We're heading into the last month of autumn, but we're still finding plenty of joy in the garden! This is a fantastic time to plant cool-season colour or prepare your garden for spring.

Tony's Tips 

May 2025

The last month of Autumn can be very colourful and productive with new-season plants looking strong and well-fed and watered warm climate plants still performing well. 

Many species of plants from hot, dry environments come into their own at this time of the year, including South African Proteaece and Leucadendrons, Australian Natives like Grevillea and some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plants like Rosemary. They all become alive and active at this time of the year. 

Winter flowering Lavenders, as well as Camellias, Helleborus, Azaleas and Daphne are all at their best through the cooler months. Fuchsias, Salvias, Gauras and Roses should still be looking good if they had their summer prune and autumn feed.

Plectranthus Mona Lavender is another one of our favourite plants for autumn and winter colour, particularly in shaded areas, as it flowers for many months. 

Things to Do:

• Feed almost everything if you haven’t already. This will fatten up your plants and lawn for Winter whilst the soil is still warm.
• Feed Cymbidium Orchids with a high potassium fertiliser to encourage flowers. While you're at it, protect new flower spikes with safe snail pellets.
• Watch out for aphids on the underside of new growth on Pansies and Helleborus. If you spot any, dose with Bug Killa or Conguard.
• Plant more Parsley, flat or curled, for soups and casseroles. There is never enough!
• Plant Pansies, Poppies, Primulas and Cyclamen for winter and early spring colour.

Plant of the Month

Cyclamen

This month we're focussing on Cyclamen—a wonderfully colourful plant for autumn, winter and spring. Cyclamen love the cold so be sure to put any indoor specimens outside regularly to extend their flowering. They often do better outside in cool, well-drained positions and are ideal in pots; particularly terracotta as it chills the plant. They also make an ideal Mother's Day gift!

A Note on Gift Vouchers

As you probably know, the new owners of Acorn Nursery will be taking over on the 1st of July. Because of this, we won't be able to accept gift vouchers that are over three years old after the 30th of June.