Many people think winter is the time to put gardening on hold, but in Melbourne, winter is actually one of the best seasons to get your garden into shape. Cooler temperatures, increased rainfall, and fewer pests create the perfect conditions for planting, pruning, and preparing your outdoor spaces for a thriving spring.
At Aumann’s Building and Garden Supplies, with stores in Templestowe, Eltham, and Plenty, we see many gardeners making the most of the cooler months to tackle projects that set them up for success later in the year.
Plant Trees and Shrubs
Winter is an ideal time to plant deciduous trees, ornamental trees, hedging plants, and shrubs. As many plants enter dormancy during winter, they experience less transplant shock and can focus on developing strong root systems before the warmer weather arrives.
Popular winter planting options include:
Deciduous ornamental trees
Fruit trees
Lilly Pilly hedges
Camellias
Native shrubs
Getting these plants established now gives them a significant head start for spring growth.
Improve Your Soil
Winter is the perfect time to replenish and improve your garden soil. Adding quality compost, organic matter, mushroom compost, manure, or premium garden mixes helps enrich the soil while your garden is relatively dormant.
The extra winter rainfall helps nutrients break down and integrate into the soil, creating healthier growing conditions for spring vegetables, flowers, and lawns.
Mulch Before Spring
Applying mulch during winter helps regulate soil temperatures, suppress weeds, retain moisture, and improve soil structure.
A fresh layer of mulch around garden beds and trees can also protect plant roots from cold snaps and reduce maintenance throughout the year.
Prune and Prepare
Many deciduous trees and roses benefit from winter pruning. Removing dead, damaged, or overcrowded branches encourages healthy new growth and improves plant shape.
Winter is also a great opportunity to:
Remove unwanted plants
Clean up garden beds
Repair edging and retaining walls
Install new garden features
Plan future landscaping projects
Grow Winter Vegetables
Melbourne’s climate allows many vegetables to thrive during winter. Consider planting:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Spinach
Silverbeet
Lettuce
Peas
Broad beans
These cool-season crops often perform better in winter than they do during the hotter months.
Tackle Landscaping Projects
The cooler weather makes physical outdoor work much more comfortable. Winter is an excellent time to install paving, garden edging, retaining walls, pathways, raised garden beds, and irrigation systems before spring arrives.
By completing these projects now, you’ll be ready to enjoy your outdoor spaces as soon as the warmer weather returns.
Visit Aumann’s This Winter
Whether you’re planting a new hedge, improving your soil, refreshing your garden beds, or planning a major landscaping project, winter is one of the most productive times of the year for Melbourne gardeners.
Aumann’s Building and Garden Supplies has been helping Melbourne gardeners and landscapers create beautiful outdoor spaces for decades. With stores located in Templestowe, Eltham, and Plenty, we stock a huge range of plants, garden supplies, soils, mulches, pebbles, pavers, firewood, and landscaping materials to help bring your winter garden projects to life.
Visit your nearest Aumann’s store this winter and discover why the cooler months are the perfect time to get growing. 🌱❄️🌳