The Garden Diaries: Victoria In August

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Gardening in August in Victoria is fabulous. While you might think it’s too cold to get out into the garden, there’s so much to do.

Hero plant this month: Azaleas

There's some beautiful flowering plants you can put in now. Acid lovers are a perfect example. Azaleas, camellias, hellebores and armerias all fit that category and are putting on a great show this month.

When little else is flowering, azaleas are a great choice with the added bonus of being available in a range of fabulous, colourful blooms. 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.

If you live in a frosty area and are worried about burn or flower fade on your azaleas, keep them in pots and move them to somewhere more protected, or sheltered. When potting up azaleas, use an acid-loving plant mix. And don’t overwater.

With its pretty pink flowers, armeria is a low-maintenance plant that should be on your radar. Its dry tolerant once established and has ornamental grass-like foliage. It’s ideal for pots, or can be used around edges and borders.

What else to plant

It’s a really good time to plant potatoes. There are many varieties available, so get some advice on what will work for your region. Always buy seed potatoes as they are guaranteed to be virus-free. Potatoes don’t like frost, so plant yours after the last one is expected. Potatoes take about three to four months to fully mature.

Also put in onions, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, beetroot and lettuce. Plant those all-year for successive crops.

Maintenance

Jobs to do now include feeding your entire garden with an organic-based fertiliser. It’s also a really good time to pull weeds. They come out more easily when the ground is moist.

Also, don’t forget to water if rain has been scarce in your area. Pay special attention to plants that have just been planted and those under eaves or in pots.

Harvest

There are also plenty of things to harvest in August. Kale loves the cold as does silverbeet and spinach, so continue to pick the leaves. In a protected spot, lettuce will do well too.

It might be a little chilly, but August is certainly one of the best times to be in the garden. Do some work now, and you’ll really reap the benefits long term.

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.

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Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.