The garden diaries: Western Australia in August

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August is perfect month in Western Australia to get out into the garden. A little work now, will set the garden up perfectly for the spring and summer.

Hero plant this month: Acid loving plants

This month is all about acid loving plants, including azaleas, camellias and gardenias.

With a range of new varieties in store, azaleas are a great plant to add some colour to the garden this time of year. Most are long flowering, and many grow well in pots.

Azaleas like a semi-shaded position, and prefer morning sun and like good drainage. Remember over watering is a potential azalea killer and keep an eye out for insects and diseases.

Camellias are also a good choice, 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.

What else to plant

Natives are brilliant to plant this time of year. They attract birds and insects to the garden and many grow well in the soils of Western Australia. August is a great time to get them in and established before it starts heating up.

It’s also a good time of year to put in some vegies. Peas, silverbeet and rhubarb are good choices. Try planting rhubarb crowns, they like a sunny spot and well-drained soil enriched with well-rotted manure. Also, get in some herbs like parsley and chives too.

Maintenance

In August, it’s a good time to dead head any winter flowering plants and perennials like pansy or sedum.

Give shrubs a tidy up too. Prune to shape and remove any dead wood to promote new growth.

It’s also the perfect time to add trace elements to the lawn to give it a good boost ready for spring. If you need help with knowing what to apply, pop into your local store for some advice. Lawns will also benefit from a dose of seaweed solution to help the activation process.

Feed vegie seedlings, to give them a boost as well as citrus and natives. Be sure to use a low phosphorous fertiliser on any natives.

Harvest

Winter vegies are coming to the fore. Pull leeks, carrots and onions. Pick coriander regularly. Cauliflower and beetroot are also ready for picking. Don’t leave beetroots in the soil to get tough and woody.

So there you go, there’s plenty to do in your garden in August in Western Australia.

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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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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.