Don’t wait for spring!

It’s time for some backyard therapy. Our plants may be shutting down for winter but that doesn’t mean we have to!

Be motivated the vision of a better than ever spring garden in your mind’s eye. Now is the time to implement changes you’ve been thinking about and transplant those things that need to be moved to another part of the garden.

With soil moisture pretty much guaranteed, we can safely plant roses, trees, shrubs and hedges. If you have space to plant more trees, you could make it an Arbor Day celebration with the kids. There are so many good reasons to plant trees and shrubs. Read more about this in our Greenlife Matters story on page 26.

In mild northern climates the vege garden keeps going and there is plenty that can be planted all year round. For those who like their winter veges handy to the kitchen, it’s a good time to be planting in containers. Lettuces, silverbeet, spinach, cress, garlic, carrots, beetroot, even peas and potatoes can be planted now.

Where the winter garden lies bare, make the most of the opportunity to pamper your soil. We have some tips for you on page 6. This issue’s Real Gardeners, Anthony and Zarnia have found the secret to successful vege gardening is great soil.

Sometimes I struggle for motivation on a dull wintry day. My way around this is to always have some small gardening job at the top of my to do list. It might be a rose that needs pruning or a punnet of silverbeet that needs planting. Once I’m out there, I’m rarely in any hurry to go back inside. Things get done, but best of all I am re-energised after an hour or two spent pottering about in the cool fresh air.

Happy winter gardening,