You can’t go wrong planting spinach because this vegetable loves the short days of winter.
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The dark green leaves are full of antioxidants and are a valuable source of vitamins, fibre and protein.
Varieties to plant now include baby leaf spinach which has small rich, green leaves and is planted at spacings of 8 to 10 centimetres between seedlings.
Perpetual spinach has thick stalks and large, dark green leaves while the Japanese variety has slender green stems and dark rounded leaves.
Sow seeds of quick-growing baby beetroots and they should be ready for picking in six to seven weeks.
Varieties of cabbage to go in now are Chinese, Red, Savoy, Green Coronette and the ever-popular Sugarloaf.
Sprouting and Premium Crop broccoli and Iceberg lettuces can be planted as well as kale, rocket, silverbeet, bok choy, leeks and onions.
New season’s stocks of fruit trees, berry fruits and roses are arriving in nurseries, so be early for the best choices.
Bark beauty
Snake bark maples are grown for their distinctive bark which is usually patterned with vertical dark green to green/brown stripes, alternating with stripes of light green, pink or white tones.
The lovely arching branches hold onto the leaves until they turn red and yellow and fall in winter.
Plant in a well-drained, fertile soil in a sunny, sheltered position.
Native care
Many natives begin flowering in the cooler months and reach their peak in August or September.
Grevilleas, banksias, wattles and leptospermums are all great for providing winter colour and attracting birds into the garden.
Give grevilleas a light pruning after flowering to promote density and shape and to prolong their lifespan.
To fertilise use a small amount of slow-release, low-phosphorus, native plant food.
Scent garden
Flowers, leaves, stems and bark give off many fragrances and if you choose your plants wisely you can have a perfumed garden from season to season.
From the pungent aroma of pines to the heady scents of gardenias, daphnes and lilacs, the plant world has an almost unlimited range of scents to delight and inspire.
Alyssum, stocks, sweet peas and wallflowers, the enchanting spring bulbs of narcissus, hyacinths and lily-of-the-valley blooms catch the slightest breeze to disperse their delightful perfumes.
Then there are the low-growing herbs like thyme and chamomile that can be planted between paving blocks and will emit their delicious aroma when trodden on.
Philadelphus will permeate its sweet bouquet through open bedroom windows, and how many of us have had our spirits uplifted upon savouring the whiff of gum leaves after a rain?