There’s nothing like a long weekend storm to announce winter has arrived in Perth.
By keeping an eye on the forecast, winter can be a very productive time in the garden.
Perth winters are relatively mild, making it a great time to get ahead on garden maintenance. The best way to tackle weeds is to pull them out before they seed and spread. Think about pruning and transplanting before new spring growth.
So make hay while the sun shines by gardening on the days between downpours. Don’t forget to feed the garden with a low-nitrogen fertiliser and to treat for scale insects.
From July, conditions are “ripe” for planting fruit trees such as apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum, apricot and cherry trees. Choose low-chill varieties that will provide the best fruit yield in Perth conditions.
The best citrus varieties for Perth’s sandy soils and good fruit growth are Eureka lemon, Tahitian lime, Imperial mandarin, and navel orange. For more unusual varieties, Swan Valley Station also stocks pomelo (great in Asian salads), Nagami cumquat (you can eat this one skin and all), blood orange and the red-fleshed Cara Cara navel orange.
Citrus plants grow as well in tubs and big pots as they do in the ground, meaning apartment and unit owners don’t need to miss out on having winter citrus on hand.
Swan Valley Station has 10 per cent off all big ceramic tubs right through winter. Just mention you saw it on our website.
Need something to contrast with the gloomy skies? For a burst of colour in your garden, try lavender for starters. They’re easy to plant, easy to maintain and a hit with the bees. From July, Swan Valley Station will stock multiple varieties and colours, including pink, purple, white, ruffle, dwarf, hedging, English and French.
Cherry blossoms start flowering mid-winter for the first teaser of “spring” in the garden. Prunus blireana, a robust plum, has showy double pink flowers and nice purple leaves, while the ornamental Prunus nigra has single pink flowers with contrasting darker purple leaves.
Native plants are a sensible, hardy addition to any Perth garden, much-needed by our birds and insects. And winter is the time to plant them!
Grevilleas will flower through winter, and Geraldton Wax start mid-winter and continue through spring. Plant bottlebrush in winter for bright branches of blooms in spring, which honeyeaters will be excited to see. Swan Valley Station carries a selection of dwarf bottlebrush in pink and white or standard red, flowering varieties.
For shaded areas or patios, check out our great range of Philodendrons, including Xanadu and Dwarf Selloum, with their attractive, dark green glossy leaves. These can also be grown indoors in pots with bright indirect sunlight, but outside they look great mixed with trailing Devil’s Ivy to add a variegated leaf to the garden bed mix.
To add colour to shaded areas such as dark spots under trees, try Clivia. These will be in stock from July in stunning orange and yellow varieties.
Drop in to Swan Valley Station for advice on all your winter gardening needs.
Enjoy a coffee, scones or a bowl of hot soup with crusty bread before or after browsing!