This winter season, your landscape should not look lifeless and dreary. Although your turf may look a little duller than usual and some of your plants may have stopped flowering, there are plenty of ways to add colour and vibrancy to your garden. Here are some helpful tips if you are planning on bringing some colour to your winter garden.

Swap your exotic plants for flowering natives

Once the temperature begins to drop, you will notice that many of your exotic plants have stopped flourishing. These plants require lots of sunlight, humidity and heat in order to thrive.

The best way to bring some colour and life into your garden is to invest in native flowering plants which do well in winter.

Some of these flowering plants that you can try to add to your garden are the Christmas or Lenten Rose, Bird of Paradise, Winter Daphne, Snowdrops, Qualup Bell and Mahonia. These plants can grow well under shade and some can withstand plenty of rain.

Consider planting vegetables

Instead of flowering plants, you might want to plant vegetables which grow best during winter. Apart from adding colour to your winter garden, you can supplement your groceries with your harvest.

 

 

 

But before you start planting veggies like cabbage, lettuce and root crops, make sure that you create a raised garden bed. Most veggies do not like too much rain. Additionally, many crops require lots of sunlight so you have to pick the right spot on your yard for them.

Creating a winter palette

Instead of using bold colours, stick to cool and crisp colours like green and white and a dash of red for your winter palette. The simplest way to do that is to add more evergreens to your garden.

A little winter cleaning

During winter, you will find that your hands are full with the sheer amount of falling leaves which you have to rake in order to prevent these from rotting. You may also have to deal with the slippery surfaces on your property.

Before the onset of winter, put away yard furniture that may deteriorate due to exposure to rains. Treat wooden surfaces found outdoors with wood preservers to keep these in good order and avoid potential damage.

Attract local birds

Adding a winter birdhouse to the landscape will not only add vibrancy to it, but you can also help give local birds some respite from the cold weather. Make sure that you feed birds with sunflower seeds and avoid mixtures that contain too much millet and oats.

For all your gardening needs, call Jim’s Mowing on %%PHONE_NUMBER%% or Book Online for a free no obligation quote. The Jim’s Mowing professional and friendly staff will be happy to help you!

With the general interest in conserving water and, consequently, also saving money, many are interested to learn how feasible it is to use grey water for irrigating lawns and gardens.

What exactly is grey water and how can it be reused?

Technically, grey water is household wastewater from the laundry and the bathroom (just the showers, baths, and basins, though). This may be reused to water domestic gardens. On the other hand, water that got flushed down the toilet and went down the kitchen sink is called black water, and it’s not suitable for reuse on account of its potentially high levels of bacteria, fat, and solid content.

Thanks to a growing public consciousness and resulting conscience about water conservation, many have begun diverting grey water from the house and into the garden to irrigate green spaces, not only during times of low rainfall and water restrictions, but year round. When it is done correctly, using grey water in the garden is, indeed, a superb way to save water and money.

The average Australian household of 2.5 people uses up about 124,100 litres of grey water each year. That’s more water than your standard garden needs in that duration of time. The other great thing about grey water is that there’s usually plenty of it throughout the year, provided the house is a primary residence.

There have been questions about the wholesomeness of using grey water in the garden, and the safest answer would be to proceed with caution since the quality and performance of grey water irrigation vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of grey water used, the type of plants being watered, the soil structure and type, etc. Nonetheless, the following are the definitive instructions given by the experts.

Since it could contain germs from our bodies, do not use grey water to water vegetables and ground-welling herbs that are usually eaten raw. When it comes to fruit trees and vines, however, applying grey water is fine since there is no direct contact between the water and the fruit or part of the plant that is ingested.

As for general plantings, keep in mind that there are acid-loving plants out there, so you might not want to use grey water with detergents in it since these are often alkaline.

Don’t let these restrictions discourage you from reusing grey water. To ease your worries, however, you may want to consider a professionally installed, fail-safe grey water treatment system which will save you time and effort. It may also make you eligible for a rebate.

Contact Jim’s Mowing on 0800 454 654 or book online for a free, no-obligation quote!

Very few fruits can rival citrus fruits when it comes to versatility. They’re used in a wide variety of cuisines and they remain one of the more popular flavours for beverages and desserts. Furthermore, citrus fruits are commonly used in a wide range of non-food items, from dishwashing liquids to perfumes and cosmetics.

It is a wonder, then, that citrus trees are often ignored by Australians.

The citrus family is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, specifically from the Malay archipelago. Most of the basic varieties that are propagated today trace their roots back to China by as much as 4,000 years ago.

Later on, lemons and bitter oranges were introduced to Europe via the Arabs. Vasco de Gama is credited for the introduction of sweet oranges to the Portuguese back in 1498. This is the reason why many citrus varieties carry names derived from both Portugal and Spain.

But don’t let the names fool you. For example, the Emperor mandarin may sound like it was first cultivated in China but it originated here in Australia.

But why should you consider planting citrus trees in your backyard?

For one, you will have a steady supply of citrus fruits you can use for a wide variety of dishes. Apart from that, citrus trees are a sight to behold especially when their flowers begin to blossom. These flowers have an appealing scent that can wow you and your guests. And unlike other fruit trees, you do not have to immediately harvest citrus fruits. You can simply leave those on the tree and not worry about their condition.

Take note that, in general, citrus trees require excellent soil quality plus ample sunlight. These make these trees ideal for cultivation in Sydney, Brisbane and other areas up north. They can be cultivated in Melbourne, but if you live in Tasmania or in the mountains, you have to look for other suitable fruit trees to plant.

For the best backyard citrus trees to cultivate, here are our recommendations.

Oranges

If you are keen on planting oranges, choose the seedless Valencia variety which is suitable for planting in different areas in the country. Apart from being seedless, this plant is quite hardy and grows fast. The fruits are sweet especially during winter.

Cumquats

If you are planning to plant cumquats, we recommend the Nagami and Calamondin varieties. The Nagami is the sweeter of the two and is best enjoyed off the tree. Typically, the tree grows up to 4m tall, making it suitable for potting.

The Calamondin, on the other hand, is one of the most stunning among citrus plants. Like the Nagami, the Calamondin can be grown as a pot plant and gives out fruits multiple times a year.

Lemons

Need a steady supply of lemons? Consider planting the Eureka. This lemon variety grows quite well in most areas in Australia, except the colder areas in Melbourne. This variety is quite prolific, giving out at least one fruit every day. The Lisbon and Meyer lemons are better suited for the cooler regions of Australia.

Grapefruits

For grapefruits, we recommend red varieties like the Wheeny and the Mash Seedless which are renowned for their sweetness.

Limes

For those interested in cultivating lime, we recommend the Tahitian, West Indian and the Kaffir. The Tahitian has a taste akin to lemon and is among the most cold-tolerant varieties. The West Indian has the best flavour among the three while the Kaffir is perfect for Thai cuisine.

Dwarf citrus

If you are looking for a citrus plant for your small garden, we recommend Valencia and Navel for oranges, Eureka and Meyer for lemons, Emperor for mandarins and Tahiti for limes.

Alternatively, you can opt for double-grafted citrus. The varieties we recommend are Washington Navel orange and Meyer Lemon, Washington Navel orange and Tahiti lime, and Meyer lemon and Tahiti lime.

Jim’s Mowing are happy to help you with your garden, you can reach us on 0800 454 654 or book online for a free, no-obligation quote!