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Climatic Regions of Australia

Climate Zones

To have success with plants trees and shrubs, you should get to know more about where you live and how it is classified in the climatic map of your country. Australia is in the southern hemisphere. Australia has various climatic regions, tropical, subtropical, temperate and cold zones. Cold zones are classified as having low temperatures, frost and sometimes snow. The cold zone also has a short summer growing season. To learn more about climate zones check out the following:

	• AusInfo website
	• www.bom.gov.au/climate or
	• Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology

With an understanding of your climate and zone you can follow the manufacturers planting guide normally outlined on seed packets, shrub description and plant tags. As a rule select what suits your zone and climate and you will have better success with your plants. Ask your garden centre horticulturist to assist you make the right selection for your climatic zone and the areas in your garden.

The Seasonal Planting Calendar

December – Summer Season December brings summer and Xmas in the southern hemisphere all at once. Unlike the northern hemisphere it is time for festivities and summer holidays and most families have a place in the garden for outdoor entertaining of family and friends. It is the reason to make the garden colourful and relaxing. Things to do in December Highlight - XMAS

	• Prune shrubs after bloom.
	• Prepare your Xmas decorations.
	• Buy some Xmas lilies for the table.
	• Plant out seedlings in garden beds and pots.
	• Buy your tree, fresh is best, it smells like Xmas.
	• Prepare your Xmas list and write and post your Xmas cards.
	• Plan your entertaining area and have a general clean up in the garden.
	• Create garden gifts and give a plant in a pot, decorate or paint the pot or simply wrap
	• in colourful paper and ribbons.
	• Give gardening tools, gloves, sunscreen, garden hat, sunglasses, Areoguard insect
	• spray or an idea from the garden store.
	• Deadhead plants by pinching out old and withered flowers, this process will encourage
	• production of flowers instead of fruits and seeds.
	• Give a gardener a useful garden book or subscription to a good garden magazine such
	• as Yates Garden Guide, Better homes and Garden Books, Garden and Outdoor Living
	• magazine or Your Garden magazine. They all provide useful seasonal information.
	• Sow autumn flowers, examples: Alyssum, asters cosmos, carnations petunias, poppies,
	• primula, sunflower, verbena, and wallflower.

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Things to do in January – Summer Season Highlight – Summer Holidays

	• Pick strawberries.
	• Make sure your pot plants are located in the right position.
	• Make sure you have your garden watered and cared for in your absence.
	• Buy sunscreen and a hat and look out your bathing gear for on the beach.
	• Take cuttings from shrubs and propagate for extra plants in the garden or pots.
	• Spread mulch around your trees, shrubs and plants, ensure the mulch is back from the roots.
	• Feed plants with soluble liquid fertiliser buy Phostrogen or Thrive. Follow the instructions
	• given by the manufacturers. It is the safe way to feed plants.
	• To care for your garden and protect your plants, buy water saving products either
	• granular or liquid. They are easy to use and can be used in the garden and pots and baskets.

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Things to do in February - Last Month of Summer Highlight – Valentines Day

	• These bulbs will flower in SPRING.
	• Freesias, Spanish Bluebells, Jonquils, Snowflakes.
	• Bulbs for indoors are hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils and tulips.
	• Plan VALENTINES DAY 14TH February, young or old it is fun to send roses, flowers or cards.
	• It is also a good project for kids to pot up a plant and give it to Mum or Grandmother,
	• Dad or Grandad.
	• Teach children to give plants it will encourage them for the future to have an interest in
	• the garden.
	• It is also time to consider buying bulbs for planting over the next few months.
	• Plant beetroot, climbing beans, cabbage, Swedes spring onions, parsley in the
	• vegetable garden.
	• Sow annual flowers such as dianthus, marigolds, pansies, carnations, and violas lobelia
	• poppies primula.
	• A garden that contains the right selection of bulbs will have colour from late winter to
	• summer or early autumn.

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Things to do in March – Autumn Season Commences Highlight – Easter Falls in Autumn

	• Turn compost heaps.
	• Buy bulbs for planting now.
	• Pick herbs and dry out for using in winter.
	• Prune fuchsias and pelargonium to get denser shape.
	• Aerate lawns and sow seeds in bare patches before winter.
	• Remove spent perennials and long hanging stems on shrubs.
	• Feed the lawn with a good complete lawn food to keep green longer.
	• Autumn lettuce, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, onions, carrots parsley and spinach.
	• Sow Livingstone daisies, pansies, snapdragon, wallflower, cornflower, Add a handful
	• of blood and bone to speed decomposition of compost heap.

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Things to do in April – Autumn Season

	• PLANT new trees.
	• PRUNE apple and pear trees as growing stops now.
	• Raise the blades on the mower as grass growth slows now.
	• PLANT evergreen trees and shrubs before the ground cools down.
	• Rake fallen leaves and add to compost heap or use as a mulch in the garden.
	• Sow alyssum, Canterbury bell cornflower, hollyhock polyanthus poppy, primula etc.
	• Prepare rose beds with lime, compost and rotted manures for planting bare rooted roses
	• in May and June.
	• Plant all spring flowering bulbs now, including anemones, bluebells, daffodils,
	• grape hyacinth, tulips and daffodils.
	• Reduce watering of indoor plants with the onset of cold nights and mornings.
	• Sow bent and other growing grass seed.

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Things to do in May – Autumn Season

	• Camellias flower now.
	• Plant bare rooted roses.
	• Buy citrus trees for gardens or tubs.
	• Clean moss from shaded paths before winter.
	• Plant potatoes in zones free from winter frost.
	• Prepare roots of trees and shrubs for transplanting.
	• Spray apricot, peach, cherry, plum, nectarine, and fruit trees when leaves fall to prevent
	• leaf curl in spring ask your garden centre horticulturist to recommend a suitable spray.

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