Flower Garden Diary - Winter

Garden tasks
Add layers of Tui Mulch & Feed to garden beds; this will keep areas tidy, weed-free and add valuable organic matter to the soil.
Prune Roses, shrubs and any perennials that are looking untidy, or have finished flowering for the season.
Spray any plants with fungal problems with Tui Eco-Fungicide.
Fertilise garden beds ready for new season’s planting by adding in compost, sheep pellets and Novatec fertiliser. Cultivate to blend and water well before and after planting.
Spray trees and shrubs with Tui Eco-Pest to control scale, aphids and mites.
Deadhead (trim off dead flowers with secateurs or scissors) to encourage new foliage and flowers.
Encourage longer blooming of winter flowers by liquid feeding with Powerfeed.
Lay Quash pellets to protect young seedlings from slugs and snails.
Plant up winter baskets, tubs and window boxes.
Keep on top of weeding by hand-weeding, spraying and/or laying Tui Flower Power as mulch.
Lift Dahlia tubers and Gladiolius corms and store in a dry place.
Bring frost-tender patio plants into a sheltered position.
Slow down watering of houseplants and move them away from cold draughts.

What to sow
Bedding plants: Alyssum, Calendula, Cineraria, Cornflower, Forget-Me-Not, Lobelia, Lupin, Nemesia, Statice, Stock, Sweet Pea.

What to grow
Seedlings: Calendula, Cineraria, Nemesia, Pansies, Polyanthus, Poppy, Primula, Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower), Snapdragon, Stock, Viola, Wallflower. Roses: winter is the best time to plant new season’s Roses; garden outlets have the best range available, and as the plants are dormant, planting stress is minimised during this period.
Winter Roses: Helleborus (not related to the prickly characters mentioned above). Ranging in magnificent tones of magenta, pink, purple, white and shades thereof, these winter warriors are a must-have for the vase, garden, pot and patio.
Camellias, Rhododendrons and Azaleas come into their own in winter. With a rainbow of colours to choose from, don’t be shy, grab a couple to brighten up a cold, dark, dreary corner of the garden in winter

What to pick
Azaleas, Camellia, Daphne, Gerbera, Magnolia, Michelia, Orchid, Pansy, Peruvian Lily in sheltered areas will continue blooming, Polyanthus, Protea, Rhododendron, Red Hot Poker, Stock, Wallflower, Waratah, Winter Rose.

The Flower Gardener's Diary is information extracted from The Tui NZ Flower Garden book.