Growing for Success | The secret to a thriving winter garden

It is wonderful to have such a successful showcase of our industry, shining a spotlight on the many benefits of gardening and what can be achieved with a well-thought-out garden design.

If you have not had the chance to see it firsthand, it is well worth going next year.

It is always held in autumn, a time when there is plenty to see and do in the garden, and it is a great way to get inspired to be creative in your own piece of paradise.

All your winter and spring-flowering seedlings and vegetables should be planted out now while there is still plenty of sunshine and warmth in the ground.

This way, they get time to establish before the onset of winter.

A quick wander through the Garden Centre will reveal the wide range of seedlings available right now.

From April onwards, camellias come into their prime, with Camellia sasanqua being the first to start flowering.

These varieties are more sun-hardy, with smaller foliage and often less complex flowers.

Camellia japonicas, with their larger glossy green leaves and bigger flowers, usually start flowering from late May onwards.

It is important to keep camellias well-watered through March and April, as this is the time they develop their flower buds.

If left too dry, the tip of the bud will suffer, causing the flower bud to continue growing but not open when mature.

Camellias are extremely rewarding plants, with few pest or disease problems.

However, they do prefer slightly acidic soil, so it is a good idea to bring some soil in for a free pH test before planting them in your garden.

Now is the time to plant deciduous shrubs and trees because, as they go dormant, they withdraw chlorophyll and starches from their leaves to store in the trunk and root system over the winter months.

This process allows for rapid development in trunk thickness and root system size.

If planted in the ground before dormancy, you will see great root development spreading into the surrounding soil rather than just staying in the pot.

The real benefit becomes apparent in spring when the plants take advantage of their newly established root system and experience a significant growth surge.

Autumn is also a good time to feed your garden.

This will help plants be in their best condition to face the harsher winter months.

Most plants can be fed now, apart from those that are more frost-sensitive, to prevent soft, susceptible new growth.

Your lawns will also benefit from a good feed now, helping them recover from the heat, dryness and wear and tear of summer.

It will also help warm-season grasses such as kikuyu, buffalo and couch hold their colour for longer into the winter months before browning off.

With the bare root season fast approaching (this is when dormant deciduous trees, shrubs and roses are sold without soil covering their roots), it is time to place your orders to avoid disappointment.

We are finalising our stock numbers for the coming season and know that some varieties will be in short supply.

Since bare-rooted plants can only be sold in this state while dormant over the main part of winter, once they are sold out, it will be 12 months before they are available again.

As I have already said, there is plenty to do in the garden in autumn, and it is a lovely time to be outside enjoying it.

Likewise, it is also nice to simply relax and appreciate your garden during autumn.

If you don’t have a garden, you are welcome to visit ours.

Come and take a stroll through our golf gardens, have a picnic on the lawns, or even just wander through the Garden Centre.

It is such a beautiful time of the year to be outdoors.