Bright garden all year round

By Emma Sun
AUTUMN may be the time when most plants start shedding their leaves and the flowers start to drop off, but you don’t have to look far to find foliage that will keep your garden looking great right through to spring.
There is a range of leafy foliage and flowering plants that are in season, which will help your garden look great during the cooler months.
Anja Potter, owner of Home Timber and Hardware in Beaconsfield, says they have many varieties of plants that will compliment your garden.
“We have tuberous begonias, garvineas, myrtles, pansies and banksias that flower all through autumn and you can also buy kangaroo paws, which flowers all year,” Anja said.
“The colours of the tuberous begonias are just beautiful at the moment. They look stunning in the garden. The pansies are coming out in lots of colours and varieties too.”
There is also the option of layering plants and spacing out flowers with leafy shrubs. For example, Anja suggested planting alyssum at the front, nandinas next and then dietes at the top.
“The alyssum are perennial flowers and produce a lovely honey smell,” she said.
“The colours look great stacked together and pansies will look lovely as an edge.”
Anja says autumn is an important time for fruit trees; particularly if you want have a bunch of fruit ready for spring.
“Fertilising is very important in March,” she said.
“Fruit trees will be losing leaves during autumn, so fertilise to make sure you have a fruitful summer.”
She also stressed the importance of pruning in June.
“How you prepare your trees in winter is how your fruit trees will be affected in December.”
Her advice for the cool season is to take good care of your trees.
“Everything deciduous will start losing leaves in autumn,” she said.
“Make sure you clean everything up and make sure nothing gets too wet. Mulch to keep moisture and de-head your plants.
“Also remember to spray for insects and fungus which are prevalent in autumn and winter.”
Beaconsfield Home Timber and Hardware is located at 102-112 Old Princes Highway.
Phone: 9707 5055.