mix.
> Camellia japonicas, gordonias, hardenbergia, eremophila (Emu bush) and winter flowering salvias are flowering now in gardens.
> Plant pansy, petunia, lavender “lace series’, mona lavender, kalanchoe and limonium for potted colour.
EDIBLES
> Plant cool loving vegetables such as broccoli, beetroot, peas, cauliflower, cabbage and zucchini. Plant spinach, silver beet and lettuce. Fertilise fortnightly with SeaMax Organic Fertiliser and keep the water up to them to ensure an excellent crop. When planting allow plenty of room for the plant to grow to full size.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3, 5-6
Let nothing disturb thee.
Let nothing affright thee
All things pass
God never changes. Patience gains all. Who has God. Wants for nothing. God alone suffices.
(St Teresa of Jesus)
> Citrus, custard apples (pictured) and guava are nearing maturity. Watch out for gall wasp on citrus and remove affected branches promptly.
MORE ON YOUR CLIMATE ZONE FOLLOW US
FLOWERS
> Time for planting petunias, pansy, snapdragons, cyclamen, lavender, gerbera and annuals for potted colour. Plant in Searles Platinum Potting Mix, filled with nutrient-rich compost and 18 month fertiliser.
> Looking for a small evergreen hedge which flowers year round? Tabernaemontana comes in three leaf colours Little Emerald (pictured), Little Goldie & Little Sweetheart.
> Give indoor plants a light prune to reinvigorate growth when spring arrives. Check plants for aphids and mealybugs. Spray with Searles Ecofend Vegetable & Garden Spray (Organic registered) to control and protect plants.
> Prune plants which cease flowering in autumn. Heavily cut back gingers, cannas and heliconias as flowering finishes and they enter their dormancy period. They will reshoot when temperatures warm up in late winter to early spring.
> Enjoy flowering natives like cocky apple, yellow kapok, kurrajong and woollybutt.
EDIBLES
> Harvest ginger & turmeric and replant some for next years harvest.
> Plant Asian greens, beetroot, carrot, coriander, chives, mint, lemongrass, kale, lettuce, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spring onion and tomatoes. Feed herbs, leafy and winter vegetables fortnightly with Searles Flourish Vegetable & Tomato Soluble Plant
Food to aid production.
Fertilise flowering mangoes and rambutans with Searles Fruit & Citrus
Plant Food.
Winter is the time to plant bare-root and deciduous trees, roses, fruit trees & ornamentals.
For roses and fruit trees, prepare ground by digging into the soil Searles Fruit, Citrus & Rose Specialty Mix. For ornamentals and shrubs, mix 5 IN 1 Organic Fertiliser into existing soil before planting.
Before planting, soak roots with a weak diluted solution of SeaMax.
Fertilise during winter to promote new spring growth.
SCAN QR CODE TO READ MORE INFO ON PLANTING BARE-ROOT
plant & grow by climatic zone
FLOWERS
> Gardening outlets will be full of cyclamen, hellebore, serruria, camellia, michelia, lavender, senettis and winter flowering annuals like pansy, viola, snapdragon, alyssum, lobelia to decorate patio spaces and garden colour. Choose young plants with many flower buds to maximise flowering display time.
> Plant winter flowering natives such as correa, epacris, banksia, grevillea, wattle and callistemon to attract birds to your garden. Plant in Searles Native Specialty Mix for the right low phosphorus nutrient ratio.
> Now’s the time to plant bare-root ornamental and fruiting trees. Scan QR code for planting info.
> Perfect time to prune repeat flowering roses, hydrangeas, crepe myrtles, deciduous fruit trees, wisteria and grape vines. Don’t prune spring flowering shrubs or you’ll miss out on their spring blooms.
EDIBLES
> Plant winter greens such as broccoli, cauliflower, English spinach, Chinese greens, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and peas. Plant straight into Searles Herb & Vegetable Specialty Mix for 9 months feeding to produce a bumper crop. Water daily, especially leafy vegetables to keep their taste from going bitter. Keep picking to encourage more cropping so you don’t run out. Watch out for snails.
LAWNS
> Treat winter weeds before they seed to stop repeat growing.
FLOWERS
> Plant pansy, polyanthus, poppy, primula, ranunculus, snapdragon, begonia, calendula, cineraria, hellebore, correa, crowea, cyclamen, lavender, lily of the valley shrub and viola for winter colour. Camellia japonicas are playing the flowering game and flower during winter and into spring. The scented, Winter daphne (pictured) flowers beautifully during winter.
> Stunning waxy snow coloured berries adorn the Snowberry deciduous shrub from summer through to winter followed by small clustered white to pink flowers in spring.
> Witch hazels produce a canopy of sweetly scented, spidery, yellow orange or red flowers on their deciduous branches during winter. Tolerates heavy frosts in acidic soils.
> Plant bare-rooted roses and citrus/ fruit trees with Searles Fruit, Citrus & Rose Specialty Mix For deciduous trees, use Searles Soil Improver.
EDIBLES
> Sow root vegetables, turnips, radish and swede.
> Spray stonefruit with Lime Sulphur to prevent leaf curl.
> Native hardenbergia provide bright purple colour in winter. Arctotis (pictured) , hardenbergia, camellia, euphorbia, wallflower, winter flowering salvia and French lavender add extra winter colour.
EDIBLES
> Leaf curl and other fungal diseases on stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines appears in spring, but preventive spraying now at the first sight of flower buds with Lime Sulphur is key to having healthy, fungal-free stonefruit.
FLOWERS
> For great blooms for winter flowering gardens, plant hellebore, lavender (pictured below with leptospermum), winter flowering salvias, chrysanthemum, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, everlasting daisy, gaillardia, gazania, geranium, gerbera, impatiens, kangaroo paw, marigolds, nasturtium, petunia, portulaca, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, torenia, verbena, wallflower and zinnia. For best results, feed with Searles Flourish Flowers & Foliage regularly during flowering season.
> Winter is a great time to plant microgreens, leafy vegetables like artichoke, asparagus, members of the brassica family (including broccoli, cauliflower, brussel spouts, cabbages & kale), english spinach, lettuce, broad bean, onion and pea. Asian greens, coriander and rocket love the cold. Plant chives, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme. Plant root vegetables like carrot and radish now.
PLANT CARE
> Protect frost sensitive plants by moving pot plants into warm sheltered position. Apply SeaMax Organic Fertiliser to help improve frost tolerance. Check for mildew and blackspot on roses and ornamentals. Treat with Searles Rose Pro.
> Bare-rooted deciduous trees, fruit trees and roses are generally planted now. This will set them up for a great start when spring arrives. Soak them in half-strength diluted solution of SeaMax Organic Fertiliser before planting. Be careful not to damage roots when planting into soil. Before planting, enrich the soil with a dose of 5 IN 1 Organic Fertiliser to feed trees and shrubs with organic nutrients and encourage healthy microbial activity.
EDIBLES
> Harvest citrus trees and other winter fruiting trees such as tamarillos. Once fruiting has finished, prune dead and cross over branches to improve fruiting for the following year.
> Artichoke, asparagus, broad bean, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, onion, parsnip, pea, potato, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, silver beet and spinach will grow throughout winter.
PLANT CARE
> Spray ornamentals, roses and flowering plants with Searles Trifend Complete Garden Spray at the first sight of aphids, thrips, twospotted mite and powdery mildew.
