Tony's Tips - July 2026
Winter has truly arrived, bringing cooler days, colder soils and at last, an abundance of seasonal colour throughout the garden.
The unusually warm autumn delayed some of our favourite winter performers, but they are now putting on a spectacular display. Camellias, Hellebores, Primulas and Poppies are flowering beautifully, while Pansies are beginning to flourish. Now that we've passed the shortest day, their flower production increases steadily as daylight hours lengthen, especially when supported with a regular liquid feed.
For rose lovers, the elegant climbing rose James Galway continues to impress, while one of the most exciting Australian rose releases this year is Queen of Sweden. This beautiful David Austin bush rose features a delightful myrrh fragrance and masses of perfectly cupped blooms that open in soft peach-pink tones before fading to a delicate blush pink. Another exceptional introduction from one of the world's most celebrated rose breeders.
If fragrance is what you're after, it's hard to go past Osmanthus. Heaven Scent forms a dense, rounded shrub reaching around 1–1.2 metres tall, producing masses of fragrant white flowers from mid-winter through to spring. For screening or hedging, Osmanthus fragrans grows to 2–3 metres and carries tiny but remarkably perfumed flowers from autumn through spring. Renowned horticultural writer Stirling Macoboy described it as "the most delicious fragrance of all."
Also making a welcome appearance, later than usual this season, are the Hellebores. Two standout pink-flowering varieties worth adding to your garden are Magico and Elemental, both offering beautiful winter blooms when colour is often at its most precious.
Visit us in-store and discover what's looking its best this winter.
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David Austin Rose ‘Queen of Sweden’  |
Helleborus Elemental 
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Osmanthus O. Heaven Scent  |
Camellia japonica ‘Satsuma’  |
Things to Do:
1. Rusty box plants
If your Buxus is looking rusty or bronze in colour, it's suffering from severe nutrient deficiency. Now is the time to give it a boost with TopBuxus Grow Fertiliser.
Winter is also the ideal time for your Buxus's major annual prune. Whether you're simply tidying up or undertaking a complete reshape or renovation, pruning now will encourage dense, healthy growth and keep your plants looking their best throughout the year.
2. Treat citrus pests
Now is the ideal time to remove citrus galls. Pruning them out during winter removes larvae before they hatch in late winter and helps prevent re-infestation.
Galls restrict the tree's vascular system, reducing vigour and weakening the plant over time. The sooner they're removed, the healthier your citrus will be.
3. Feed your roses
Feed roses with a high “K” fertiliser at budburst. Prune roses if you haven’t already.
4. Monitor insects
Check underneath Helleborus and Pansy new growth for sucking insects. Treat with Conguard/Contender.