POTS & URNS NOW AVAILABLE - THE HEDGE AND ARBOUR COLLECTION
1. Soil Preparation and Mulching
Why it’s important
Autumn is the perfect time to enrich your soil in preparation for winter. Healthy soil now ensures strong plant growth come spring.
Tips
- Add organic compost or well-rotted manure to your garden beds to improve soil fertility.
- Apply a layer of mulch (5–7 cm thick) around garden beds to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Sugarcane mulch or eucalyptus mulch works well in this region.
- Check soil pH—azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons (popular in the Blue Mountains) prefer slightly acidic soils.
2. Planting Cool-Season Vegetables
Why it’s important
Autumn is the best time to grow vegetables that thrive in cooler weather.
What to plant
- Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce.
- Root vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, and radishes.
- Herbs like parsley, coriander, and chives.
Tips
- Use raised beds or containers for vegetables to improve drainage, especially in areas with heavy clay soils.
- Water early in the morning to avoid overnight dampness, which can encourage fungal diseases.
3. Pruning and Deadheading
Why it’s important
Tidying up your plants now will encourage healthy growth and blooms in the coming season.
Tips
- Prune summer-flowering shrubs like hydrangeas after their blooms fade.
- Deadhead spent flowers on perennials to direct energy back to the plant.
- Remove dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs.
4. Lawn Care
Why it’s important: Autumn is ideal for repairing and rejuvenating your lawn.
Tips
- Aerate compacted soil to improve drainage and allow nutrients to penetrate.
- Overseed bare patches with cool-season grasses like rye or fescue.
- Apply an autumn-specific lawn fertilizer to strengthen roots for the colder months.
- Cool season grasses like tall fescue, rye and bluegrass can be mown shorter to let the sun & warmth into the thatch, especially in shaded areas. For warm season grasses that grow with runners, it’s best not to cut too close during cooler months.
5. Pest and Weed Management
Why it’s important
Staying proactive reduces problems in spring.
Tips
- Check for pests like aphids, scale, and caterpillars. Treat infestations with eco-friendly solutions like neem oil.
- Pull weeds before they go to seed to prevent a spring resurgence.
- Inspect and clean garden tools to avoid spreading diseases. You can keep a jar of methylated spirit to dip your pruners and wipe clean. You can dip and wipe between plants too.
6. Choosing the Right Plants
Why it’s important
Selecting species suited to your climate zone ensures a thriving garden.
Recommended plants for autumn
- For stunning foliage: Japanese maples, red maples and ornamental pears.
- For blooms: Camellias, sasanquas, hellebores, azaleas and rhododendrons.
- For native beauty: Waratahs, kangaroo paw, and grevilleas, which attract local wildlife.
Tips
- Group plants with similar water needs together to conserve water and simplify irrigation.
- Incorporate hardy plants like lavender and rosemary, which are well-suited to the Penrith area's warmer climate.
- Mass planting always draws attention, try planting in groups of three or five (if you have the space) instead of just a single unit.
Need Help? Let's Grow Together
Our Garden Maintenance services are here to assist you with all your garden needs this autumn. Whether you need seasonal maintenance, planting advice, or a full garden redesign, we’re just a call away.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation or learn more about our services.