four seasons side by side

Your simple guide to Perth garden maintenance: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

This guide is designed to take you through a year in Perth, breaking down the basic goals, essential maintenance tasks and tips for enjoying your garden year-round. These essential tasks are what we do to keep our clients’ gardens looking beautiful from year to year. If you’re just looking for a particular season, you can go straight to that section by clicking on the relevant season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.

 

Spring: September 1st to November 30th

Spring is an exciting time for gardens! This season you can expect a period of serious growth, and hopefully some lovely weather for spending time outdoors. There are a few things we can do to make the most of the season though, and now’s the time to do them. Spring is the time to spray for pests on new plant growth around the garden. A lot of growth happens in spring, so it’s important to shape deciduous trees now to improve their structure and stimulate some of that new growth

Your garden is about to leap out of the ground and the hard work put in during Winter is about to pay off. This Spring our horticultural services team will be concentrating on the following elements, as well as any extra jobs our clients need to be completed to ensure the best presentation of their gardens.

Pruning – We’ll be pruning winter flowering plants to encourage new foliage throughout Spring.

Check your irrigation system – In Spring we conduct major irrigation checks to ensure good flow rates and pattern of coverage and irrigation run times to suit the season.

Liquid fertiliser – We will commence liquid fertiliser applications to encourage new growth and colour.

Quick release fertiliser – Spring is also the time to apply quick release fertilisers on the garden. These allow your plants to feed in a more natural manner, keeping them healthy.

Slow release fertiliser – Application of slow release fertilisers throughout your garden helps to ensure strong growth throughout the season.

Organic materials – Organic materials are added and worked in to keep up with the nutrient requirements during this period of heavy feeding.

Spray for pests – Apply to new plant growth around the garden.

Shape deciduous trees – This improves structure and stimulates new growth.

 

Summer: December 1st – February 28th

Managing your garden through this difficult period and minimising plant stress is our main priority. Our Horticultural Services team will be concentrating on the following items as well as any extra jobs our clients feel need to be completed to ensure the best presentation of their gardens. Spring has drawn to a close, the excitement of new growth and greenery is giving way to watering anxiety. We get a lot of questions about keeping gardens thriving through summer and it can sometimes seem like a full-time job, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some of the things we do for our clients to help them with their landscape maintenance through the season, follow along for some tips on caring for your own garden!

Applying soil wetting agents – To improve moisture levels between watering cycles.

Trim hedges and plants lightly – To ensure strong growth without burning the tips.

Checking moisture levels – Adjusting irrigation settings according to a garden’s needs (and approved watering days).

Introducing shade where necessary – If you’re worried some of your plants are suffering in direct sun, you can make some efforts to shade them, or if they’re in pots, move them!

Carefully tending to new plantings – If you’ve got seedlings or plants that aren’t quite established, take extra care to keep them damp.

Mulching! – Strategically laying down mulch is a great way to keep root systems cool and prevent water evaporation, you may find that mulching saves you time maintaining your garden in the long run.

Continue deadheading flowers – to encourage new flushes. Shorten rose stem length when deadheading to keep them in check. Fertilise roses regularly.

Use seaweed extracts regularly – To address heat stress (soil drench or foliage spray).

Tie up tall-growing flowering annuals/perennials –  Such as sweet peas, foxgloves , Queen Anne’s Lace, Delphiniums, etc.

Spray for pests – Such as aphids with pyrethrum, as necessary.

Watch for fungal problems – Such as powdery mildew and sooty mould. Apply lime sulphur or copper oxychloride.

 

Autumn: March 1st – May 31st

Finally your garden with be able to breathe a sigh of relief from the summer heat. Throughout the Autumn months we will be focusing on making sure gardens are looking their best and ready for Winter. Here are some of the things our teams do for their clients during Autumn.

Feed lawns – With fertilizer higher in Potassium to encourage strong healthy growth prior to winter. We like to use High K and Energy turf, and Eco Prime emerald.

Scarify – Couch and Kikuyu turfs and remove dead organic matter.

Complete overseeding of shaded turf areas  – We use Fescue or Rye seed.

Spray turf with pre-emergent winter grass treatments – We use Barricade, Kerb and Poacheck.

Raise mowing heights – To compensate for slowing growth.

Aerate soil – Turn it over with a hoe, or deeper with a garden fork.

Treat dry soils – Use wetting agents to cultivate thoroughly and ensure water penetrates evenly when it rains. Dig over any heavy or clay soils with improvers before Autumn rains make it less workable. Alternatively add soil solver clay plus to the sandy soils.

Trim off scale and fungal disease affected growth – Around the garden, clean debris from the garden to prevent pest and disease over Winter.

Prepare beds for bare rooted plants – Such as roses and deciduous ornamentals and fruit trees if desired.

Collar around plants and trees – This prevents collar rot in the coming months.

Re-pot any pot bound plants – Re-position sun loving pot plants in warm well-lit areas.

Feed with a controlled release fertilizer – Especially acid loving plants and citrus to help sweeten fruit. Fertilize natives with a native plant food. Do not fertilize frost sensitive plants as it will promote new growth over the winter months.

Trim ferns – Thoroughly in March to promote new growth before Winter.

Give hedges a light prune – Change from liquid feeding to slow-release granular in areas of the garden irrigated by driplines that utilises early rainfall.

Reduce irrigation – Reduce run times.

Sow annuals – For Winter and Spring.

Tidy ponds – Remove pumps if required.

 

Winter: June 1st – August 31st

Protecting your garden against the Winter months is our main priority during this time of the year.  Whilst the plant growth may have slowed, there are important jobs that still need doing! Over the Winter months our horticultural services team will be concentrating on the tasks listed below, as well as any projects and jobs our clients would like to be completed to ensure a quality presentation of their gardens come Spring.

Hard cut back of your roses – We also apply treatments to combat pests and diseases.

Removal of fallen leaves – Remove general debris that may harbor pest, disease, or promote rot.

It’s time to feed your soil again – In preparation for Spring we will be applying some wonderful organic compost products and other soil additives to ensure complete nutrition.

Lightly cultivating soil – This is to improve air and water movement through the soil profile. We will also be in contact with our customers about mulching or planting suggestions should they wish to make fresh plantings.

As the unavoidable chill of winter sets in, there are several simple tasks you can undertake to ensure your outdoor living space “welcomes” the cold, rainy winter weather.

Styling

A comfortable and durable outdoor setting with removable soft, cushion seating is ideal for any outdoor space. Textures and warm colours can be incorporated with cushions, throws, and rugs to transform your alfresco into an inviting, cozy space even on the most dismal winter’s day.

Lighting

A well-designed lighting plan will help to conquer the long, dark winter nights. The ray’s warm tones emitted from the lighting will create a snug and inviting space to draw you and out family outside. Strategically placing lights under feature trees and sculptures will highlight their beauty, visible from the comfort of your patio.

Adding Warmth

A source of heat in an outdoor space is as essential as a roof for when it rains. A fire pit emits an abundance of heat and warm natural light from the flames encouraging a toasty winter space. They come in a variety of styles and types from authentic wood, electric, gas and glass options perfect for any outdoor space. Just remember not to place an open fire under roofing unless an extraction fan installed above. Electric and gas heaters are an effortless solution, available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. Usually quite compact, they can be incorporated into even the smallest of areas and in the warmer summer months, they can be move and stored out of sight. For something a bit extra, hydronic underfloor heating can be installed under stone or concrete for comfortable even warmth.

Blocking out the cold

We can all agree having just a roof over our head does not stop the draft of the crisp winter air through the alfresco. Consider adding blinds to the perimeter of the alfresco acting as temporary “walls” that can be adjusted depending on the weather. Binds also aid in securing warmth within the structure so the cost to run the heater will be reduced. They come in a variety of styles meaning there is one for every budget.

Clear the gutters

With the cold air comes rain and wind carrying debris and leaves from trees and surrounding elements which end up in our gutters. To avoid any “surprise” waterfalls from clogged drains and gutters, ensure all gutters around the alfresco (and the rest of the house) are cleared. This can be done by getting up on a ladder and removing it by hand, if you are not comfortable doing it yourself you can engage a gutter cleaning services.