Practical Gardening Tips & Tricks to Create Your Dream Garden
Gardening in Tasmania comes with its own rhythm. Our cool climate, unique planting cycles, and distinct growing conditions create opportunities unlike anywhere else in Australia. With over 40 years of local experience, we know what thrives here and how to help your garden flourish in every season.
Drop in to the nursery with your questions and chat to one of our friendly gardening experts. Together, we’ll help you grow the garden you’ve always dreamed of.
How to Plant a Thriving Garden in Clay Soil
One of the most common complaints we hear at the nursery is, “I have terrible clay soil.” While clay soils have a bad reputation, it’s not necessarily bad soil. It can be rich in nutrients and excellent at holding moisture. It’s also a relatively easy problem to tackle in the garden. The trick is to stop…
September: Getting Things Growing
September is when spring really gains momentum. The garden is abuzz with new growth and activity, and the list of jobs seems to grow before your eyes. Can you hear the grass growing? With all the sunny days we’ve been having, it hasn’t had much chance to slow down. And amongst the grass, the usual…
Why a Healthy Garden Is Full of Pests
As we head into spring, armies of tiny insects are moving into the garden. Contrary to popular belief, their arrival isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can actually be a sign of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Here’s why. Although they can be annoying, all insects (even aphids) have a role to play in the garden….
Ornamental Cherries: The Magic of Spring
Few trees hold magic quite like an ornamental cherry. For a few glorious weeks in early spring, bare branches disappear beneath wispy clouds of pink or white blossoms, signalling change, inspiring hope, and reminding us that time is fleeting. Ornamental Cherries Scientific name: Prunus spp.Common name: Ornamental CherryFamily: Rosaceae Ornamental cherries are particularly magnetic. When they burst into bloom,…
August: Re-Entering the Garden
August sits at the turning point between winter and spring — a time to clear the last weeds, prepare the garden beds and make the most of the quiet moments before the growing season begins. August is the month where winter begins to loosen its grip and the garden starts stirring back to life. Along…
Soil Health: The Essential Nutrients for Strong Fruit Trees
Soil preparation prior to planting can make all the difference when it comes to fruiting, helping your trees establish strong roots, healthy growth and generous crops for years to come. Homegrown fruit are memory makers. Imagine biting into freshly picked apricots, juices running down your forearm and into your sleeve, or finding cherries on Christmas…
Spotlight on Fruit Trees: Grow an Abundance of Fruit
Discover the perfect fruit tree for your garden, with helpful information on pollination, harvest times and the best ways to enjoy your homegrown harvest. Winter is the best time to plant bare-root fruit trees. While right now they may look like little more than sticks, beneath the soil they’re quietly establishing intricate root systems that…
Did You Know: How to Prune Summer- and Autumn-Fruiting Raspberries
Your curious questions answered One of the questions we’re asked most often at the nursery each winter is how to prune summer- and autumn-fruiting raspberries. Fortunately, it’s a simple task once you know which type you’re growing. Get that part right, and the rest is little more than a few well-placed cuts. Summer-fruiting raspberries produce…
Roses Made for Picking: The Best Varieties for Cut Flowers
Building the perfect bouquet of roses is not just about fragrance and colours. Hybrid tea roses have been regarded as the gold standard for cut flowers since forever. Their large, high-centred blooms and long, straight stems make them ideal for formal bouquets, which is why they remain a favourite among florists. Varieties such as Mr. Lincoln, Peace and Pope…
A Reliable Camellia for Every Spot in the Garden
Whether you have a sunny or shady position in the garden, there’s a camellia for every situation. The camellia has long been a stalwart feature of Tasmanian gardens. Their handsome, glossy leaves provide a lush green presence throughout the year, while their intricate blooms are especially welcome when much of the garden is shrouded in…
Winter Colour Starts at Home with Wonderful Flowering Natives
Tough and resilient, these flowering natives will make you fall in love with winter. Most people associate winter with drab, dreary and muted gardens. We tend to seek out colour in the cheerful pops of pansies, poppies and polyanthuses, but there are far more interesting and intricate flowers to admire at this time of year….
Soil Preparation: The Essential Prep Work for Beautiful Peony Blossoms
A little attention now can make all the difference when it comes to flowering, transforming a leafy green shrub into a spectacular display of blooms. If there’s one thing to celebrate about the arrival of winter, it’s that peonies are happily settling into dormancy, preparing for a spectacular flush of blooms in spring. Peonies and…
Rose Pruning Made Simple: Answers to Your Most Asked Questions
Your curious questions answered For many gardeners, rose pruning is one of the most intimidating jobs of the year. Knowing where to cut, how much to remove, and whether you’re doing it correctly can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, roses are far tougher than they’re often given credit for. With a few basic techniques and an understanding…
June: Winter Spells A Change in Routine
A change in temperature means changing routines to match the season. Winter has a way of revealing the bones of a garden. As deciduous trees shed their leaves and summer flowers fade, the garden’s bone structure becomes clear. Paths, trees, hedges and garden beds all play a greater role when flowers are no longer competing…
June: What to Plant in the Veggie Patch Now
Winter is the time to take stock of your seeds and plan for new vegetable experiments. Visit us to explore our seed range from Southern Harvest and Mr Fothergills. Come in to the Nursery and talk to one of our friendly garden experts today!
Beautiful and Enduring Magnolias for Cool-Climate Gardens
Magnolias’ timeless structure and seasonal drama earn them a place in every Tasmanian garden. Long before bees, before grasses, before much of what we recognise as a modern garden, magnolias were flourishing on earth over 95 million years ago. Their glossy leaves (unappealing to many insects) and large carpels (easily accessible for beetles) ensured their…
Skippy Proof Plant: Spirea spp.
May bush for May — Elegant, floriferous and wildlife proof. If you’re after a shrub that carries its weight in the garden, it’s hard to go past spireas. Elegant and easy-going, most spiraeas form neat, rounded shrubs ranging from around 60cm up to 1.5m, depending on the variety. Hardy and adaptable, they’ll tolerate a wide…
May: Settling In and Slowing Down
The garden is easing into the quiet rhythm of late autumn. Cooler mornings are arriving more often now, with light stretching lower across the garden. Growth is slowing, but not stopping. Plants are holding steady and roots continue their quiet work below ground. While the pace has changed, there’s still plenty to do, particularly if…
May: What to Plant in the Veggie Patch Now
Autumn is the time for nutrient-rich, heartwarming, comfort-food veggies. Visit us to explore our seed range from Southern Harvest and Mr Fothergills. Come in to the Nursery and talk to one of our friendly garden experts today!
Soil Preparation: The Essential Prep Work for Better Fruit Trees
A little bit of hard work put in over the quiet season means stronger fruit trees, fewer problems and better harvests to come. It’s almost bare root tree season, but there are a few important jobs to do well before digging holes and planting fruit trees. This guide walks through the essential groundwork. Choose the…
