It could be said that Melbourne is at its most beautiful in autumn. We still have the last remnants of summer and the crisp mornings and sunny days make for a lovely combination.

if you're thinking of doing any major work in the garden, now is the time! Our team of horticulturalists are always on hand to advise you on exactly what your garden needs.

We're still unpacking our latest container of vintage and hand crafted treasures from India. Keep your eyes peeled as more is revealed!

Tony's Tips

March 2022

A change in season always brings with it a change in what we can plant. The milder autumn temperature and increased rainfall ensure the planting options are almost endless! Autumn is the ideal time of the year to do serious planting. The hotter, drier weather is over and new plants will have nine to ten months of milder weather to get established.

We already have new season Pansies and Violas and will soon have Azaleas and Camellia sasanqua in flower. A large range of perennial salvias are also available. They are hardy, easy to grow and will continue to flower until winter.

We now stock a specific Buxus fertiliser called TOPBUXUS. I have recently been re-educated about feeding box plants. They require three feeds a year in spring, summer and autumn with a high-performance complete fertiliser. The autumn feed is crucial to prevent box from turning yellow or orange in winter. Feed now and fatten up your Buxus plants for the colder months.

Things to Do:

• Plant new season Pansies, Violas, Poppies, Primulas, Cyclamen and Cinerarias.
• Feed your garden with a good all purpose fertiliser. Plants can become stressed in summer and a good feed and some water helps them recover and embrace the autumnal growth flush. Citrus, Camellias, Azaleas, and Roses will benefit especially.
• Cooler weather is ideal for planting lettuce, silverbeet, spinach, coriander, broccoli and broccolini seedlings and broad beans seeds.
• New season winter flowering bulbs will be in this month and are ideal to brighten up your winter garden. I have daffodils in my garden and I always mass plant a pot or two of tulips (after chilling in crisper for six weeks). Plant Pansies, Violas or Lobelia over the bulbs to protect them and add even more colour.
• Watch out for a sprinkling of silvery-white spots on the leaves of Azaleas and Viburnums. This is a sign of Lace Bug and needs to be treated.
• Reseed or rejuvenate your lawn now. Autumn is one of the best times to improve your lawn, whether that be as little as a decent feed or as much as a whole new lawn.
• Lawn Beetle Grub continues to be a problem in lawns. It'll show up as dead patches in an otherwise green lawn and should be treated as soon as possible.

Plant of the Month

Plectranthus Mona Lavender

One of my all-time favourite plants at this time of the year is Plectranthus Mona Lavender. From late summer through to winter, this hardy perennial is covered in lavender coloured flowers. It is great for shaded positions and even grows well under trees! I love that this plant spreads into the bare patches and fills out a bed with only a little TLC required.