C&G: Gardening for Autumn

Local Community



Fancy yourself a gardener? Or simply want to turn your neighbors green with envy? With autumn settling in and winter soon on its way,
Chisholm and Gamon have put together a few seasonal ideas to brighten your garden. Whether you have a large backyard or an apartment balcony, these easy-to-implement ideas are sure to freshen up your place! 


Backyards

For those amongst us with backyards, autumn is a great time to plant trees, bulbs and shrubs - especially after a bit of rain. As the soil is still warm from summer, autumn planting maximizes good root growth. Pull out those plants which have reached their use-by date, and pop in some new ones to revitalize the garden. Blooming bulbs are ideal to set out in the garden over the next few months too, as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths will add a happy splash of colour once they flower in Spring. If you’re planning to start an edible garden in autumn, plants and vegetables such as beans, peas and herbs are ideal to plant now and should be ready for harvest in late winter or early spring. As with flowering plants vegetables that have extensive root systems such as potatoes and turnips can also be set out in the garden now.  For more information on seasonal planting in Melbourne, click here

Balcony

Have a green thumb but live in an apartment? Never fear, you can maximize potential balcony gardening space by planting vertical wall gardens, using hanging baskets and clever shelving. Don’t think you’re limited to windowbox herbs, either: fruits such as apples, limes, dwarf nectarines and peaches are great for balcony gardens – plus they offer the benefit of a lush view to peep out from! Flowers such as peace lilies, african violets, marigolds and cacti are wonderful additions to apartments whether they are kept indoors or out – all these plants are fairly low maintenance and hardy which matches Melbourne’s unpredictable weather perfectly! Lastly, (if permitted by your body corporate on your balcony) rows of potted shrubs can make for fantastic privacy screens and protection against the wind. For more inspiration on planting edible balcony gardens, read on

If you’d like some help getting your backyard or balcony garden growing this season, you can always pop into bayside favorite ‘The Little Veggie Patch Co’ – they’ll kindly offer the information you need to get started.