Gardeners in Queensland love August because everything is starting to warm up and kick in. It's a great time of the year to start planting. Here are a few things to do this month.
Hero plant this month: Azaleas
Azaleas are in flower, and what better time to plant them? With new varieties in store, they add some colour to the garden. Most are long flowering, and many grow well in pots.
Azaleas like a semi-shaded position, prefer morning sun and like good drainage. Remember over watering is a potential azalea killer and keep an eye out for insects and diseases.
It's also a good time to plant camellias, which stand out with their attractive evergreen foliage and delicate flowers. They have a long flowering season, are hardy, and can be grown in pots, as specimen plants or hedged. Some species, such as japonica prefer shade or filtered light, others, like sasanquas flourish in full sun.
What else to plant
Natives are another great choice to plant right now with their bird attracting flowers. Try banksias and grevilleas. Both like well-drained soils and a sunny spot. Banksias respond well to light pruning.Remember to prune grevilleas during the flowering months to encourage more blooms.
Also, plant edibles like eggplant, capsicums, beans, pumpkin and cucumber seeds.
Maintenance
Towards the end of the month, when it's getting a bit warmer, prune any hibiscus plants. Give them a good hard cut back and while you're at it, deadhead winter flowers on perennials.
It's a good time to fertilise and give plants a boost as growth cycles have started. Your plants will love some additional nutrients. Citrus love to be fed regularly and will reward you with plenty of fruit. Feed natives too but use a low-phosphorous fertiliser. On your lawn, use a seaweed solution.
Every garden should have a compost bin, so at this time of year, get yours up and going. Turn it regularly to get the air through.
Finally, keep an eye on your garden's watering needs, make sure you give plants that need it a good sprinkle.
Harvest
There's some great produce to pick too. Bananas, snow peas, asparagus and leeks are all coming into season and ready for harvest.
There's no doubt August is a great time to be in the garden as everything is kicking on and getting ready for spring.
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.