Crisp winter days just get better with the promise of a spectacular show of seasonal plants. To get the most out of your garden, it is the perfect time to start planting winter flowers to bring in hardy colour. Additionally, winter’s quiet period is an ideal time to take on yearly maintenance in and around the garden and home. Get inspired with this checklist to ensure you are on top of your tasks and bring in brilliant blooms.
Welcome in the wonders of a winter garden
Contrary to common belief, winter is just as busy a time in the garden as any. Though your garden may not look as vibrant as it does in spring and summer, you can add an incredible boost of colour by planting winter flowers and ticking off some needed DIY tasks. To see just how much you can get stuck into, explore our Wonder guide to autumn and winter garden care. For getting a month by month breakdown on tasks to keep up with, use our garden calendar.
Put the petal to the metal — start planting winter flowers
Many flowering perennials annuals and shrubs that do well in the harsh of winter — but just be sure to plant them before ground frost sets in. This will help them establish roots firmly in the ground.
Gorgeous winter flowers to add to your winter garden:
Azaleas, Camellias, African or Namaqualand Daisies, Gladiolus, Lewisia, Pansies, Petunias, Phlox, Primulas, Proteas, Roses, Snapdragons, Strelitzias, and Tulips.
We love seeing pansies, violas and snapdragons as lovely additions to edgings and daisies en masse in beds or around rockeries. Elevate your garden’s palette by putting petunias or hardy lewisia in hanging baskets or window boxes. Use Wonder Rose & Flower, a specially developed granular fertiliser, to feed your roses, flowering plants and shrubs, and ornamentals. It delivers a balanced blend of nitrogen, developing healthy foliage and potassium for quality bud formation, as well as pest and disease resistance.
Gear up and get gardening
While you may want to curl up and weather the chilly season indoors, winter preparation is an essential part of maintaining the health and beauty of your garden and home at large. Follow these guidelines to give your garden a boost just in time for winter’s grand entrance.
Prune
Efekto Steriseal fungicidal pruning wound paste helps prevent any disease creeping in after cutting and removing stems and branches. To help you decide on the best times to do this, refer to our sister company Efekto’s pruning guide.
Weed
During winter, weeds take advantage of your lawn’s weakened state to fill every possible gap. Most weeds are dormant during this colder season but there are a few to watch for. It is still not too late to treat creeping sorrel, clovers, dandelions and a few others that might pop up. Reinforce your garden’s health and defend against broadleaf weeds with help from Efekto’s range of weed solutions.
Feed and fertilise
Keep plants thriving with proper nutrition. Use Wonder Plant Booster All Purpose, which contains balanced nutrients and slow-release nitrogen to feed your herbs and winter greens.
Rake in regular maintenance
While most of the garden remains dormant, wintertime is synonymous with tidy time for gardeners. Think all things garden and caring, from sorting to cleaning, to mending and conditioning. Take time to focus on raking to removing leaves to avoid disease and then add to the compost pile or leaf mould. Also set aside a day to do a proper review of your garden shed or greenhouse to organise, clean and treat the space. Give your equipment and tools some love with cleaning and conditioning to avoid rust and give wooden handles a healthy shine. With the fallen leaves of autumn, be sure to prioritise the health of your gutters. Clear any clogged piping to prevent backing up and flooding. Lastly, loosen the ground to void compaction, invite in air and allow water to penetrate the soil to keep plant roots happy and healthy.
Help your garden withstand winter with Wonder
May you enjoy those crisp winter days ahead planting winter flowers and working on those important, but rewarding garden tasks. For more information on how our solutions can help you, read our garden guides or contact us.
