Sydney gardening

You may hear other gardeners talking about autumn being the best time for planting, but why is that the case? Autumn – particularly mid-autumn - is a good time to plant for lots of reasons, but all are to do with creating a stress-free environment for the new plant to flourish and experience less transplant shock.   Reason 1: The...

As residential land shrinks in size, there are many reasons that a garden might lack sun, even if it is north facing. Sun can be blocked by a tree or neighbouring building. Your own house might also cast shadows on your garden throughout the day depending on its height and surroundings. If it’s shady at your place and you love...

Temperate gardeners already grow subtropical fruiting plants such as lemons, oranges and passionfruit. Don’t stop there. Several other fruits, which in the past were seen as unsuited to temperate gardens such those in Sydney, can be grown successfully. It’s time to add avocados and even mangos to your productive garden. We can now grow these delicious fruits in cooler zones...

In the past, there was a firm belief that if you wanted to grow Australian native plants, you had to have a completely native garden. This was partly due environmental beliefs, partly aesthetic and partly because native plants were considered to have special growing requirements which didn’t mix well with other garden plants. Well, times have changed. Australian native plants...

Hedges are often taken for granted  - but with a little bit of care and attention, they add a lush and lovely element to the garden. Hedges create shelter and privacy while also acting as a backdrop for other plantings - but proper hedge maintenance is essential for their ongoing survival. The best plant choices are dense, evergreen shrubs with...

Autumn, while soils are still warm but conditions are becoming milder after the heat and humidity of summer, is an important time to look after the lawn. After a hot, dry summer, lawns may be brown with areas of bare soil. If the summer has been wet and humid, lawns may remain lush and green but can have problematic weed...

There's nothing better in summer than fresh, juicy tropical fruit - especially if you've grown it yourself! No, you don't have to be a commercial grower on a beautiful Queensland plantation to reap a great harvest. It is definitely possible for you to grow your own tropical fruit, even in less-than-tropical Sydney. Here are our five top tips.   Influence...

Australian native plants are making their way into a broad range of garden designs today. New cultivars have introduced a broader colour palette and the always interesting foliage and flowers of natives are back in vogue, especially when paired with contrasting plant groups in rambling, cottage garden styles. There are a huge range of compact native shrubs that make for excellent...

November is ideal to freshen up your outdoors ready for summer entertaining in the garden. Add bursts of colour with flowering plants, or spruce up your outdoor furniture setting with new cushions and lanterns in cheerful summer colours.