The Garden Diaries: New South Wales in October

View the video

October is here, it’s brilliantly warm in New South Wales. It’s a really good time for getting into the garden.

Hero plant this month: Palms

October is a great time to be planting in the garden. This month it’s all about palms.

Palms offer a tropical look to any garden and are really versatile. They work well as a screening plant, are brilliant grown indoors, plant in a pot, or put some in around the pool for an excellent accent plant.

The good news is, there’s a palm for most regions of Australia. A favourite in NSW is the golden cane palm Dypsis lutescens a popular landscaping plant that has lush, dense foliage and is multi-stemmed.

Plant in well-drained soil in the garden. Or if you’re planting in a pot use a quality potting mix.

Water deeply when it’s warm and dry. As a general rule, fertilise in spring, summer and autumn. If you’re not sure what to use, pop into store and ask the garden experts.

What else to plant

Other great options for the garden are natives. Kangaroo paws are a perfect addition to the garden. Look out for the newer varieties such as ‘Bush Gems’. Known for their compact growth habit, their sensational long flowering season and drought tolerance. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Remember, they don’t like wet feet.

Spring is a great time to put in some summer vegetables. Prepare the patch with organic matter and rotted manure before planting lettuces, tomatoes, capsicum, and eggplant. Beetroot and basil are also good options for planting this month, as are cucumbers. Let them grow as a ground cover or they work well as a climber, but you’ll need to install a frame or some trellis.

Maintenance

With warm weather, comes spring growth. After natives have finished flowering, remove spent blooms and prune to shape.

Fertilise other plants in the garden, to encourage growth. Citrus are always hungry, so give then some food too. Use a specialised citrus fertiliser.

And remember, don’t fertilise on a really hot day.

It’s a great month to give indoor pot plants a spring clean. Repot any that are looking tired. Use a quality potting mix. Add some slow release fertiliser. Water in. Finally, remove dust off the leaves with a soft, damp cloth.

Harvest

Pick for the table, the last of the winter vegies. Celery, carrots, Asian greens and lettuces will be on your menu.

There you go, make the most of the wonderful October spring weather and get out into the garden.

Our Perfect Plant Promise

Remember the Perfect Plant Promise. All our plants (except seedlings) are guaranteed for 12 months. If you're not 100 percent happy, return your plant (with the receipt or tax invoice) and we'll refund it.

Start planting today

Check out the wide range of plants online or visit your local Bunnings Warehouse to find out how you can bring your garden to life.

More D.I.Y. Advice

Planting & Growing The best low-maintenance plants for your garden Low-maintenance plants are a great choice if you don’t want to spend too much time tending to your garden. Here are the best plants for creating an attractive garden that’s also easy to care for.

Planting & Growing How to choose drought tolerant plants If you live in an area that doesn’t get much rain, you need to save water or you simply want a low-maintenance garden, then using drought tolerant plants is a great idea. Here’s a list of things to consider before you go out and buy them.

Planting & Growing How to create a low-allergy garden If you suffer from hay fever or other allergies, then being out in the garden can, at times, be less than enjoyable. But there are some steps you can take to create an allergy-friendly garden so you can spend more time gardening and less time sneezi...

Planting & Growing How to start a vegetable garden Nothing tastes better than home-grown vegetables. To make it easy for you, we’ll take you through some things to consider like where, what and how to plant vegetables, as well as how to feed and care for them.

Planting & Growing Protect your garden from snails slugs and leaf eaters There is a wide range of highly effective and innovative products available to gardeners to help them care for and protect their plants against insects, snails and slugs.

Planting & Growing How to attract bees and butterflies Unfortunately, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects are under increasing threat due to pesticides, parasites and climate change. We can help them by using responsible gardening practices, planting flowers and providing them with shelter.

Planting & Growing How to make a worm farm A worm farm can turn your organic waste into rich fertiliser to feed your garden. It’s also a fun and rewarding way to get the kids actively involved in the environment.

Planting & Growing Six plants that repel mosquitoes and flies Using plants is a natural and effective way to repel mosquitoes, flies and other insects from entering your home. Here’s a list of the six best insect-repelling plants.