Winter is a season of quiet renewal in our gardens. It is a time when plants get to take a rest and an opportunity to restore their energy before the exuberant activity of Spring. In the garden there is planning, planting and anticipation of the season ahead which gives us all something to look forward to. It is reassuring to know that no matter what is going on in our lives Mother Nature is a constant.

There is much to be done in the garden at the moment. It is the perfect time to be buying and planting both ornamental and fruiting trees, shrubs such as lilac and roses.
Planting now whilst the are dormant will ensure they settle in well before Summer.
Recent rainfall here in Canberra has been great for the soil and it is predicted to be an amazing Spring. An added bonus is that it will easier dig and improve soils by adding manure, compost and clay breaker at planting time.

There is a great range of plants to add colour and interest to your garden at the moment “who says winter has to be dull?” Beautiful feature shrubs such as Camellia japonica and deciduous Magnolia varieties are loaded with buds about to burst into flower and come in a range of colours for that “something spectacular”. Winter flowering shrubs such as Pieris, Quince, Osmanthus,Forsythia and Hellebores are just the thing for that eye catching pop of colour.
Flowers are not the only thing that can brighten up the winter garden. Unusual and dramatic bark on several species should not be underrated. Red stemmed maples Acer Senkaki, Irish Strawberry Tree Arbutus, Red and Yellow stemmed Dogwood Cornus siberica and Silver Birch can create an architectural feature at this time of year.

Our extensive selection of new season fruit trees will provide a wonderful choice for your edible garden. Most varieties now come in both full size and dwarf options to cater for every size garden and are specially selected for our Canberra climate.
The time is right to buy and plant other “edible treasures “such as crowns of Asparagus and Rhubarb, Blueberry, Raspberry and Strawberry as runners. Seed Potatoes are available as well for planting out in September.

For the “Native lovers” we have an amazing range of Grevillea in flower. They range from low growing ground covers to taller screening shrubs and are a wonderful way to attract and shelter small birds to your garden. Hardenbergia or Happy Wanderer is covered in a shower of purple and white pea flowers and can be happily trained as a climber or used as a rambling ground cover in the garden or even a pot! Correas are also starting to flower and are a valuable addition even suited to a little shade.

How have I got this far without mentioning our fabulous ROSES? Those of you that know me as “The Rose Queen” know that I am somewhat passionate about them! We have, dare I say it the BEST selection of roses in Australia this year. We are thrilled with the quality and most stock is 2 years old. Give yourself or someone you love the gift of a beautiful rose to look forward to this Spring! Pop in and have a chat, there is literally a rose for everyone! Come in quickly as some varieties are selling out already and we have 25% off the marked price for a limited time.

Hope to see you soon, Happy Gardening !
Lyla Wright ( Ass. Dip.Hort)