Plants by Season

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for the first time, you'll find tips, timing guides, and plant-specific advice to help you grow what thrives when it thrives. From spring seedlings to autumn harvests, discover how to make the most of every season in your garden.

Wild bird wellness

As winter sets in, trees and shrubs go dormant for the season, biding their time until spring arrives. That means a reduction of food sources like nectar, berries and insects for our wild bird friends.

Jewels of the winter garden

Proteas and their cousins Leucadendrons and Grevilleas are among the most valuable shrubs in a winter garden when there is little other colour. They also make excellent long lasting cut flowers.

Espalier - edible art

Popular in the Middle Ages, the art of espaliering could be the answer for urban would-be orchardists with ever smaller back yards.

Spring bulbs - playing with colour

Autumn is planting time for spring flowering bulbs. Daffodils, hyacinths and snowdrops brighten the scene as early as July. Tulips soon follow in very early spring, as do bluebells, freesias and grape hyacinths.

Go nuts!

Just as home grown fruit and veges offer savings, convenience and monumental health benefits, so it is with nuts. They’re a concentrated source of protein and energy, packed with minerals, vitamins and cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, especially if they’re home grown.

Fall glory - autumn colour

Watching nature change its colours through the seasons is one of gardening’s greatest rewards.

Echinacea Sunseekers!

The remarkable SUNSEEKER™ Echinaceas are a new breed bred of coneflowers bred for exceptional flower volume on sturdy multi-branching stems.

Dry garden divas

Not all cottage garden plants are created equal when it comes to enduring the worst of the summer dry season. There are, however, some standouts that do seem to fare better than most.

The mini food forest

Growing your own food can be challenging when space is tight, but where there is a will there is usually a way, as many a keen gardener has found.

Favourite flowers for summer pots

Summer brings an exciting array of colourful flowering container plants to dress up outdoor spaces. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by so many options, but these traditional and modern day stand-outs are sure to please.

Sun lovers

Could this be your summer to grow the biggest, the tallest and the brightest flower in the garden? Sow some sunflower seeds now and see how fast they grow!

Colour for Christmas

November is the perfect time to get cracking and plant up some festive pots and planters.

Tomatoes your way

Sun-warmed and fragrant, nothing beats the taste of home-grown tomatoes - and the unbeatable freshness when it’s only minutes from garden to plate.

Your rosy future

When roses drop their leaves for winter, the ideal planting season has arrived.

Heaven scent

Nothing lifts the spirits in winter like the intoxicating fragrance of daphne

Feijoas - a Kiwi favourite

Feijoas are a unique and beloved fruit in New Zealand. They are easy to grow, yielding plenty of fruit from autumn to early winter. The distinctive bright red flowers appear at Christmas, adding their own charm to the garden.

Fruit trees for small spaces

The joy of home grown fruit isn’t only for large backyards and lifestyle blocks. Thanks to today’s dwarf fruit trees, a tiny garden (or a few large pots) can be surprisingly fruitful - for most of the year.

Cool weather classics

As the days get shorter it makes sense to bring nature closer, making the most of potted plants in and around the home. Bursting onto the scene in autumn with their bright clear colours and stunning flower forms, cyclamen are highlights of the season, both indoors and out.

Spring fling - time to plant tulips

Tulips love cool weather, but with new varieties, they will grow in milder regions too, making it easier than ever to have tulips just about anywhere!

Flowers for cool season pots

As the days get shorter it makes sense to bring nature closer.