Diane Beddison
While spring is often quite cold, summer heat can arrive suddenly. And how well your garden survives this summer will depend on your planning.
PLANTS OF THE SEASON
Recently I was lucky enough to visit two native gardens designed by Philip Johnson. The image is of the Victorian Chelsea Garden, which show cases Australian native plant species. So, if you are considering creating a native garden in 2026, a visit to the Chelsea Garden is a must. As well as including a wide variety of interesting species, the planting combinations are excellent, bringing together plants with complementary leaf colours and textures. Entry is free to the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden in Olinda. Park at and access via what was formally named the National Rhododendron Gardens.
GARDENING FUN
Preparing for the heat
Use the next two weeks to finish making your garden ready for the summer heat and dry. Finalise any new planting, tidy the areas near the house, feed the garden if you didn’t in spring, check irrigation systems, hoses, nozzles, and sprinklers, and mulch your garden.
During the warmer months water gardens early in the morning to minimise evaporation and hydrate your plants for the hot day ahead. Consider erecting whatever materials you have, to shade vulnerable plants on extremely hot days.
Planting
Note that anything planted now will need special attention over summer, especially in an exposed position, to make sure it doesn’t dry out.
Pruning
Australian native shrubs which flower during spring can be pruned to a rounded shape once they finish flowering. Cut back spent flowers from Kangaroo Paw plus associated old leaves, to encourage new growth. Dead head everlasting daisies to extend their flowering time. Roses should be dead headed throughout summer to encourage more flowers. Prune herbaceous salvia, such as Salvia nemorosa, in December, to encourage a second flowering .
Mulching
If you haven’t mulched your garden organise this during December. The first step is to get rid of any spring weeds. The water the garden thoroughly. I often scatter manure across the garden prior to mulching. Choose a coarse mature mulch to improve soil texture and provide nutrients to plants. Spread pea straw or Lucerne hay across your vegetable garden for extra nutrients. If your fire risk is high, use a gravel mulch near your house.
Entertaining Outdoors
Now that the garden is sorted, how is your entertaining area looking? Clean up furniture and cooking equipment. Timber furniture requires a regular application of oil to preserve it. If you don’t have such an area, why not create one. Choose a location close to the house and kitchen. Dining under a under a shady tree is ideal for summer.
If you don’t have a shady tree or a purpose-built Alfresco area, install a large umbrella or a shade cloth to protect family and friends from the sun. You could also consider retractable awnings or pergolas and roof systems which are waterproof. When installing any permanent structure check if you require a permit and compare the fire resistance of available products.
Install a climbing plant such as Hardenbergia violacea ‘White Out’ on a nearby fence or shed. Attach four medium tension cables horizontally, about 40cm apart, and encourage the climber’s tendrils to attach to it.
Now add some sparkle with potted colour. Bright coloured pots are an easy way to add interest. Use different shapes and size pots in similar colours.
In shade or part shade consider planting shade tolerant annual such as Impatients and Lobelia. In full sun your choices are many from mixed succulents, annuals, the common geranium (Pelargonium sp.), plus some small shrubs. Plant one of my favourites Cistus argenteus ‘Silver Pink’ or lovely native Pimelea ferruginea Alba.
Adventures Away
Repot any plants which are pot bound up into the next size pot. To keep them hydrated for longer purchase or make pots which have a water reservoir. Mulch all pots with an organic or living mulch. Ground covers such as Sedum hybrida ‘Gold Mound’ and Dichondra repens are excellent companions for your larger plants. Move pots to a shadier place in the garden and group them together for easy watering. If you have an irrigation system with spare capacity, you can run a drip line across them.
Water your garden thoroughly in the two days prior to leaving. Even if your garden has automatic irrigation installed, it’s good to have someone who gardens to pop in once a week to check if any of your precious plants require extra water.
QUOTE
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.”
– Janet Kilburn Phillips
Diane Beddison is a frequent visitor to Daylesford and the Principal of Beddison Garden Designs
