THE mail-order bulb catalogues are out now, so sit down in a cool, shady area in the garden and plan and dream for a spring display to beat all others.
Be daring and try some different colour combinations or grow something you haven't grown before. Be dramatic and do swathes of brilliant bold colours next to each other, and don't forget some for potted show too.
For something a bit different, why not try some flowering or ornamental onions such as drumsticks (Allium sphaerocepahlon).
If you are looking for bulbs for cut flowers, then Peruvian lilies (Alstroemerias) are ideal in a range of colours, as are cottage gladioli (Gladiolus x nanus), daffodils, jonquils, annulus, anemones, the ever-elegant Dutch iris, hyacinths, freesias and bluebells.
If you want to plant and forget about lifting and just let the bulbs naturalise then there are also many choices.
Ixias, daffodils, jonquils, spring stars, babianas, grape hyacinths, bluebells, cottage gladioli and freesias all thrive in our conditions.
Don't delay too long in ordering and don't forget, as the bulbs you'll wish you had in spring need to be planted in the next couple of months.
Keep dead-heading flowering annuals such as petunias, cosmos, begonias and salvias and feed with a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks.
This will keep them flowering well and growing vigorously.
Feed the food
VEGIES will also benefit from a liquid feed, particularly the leafy greens and the fruiting plants.
While you are feeding and watering plants, keep an eye out for any plant damage due to pests and diseases and treat as needed.
The quicker a problem is recognised and treated the minimal the damage will be and the easier to control. Cover fruit on trees and shrubs with bird netting to prevent birds helping themselves, especially the tomatoes as they ripen.
Try to water in the early morning rather than evening and water around the base of plants rather than over foliage.
This helps to reduce powdery mildew and other fungal diseases in roses, pumpkins, zucchini, peas and tomatoes.
Seed a capital idea
SOW seeds of carrots now. They will germinate quickly during the warmer weather and they will be ready to eat in late autumn.
Beetroot, silverbeet, turnips, spring onions, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and broccoli can also be sown from seeds.
