June Garden Tasks for Australian Climates

June is the beginning of winter, but not the end of the garden.

In my Daylesford garden, June arrives in the frost before it arrives anywhere else. The first light lifts off the seed heads before it reaches the lawn. Echinacea, phlomis, agastache and hydrangea panicles stand silvered and still, and the whole garden can feel reluctant to wake.

But winter is not a dead season. It is a clarifying one.

The leaves drop. The structure appears. Paths, fences, hedges, fruit tree frameworks, bare stems, trellises and the true shape of the garden come forward. What was softened by summer growth is suddenly visible again. You can see where the design holds, where the soil is exposed, where water sits, where frost lingers, and where the next layer of the garden might begin.

For me, June is not a month for rushing. It is a month for watching carefully, feeding the soil, planting what suits the cold, and working with the slower intelligence of winter.

In many climates, June is also one of the most useful months for planting deciduous trees, roses, cane fruit, garlic, broad beans and winter greens. In others, particularly subtropical and tropical gardens, it can be a generous growing window, with cooler conditions making it easier to establish food crops and flowering plants.

As always, the calendar is only part of the story. Your own garden will tell you more.

Where does frost settle?
Where does the winter sun reach?
Which beds are too wet to work?
Which paths are asking to be widened?
Which structures need repair before spring growth returns?

Start there. Observe first, then act.

Tasks for all Climates:

• Observe the garden before you clean too much away. Notice frost pockets, drainage, wind exposure, winter light and the structure of your beds.

• Keep soil covered with compost, mulch, living crops or green manure. Bare soil is vulnerable soil.

• Gather fallen leaves and use them for compost, leaf mould, mulch layers or chicken bedding if you keep chickens.

• Plant bare rooted deciduous trees, roses, vines and cane fruit where suitable for your climate and soil conditions.

• Sow or plant cool season crops such as broad beans, peas, snow peas, spinach, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, radish and parsley where conditions suit.

• Prune deciduous fruit trees and grape vines once dormant, but leave apricots to dry, late autumn pruning where disease risk is lower.

• Take hardwood cuttings from grape vines, currants, gooseberries, figs and other suitable woody plants.

• Check espalier wires, tree ties, trellises, stakes, arches and climbing frames while the growth is bare and easy to read.

• Protect frost tender plants overnight when hard frost is forecast, using hessian, frost cloth, shadecloth, straw, cardboard or another breathable cover.

• Avoid working saturated soil. If it sticks heavily to your boots or tools, wait.

• Refresh productive beds with compost or well rotted organic matter before planting the next crop.

• Keep harvesting what winter is offering, especially leafy greens, herbs, citrus, brassicas, root crops and late autumn crops that are still holding.

• Clean, sharpen and oil secateurs, snips, spades and other tools so they are ready for pruning and winter planting.

• Sort seed packets, make notes from the last growing season and begin planning what you want to grow when the garden wakes again.

  A note on compost

  You’ll notice that many of these June tasks come back to the same foundation: compost. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve soil, reduce waste and keep fertility moving through your own garden system.

  If you would like more practical guidance, my new eBook, Compost for Beautiful Productive Gardens, steps through the composting systems I use and teach, with clear guidance for choosing an approach that suits your garden, your space and the way you live.

What to sow and plant now, and tasks by climate.

Temperate

Edible: broad beans, garlic, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, parsley, peas, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onion and strawberry runners.

Flowers and ornamentals: alyssum, billy buttons, calendula, Canterbury bells, cerinthe, cornflower, delphinium, foxglove seedlings, hollyhock, lupin, mignonette, pansy, poppy, pyrethrum, sweet pea, viola and bare rooted roses.

Tasks:

• Plant bare rooted trees, roses, vines and cane fruit while they are dormant and the soil is workable.

• Sow broad beans, peas, snow peas, spinach, radish and other hardy greens in small successions rather than all at once.

• Prune dormant deciduous fruit trees and grape vines, leaving apricots alone unless your local conditions are dry and suitable.

• Add compost to beds that will carry winter crops, then mulch lightly to protect soil structure.

• Watch for frost, especially in low areas, and cover vulnerable seedlings overnight when needed.

Alpine and cool

Edible: broad beans, garlic and spinach. In protected pockets or under cover, you may also try hardy greens such as rocket, mustard greens and winter lettuce, but let the soil temperature and frost decide.

Flowers and ornamentals: billy buttons, hellebores, pansies, violas, primulas, wallflowers, bare rooted roses, deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees and hardy perennials.

Tasks:

• Treat June as a slow, precise planting month. Plant only when the soil is not frozen, waterlogged or compacted.

• Plant garlic, broad beans and spinach in the best drained, sunniest beds you have.

• Protect new plantings from frost and cold wind, especially young evergreens and newly planted perennials.

• Prune dormant deciduous fruit trees and grape vines, and take hardwood cuttings while the structure is visible.

• Use winter to study the bones of the garden. In cool climates, June reveals where frost lies, where sun reaches and where structure is needed.

Subtropical

Edible: beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chives, collard greens, endive, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, parsley, parsnip, peas, potato, radish, rocket, shallots, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, strawberry plants and strawberry runners.

Flowers and ornamentals: alyssum, borage, calendula, cerinthe, cleome, corn cockle, cosmos, delphinium, echinacea, everlasting daisy, false Queen Anne’s lace, hollyhock, lupin, marigold, nasturtium, salvia, sunflower, viola and zinnia.

Tasks:

• Make the most of the cooler planting window for brassicas, leafy greens, peas, root crops and herbs.

• Refresh beds after summer growth with compost, mulch and gentle soil care before planting hungry crops.

• Keep airflow in mind. Subtropical winter can still bring fungal pressure where plants are crowded or foliage stays wet.

• Plant strawberries, garlic, shallots and potatoes where your local conditions suit.

• Prune deciduous fruit trees and vines where they are grown, and take cuttings from suitable woody plants.

Tropical

Edible: amaranth, basil, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chilli, Chinese cabbage, chives, choko, collard greens, coriander, cucumber, daikon, dill, eggplant, fennel, garlic, ginger, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, okra, onion, oregano, pak choy, parsley, peas, pumpkin, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spring onion, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomato, turnip, Warrigal greens and zucchini.

Flowers and ornamentals: alyssum, borage, calendula, cleome, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, salvia, sunflower and zinnia.

Tasks:

• Use the dry season and milder conditions to plant a broad range of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

• Sow fast crops such as beans, leafy greens, radish and herbs in small rounds so harvesting is steady.

• Refresh soil with compost and organic matter before planting heavy feeders such as cucurbits, sweet corn and fruiting crops.

• Keep pruning for airflow, especially where humidity, dense planting or lingering wetness can invite disease.

• Add flowering plants such as calendula, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, salvia, sunflower and zinnia to support beneficial insects and keep the garden active.

Arid

Edible: asparagus crowns, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chives, collard greens, dill, endive, Florence fennel, garlic, globe artichoke, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, pak choy, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish, sage, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, strawberry plants, swedes, thyme and turnips.

Flowers and ornamentals: alyssum, calendula, cornflower, everlasting daisy, marigold, nasturtium, poppy, sweet pea, viola and tough cool season seedlings suited to your local frost level.

Tasks:

• Plant cool season crops while conditions are more forgiving, but water deeply at planting and mulch straight away.

• Improve soil before sowing with compost and organic matter so it can hold moisture more effectively.

• Watch for frost as well as dryness. Arid gardens can have sharp overnight temperature drops.

• Plant deciduous trees, vines, cane fruit and roses while dormant, provided irrigation can support establishment.

• Use mulch, wind protection and thoughtful spacing to reduce stress on new plantings.

How I work with June.

June is the month when I can see the garden clearly again.

At Little Cottage on a Hill, the perennial growth has softened back and the structure does the holding. The box balls sit like small green anchors through the beds. The espaliered crabapples, pears and quinces become lines on the fence again. The seed heads I have left standing catch frost and low light. The garden is quieter, but not empty.

This is the season where I try not to rush in with secateurs. I leave more than my tidy instincts would sometimes like. Seed heads feed birds. Hollow stems shelter insects. Spent plants tell me where the wind has moved, where the frost has settled, where the soil is holding too much moisture.

I also use June to look at the practical bones of the garden.

Are the paths wide enough?
Can I still move a barrow through without brushing the beds?
Are the climbing frames in the right place?
Is there enough winter sun reaching the soil?
Which bed needs compost first?
Which space is asking for rest?

This is when the next growing season begins for me, not in the obvious way, but underneath. In the lists. In the seed boxes. In the quiet act of standing at the window and noticing where the light lands. In the decision to plant garlic before the solstice, or to leave a bed covered for a little longer, or to let compost continue its slow work out of sight.

I have come to understand that my gardening year does not begin in January. January is harvesting, preserving, watering and repeating. June is where I begin to imagine again.

Winter gives me room to think.

The verge garden on a crisp frosty winter’s morning.

Quick checklist.

• Watch where frost settles before moving or planting anything important.

• Keep soil covered with compost, mulch, leaves, straw, green manure or winter crops.

• Plant garlic, broad beans, peas, snow peas and hardy greens where your climate allows.

• Plant bare rooted trees, roses, vines and cane fruit while dormant.

• Prune deciduous fruit trees and grape vines, but avoid pruning apricots in wet winter weather.

• Gather fallen leaves for compost, leaf mould or mulch.

• Check trellises, tree ties, espalier wires, stakes and climbing frames while plants are bare.

• Protect frost tender plants when hard frost is forecast.

• Avoid walking on or digging saturated soil.

• Sort seeds, make notes and begin planning the next layer of the garden.

Continue your gardening journey with me

If this aligns with how you are thinking about your own garden, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on garden design, productive growing, soil care and seasonal practice.

June is also a good time to sign up to my newsletter if you do not already subscribe. I share seasonal notes from the garden, workshop updates, book news, upcoming events and practical ideas for creating a productive garden that works with your place.

My book, The Productive Garden Companion, is now available to pre order. It brings together decades of landscape architecture, gardening, teaching, preserving and lived practice, with guidance for creating beauty and abundance at any scale.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my eBooks on Wicking Bed Gardens, Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping and Compost for Beautiful Productive Gardens offer practical guidance that pairs well with this seasonal work.

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:

You may want to check out my related content below:

The Productive Garden Companion is now available to pre-order - This is the book I’ve wanted to find my entire life.

No Dig Gardening - less work, healthier soil

Caring for Ornamental Grasses - When (and Whether) to Cut Back

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

What a productive garden means to me

What a productive garden means to me

You had to move the rug, lift the lid, and climb down.

My baka's cellar was under her kitchen floor. Cool, dim, slightly damp, with shelves around you and Fowlers Vacola jars lined up. The smell of rubber seals and metal that stays with you. A smell of work and something held for later.

Baka is Serbian for grandmother, and her cellar was one of my first encounters with productivity, although I would not have used the word for years. In the world I grew up in, productive meant useful and industrious. My mother built a legal practice from a migration story, and her version of productivity carried survival inside it; my baka's cellar carried the same instinct in jars and rubber seals. Both held real love and real survival inside them. By the time I was old enough to feel the weight of the word, productive had become almost indistinguishable from identity. What I did seemed to stand in for who I was.

For a long time, I felt conflicted by finding beauty central to a garden. The garden books on coffee tables when I was small were affluent and clipped. Gardens too composed to inhabit. Seemingly devoid of people or the inhabitation of human life in any of the pictures. Beauty was the indulgence — the thing you added once the sensible work was done. I certainly don’t subscribe to that. Beauty helps us care. The borage lit gold at the back of the kitchen garden. The black hollyhock catching the last of the evening light. The intoxicating scent of wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox - below) that pulls you closer in the cold. The line of a clipped box ball holding a winter garden together when everything else has slumped into sleep. Echinacea seedheads left standing because the birds might need them, and because I might need them too, in some way I can feel before I explain.

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox)

Friend and landscape architect, Simone Bliss, has helped me name that more clearly in my book. Her landscapes are full of care without being sentimental. She understands the human brief and the land brief together — a seat with a protected back paired to a view of the horizon, an enclosed corner sized for someone to sit in safely. She understands that healing and productivity are the same conversation. A garden can produce the conditions for someone to stay in their own body a little longer.

When I left Oak & Monkey Puzzle in Spargo Creek — five acres in a forest clearing where the kitchen garden, the orchard, the chickens, the workshops and the long lunches all found a home — I thought I was downsizing. I was wrong. I was distilling. Five acres became 515 square metres, plus the verge, on a corner block opposite the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens in Daylesford — my Little Cottage on a Hill. Inherited neat categories became useless almost immediately. The 27-metre northern fence could no longer remain a fence; I had no room for an orchard, so it became a double-layered espalier of stepover Huonville crabapples below, pears and quinces above. A driveway could not be only a driveway. Compost bays became towers, sometimes layered with potatoes because why not let the compost feed you twice. The kitchen garden moved across thresholds — some out on the verge for passers-by to pick, the rest in wicking beds pulled close to the house after a $900 water bill made the old way feel absurd.

Scale is not the measure of abundance. Attention is. Design is. Care is.

Mary Reynolds, book contributor and ‘reformed landscape architect’ whose ARK work asks what happens when we begin returning pieces of land to the more-than-human world, expanded the word again. A productive garden is habitat — a field station, a record of which species you are willing to live with and which you are willing to make space for. The verge along the western edge of Little Cottage has surprised me most. People stop their cars. A council compliance officer once came because someone thought I must be doing something illegal making a garden on public land. He looked at it and said: ‘Keep going. I love it.’ 

And there is Alla Olkhovska in Kharkiv. She tends a family garden where apple trees planted by her great-grandfather still blossom, where peonies from her great-grandmother carry memory through living roots. During the war her seed catalogue became livelihood. She cleans and dries seeds by candlelight through blackouts and sends them out into the world in small paper envelopes. A seed leaving Kharkiv and arriving in someone else's garden is botanical, yes, but also human. After Alla, no easy definition of productive will hold.

This is why so many people are reaching for gardens, or growing — and I say growing deliberately, because you do not need a garden. A windowsill grows something. A balcony grows something. A borrowed strip of land grows something. The world feels uncertain in ways that do not need to be itemised to be felt, and many people are looking for something real to do inside the reach of their own life. Agency in the garden is the feeling that I can make one decision that tends life. I can feed the soil in one bed. I can plant parsley exactly where I will use it. I can give a bunch of flowers to someone who has no words for their grief. I can make one corner more generous than it was yesterday.

I think back to my baka's cellar — the dimness, the jars, the smell of rubber and metal. Food held underground because one day someone might need it. And then I think of myself now, standing at the gate at Little Cottage on a Hill with secateurs in one hand and a feijoa near my feet, watching someone slow down beside the verge. The garden is feeding insects. It is feeding us. It is building soil. It is producing fruit along the fence line, warmth in a wicking bed, flowers for a table, seeds for next season, questions from children, limes left by strangers, and conversations I could never have planned.

A productive garden is not measured only by what it produces. It is measured by what it makes possible.

I’m sure my definition will keep shifting and evolving. Just as a garden does. It’s unlikely to stop growing.

Join The Productive Garden Workshop with Natasha Morgan

Growing abundance at any scale. We focus on the foundations of creating a truly productive garden, spatial thinking for small and larger gardens, vertical growing, soil and worm systems, espaliers, along with the simple seasonal tasks that keep things moving. Discover the inspiration behind my productive gardens, the tools and techniques to make places of beauty and abundance, grounded in sustainable and innovative practises. This is where beauty meets purpose through food, flowers, medicinals and ornamentals.

We begin with context so the garden in front of you makes sense. At Little Cottage on a Hill we walk and notice and talk through how things operate in real time. In The Productive Garden I also draw on my years at Oak and Monkey Puzzle to show how principles translate across scale.

Each workshop has its own rhythm, and the backbone is the same. Clarity, practice, and time together in the garden. The Productive Garden keeps design present but light, focussing on soil, systems, structures and seasonal work.

People often tell me they leave feeling welcomed, inspired and confident to begin. Small groups make this generous, rich and rewarding. There is time for questions. We break for tea and cake. We learn together. The energy comes from the room as much as from the garden, and everyone goes home with more than they arrived with.

---

Continue your gardening journey with me

If you enjoy this kind of content, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on design, productivity and seasonal care. May is also a great month to sign up to my newsletter if you do not already subscribe, where you can find out more about an exciting giveaway I am running for those who pre-order a copy of my book The Productive Garden Companion.

Explore current workshops in the shop.

This season’s offerings include:

• Garden Design

• The Productive Garden

• The Wicking Bed Garden

• Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping

• The Medicinal Garden with Caroline Parker

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks on Wicking Bed Gardens and Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

Win a bespoke Daylesford getaway - inspired by The Productive Garden Companion

May Garden Tasks for Australian Climates - May brings a quieter kind of momentum to the garden.

When the world feels uncertain - grow one thing

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

Win a bespoke Daylesford getaway inspired by The Productive Garden Companion

Win a bespoke Daylesford getaway inspired by The Productive Garden Companion.

There are moments in a big project like a book where you stop, look around, and realise just how many people are holding it with you.

The launch of The Productive Garden Companion has felt like one of those moments for me.

This book has been years in the making. It carries so much of my life, my work, my gardens, my teaching, and the way I’ve come to understand beauty, abundance, seasonality, and living well. And when it finally went out into the world, the response was extraordinary. Warmth, encouragement, generosity, pre-orders, messages, comments, and a sense that this book was already beginning to find its people.

I wanted to mark that support with something deeply special. Not something flashy or generic, but something thoughtful, beautiful, and genuinely generous. Something that felt aligned with the spirit of the book and with the world that has shaped so much of my work.

So, to celebrate the pre-order launch of The Productive Garden Companion, every pre-ordered copy now goes in the running to win a bespoke Daylesford getaway valued at $2,690.

This is not just a giveaway. It is a thank you.

At the heart of it is a three-night stay at Acre of Roses in The Potting Shed Retreat. If you know Acre of Roses, you’ll know it is a place of extraordinary beauty and care. Sandy has been one of my greatest champions and supporters over many years, and also a wonderful collaborator. I am so incredibly grateful to her for the generosity behind this prize and for helping create something that feels so deeply aligned with this book and this season.

The giveaway also includes breakfast or lunch for two at Cliffy’s Emporium (the very place much of my book was written!), two tickets to a Natasha Morgan workshop, and one of my seasonal syrup packs. The Acre of Roses experience also includes curated breakfast provisions by Michael Furness, a Spinal Flow session with Simone Gilbert, and a restorative wellness experience by Catherine Laurent. Together, it has been shaped as an offering of beauty, nourishment, rest, and connection.

That matters to me.

Because this book has never just been about gardening as task or output. It is about the life that gathers around a garden. The rituals. The table. The pause. The learning. The return to what matters. I wanted this giveaway to reflect that same feeling.

Why pre-orders matter

I know people often hear that pre-orders are important for authors, but it really is true.

A strong pre-order campaign helps build early momentum around a book. It gives retailers confidence. It supports visibility. It influences print decisions. And it helps a book travel further from the very beginning. In very real terms, pre-orders help a book find its readers.

For an author, they are one of the most meaningful forms of support.

So if you have already pre-ordered, thank you. Truly.

And if you have been thinking about it, this is a beautiful time to do so.

What’s included

The Potting Shed Experience at Acre of Roses
A three-night stay for up to two guests in The Potting Shed Retreat, shaped around beauty, stillness and restoration.

Also included:

• Curated breakfast provisions by Michael Furness

• Access to the private outdoor bath pavilion beneath the trees

• A firepit experience during your stay

• A Spinal Flow session with Simone Gilbert

• A restorative wellness experience with Catherine Laurent

• Breakfast or lunch for two at Cliffy’s Emporium

• Two tickets to a Natasha Morgan workshop

• A Natasha Morgan seasonal syrup pack

Total prize value: $2,690 AUD

How to enter

To go in the running:

• Pre-order one or more copies of The Productive Garden Companion

• Email your proof of pre-order to hello@natashamorgan.com.au

• Include your full name and contact details

Each copy purchased counts as one entry. So if you pre-order multiple copies, you receive multiple entries.

You can find the full giveaway details here: Daylesford giveaway

And you can pre-order the book here: The Productive Garden Companion

Entries close at 8.00pm on Sunday 31 May 2026 (AEST)

Thank you so much for supporting this book. It means more than I can say.

Join a workshop

Explore current workshops in the shop.

This season’s offerings include:

• Garden Design

• The Productive Garden

• The Wicking Bed Garden

• Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping

• The Medicinal Garden with Caroline Parker

If you are building your garden from home right now, my e-books on Wicking Bed Gardens and Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

Continue your gardening journey with me

If you enjoy this kind of content, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on design, productivity and seasonal care. May is also a great month to sign up to my newsletter if you do not already subscribe, where you can find out more about an exciting giveaway I am running for those who pre-order a copy of my book The Productive Garden Companion.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks onWicking Bed Gardens andIntroduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

From Fumigation to Flavour - What Happens to Imported Garlic Before It Reaches You

Gravel to the Edges – Blurring Boundaries

The Medicinal Garden Workshop with Caroline Parker & Natasha Morgan — Step into the magic of nature

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

May Garden Tasks for Australian Climates

May brings a quieter kind of momentum to the garden.

The intensity of summer has eased. The days are shorter, the mornings colder, and the garden begins to ask something different of us. This is not a month of urgency. It is a month for noticing. For clearing what is finished, preparing beds with care, and making considered decisions about what comes next.

In many parts of Australia, May is one of the most useful planting windows of the year. Soil still holds some warmth, but growth has steadied. Moisture lingers longer. New plantings often establish more reliably, especially in cool season vegetable beds and newly planted perennials. It is also a valuable time to pay attention to what the garden has shown you through summer and autumn. Where did crops perform well? Which spaces felt tired or overworked? Where is frost beginning to settle, or water beginning to sit?

I tend to think of May as a month for quiet structure. Not stripping the garden back, but strengthening what matters. Feeding the soil. Repairing supports. Planting for the months ahead. Observing first, then acting with a little more clarity.

Tasks for all Climates:

• Plant trees, shrubs, climbers, and perennials while the soil still holds some warmth.

• Lift and divide perennials that have outgrown their space, giving tired clumps a new lease on life.

• Cut back spent berry canes and tidy deciduous shrubs.

• Compost fallen leaves, layering them to feed the soil.

• Sow green manure crops such as mustard or vetch, or plant broad beans in any bed you want to keep active while building the soil.

• Strengthen the structure of your garden: repair trellises, replace stakes, check tree ties before the winter winds arrive.

What to sow and plant now, and tasks by climate.

Temperate

Seeds to sow now.

Edible: Lettuce, cauliflower, peas, coriander, broccoli, spring onion, onion, parsnip, pak choy, thyme, strawberries, chives, garlic, parsley, radish, rocket, shallots, spinach, mizuna, swedes and turnips.

Flowers: poppies, billy buttons, cornflower, delphinium, tansy, alyssum, cerinthe, love in the mist, hollyhock, lupin, pyrethrum.

Tasks:

• Plant cool-season crops while soils are still workable. 

• Direct sow or plant hardy greens in succession rather than all at once, so you have a continuous harvest through the colder months. 

• Tidy and prepare beds for winter cropping by removing spent summer plants, adding compost and keeping the soil covered. I chop plants off at the ground, rather than pulling them out, so the roots can decompose in the soil.

• Plant flowering annuals for winter and spring display such as alyssum, cornflower, delphinium, hollyhock, lupin and poppy, depending on your local frost level. 

• Watch moisture and airflow as the season cools. In temperate areas, May is a good time to shift from growth-at-all-costs into steadier maintenance: less frequent watering, better drainage awareness and closer observation of fungal issues. 

Cool and Alpine

Seeds to sow now

Edible: Broad beans, corn salad, garlic, mustard greens, rocket, shallots, spinach, spring onions.

Flowers: alyssum, billy buttons, cerinthe, corn cockle, false Queen Anne’s lace, hollyhock, poppy, pyrethrum, tansy and tulips.

Tasks:

• Use frost to your advantage by continuing with cold-loving crops and planning around frost pockets rather than fighting them. Frost sweetens brassicas and root veg. May is the right time to notice how cold settles across the garden. 

• Divide or tidy perennial edibles such as rhubarb while growth is slowing. 

• Mulch and protect soil before winter deepens, especially around garlic, leafy greens and any newly planted seedlings. In cool zones, getting beds covered before the harshest cold is more useful than leaving them exposed. 

• Sow or plant cold-season flowers for later colour. Tulips are also typically planted from late autumn into early winter.

• Plant the hardiest edibles only now, such as beans, garlic, spring onion.

Subtropical

Seeds to sow now: 

Edible: Beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chives, collard greens, coriander, dill, endive, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, oregano, pak choy, parsley, peas, potatoes, radish, rocket, shallots and strawberry runners

Flowers: nasturtium, poppy, pyrethrum, salvia, Sturt’s Desert Pea, sunflower, sweet pea, tansy, viola and zinnia.

Tasks:

• Plant your main cool-season crops now. May is one of the best windows for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, celery, fennel, kale, lettuce, peas, garlic and shallots in subtropical gardens. 

• Get root crops in promptly while conditions are still mild. Carrots, beetroot, radish and onions are all suited to this period in subtropical areas. 

• Feed and reset beds after summer exhaustion with compost, mulch and light cultivation where needed. May is very much about slowing down, tending and re-establishing what matters most. 

• Plant strawberries or strawberry runners if your local conditions suit it. 

• Sow or plant seasonal flowers such as nasturtium, poppy, salvia, sunflower, sweet pea, viola and zinnia to carry colour and pollinator interest into the cooler months.

Tropical

Seeds to sow now:

Edible: amaranth, angelica, asparagus, asparagus pea, basil, climbing beans, bush beans, beetroot, borage, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chicory, chilli, chives, choko, collards, coriander, cucumber, daikon, dill, eggplant, endive, fennel, tarragon, garlic, ginger, globe artichokes, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lemon balm, lettuce, luffa, marrow, mint, mizuna, mustard greens, Warrigal greens, okra, oregano, pak choy, parsley, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, radish, rocket, rockmelon, rosemary and sage

Flowers: alyssum, borage, calendula, cleome, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, salvia, sunflower and zinnia.

Tasks:

• Make the most of the broad May planting window. Tropical gardeners can still plant a wide range of crops now.

• Sow in stages rather than all at once, particularly for fast crops such as beans, lettuce, Asian greens and herbs, so you do not end up with a glut all at the same time. Tropical conditions can still drive quick growth. 

• Keep on top of pest pressure and airflow. Warm, humid conditions can still favour mildew, caterpillars and fungal issues, so spacing, pruning and regular checks matter. 

• Refresh beds with compost and organic matter before planting heavy feeders such as brassicas, cucurbits and fruiting crops. Tropical gardens can keep producing hard, so soil replenishment remains important. 

• Add flowering support plants such as calendula, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, sunflower and zinnia to attract beneficial insects and keep the garden lively.

Arid

Seeds to sow now:

Edible: beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chicory, collard greens, dill, endive, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lemon balm, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, pak choy, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish, rocket, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, strawberries, swedes, thyme and turnips.

Flowers: alyssum, bergamot, calendula, Canterbury bells, cerinthe, corn cockle, cornflower, delphinium, false Queen Anne’s lace, hollyhock, lupin, mignonette, poppy, pyrethrum, sweet pea, tansy and viola.

Tasks:

• Use May as a key planting window for cool season food crops. In arid gardens, it is often one of the more forgiving planting times of the year.

• Prioritise soil preparation before planting by adding compost and organic matter. In arid gardens, improved water-holding capacity and soil structure are essential for success. 

• Mulch deeply after planting to reduce evaporation and buffer temperature swings. Even as temperatures fall, moisture conservation remains one of the most important jobs.

• Watch for frost as well as dryness. Arid does not mean frost-free, and May can bring sharp overnight drops, so newly planted crops may still need protection depending on your local site. 

• Add tough seasonal flowers suited to autumn sowing.

How I work with May.

I see May as a month of consolidation. The rush has passed, but the garden is not asleep. It is still moving, just more slowly, and that slower pace makes it easier to see what needs attention.

This is the month I start thinking more carefully about structure. I clear only what is properly finished. I feed beds that will carry winter crops. I mulch exposed soil. I check ties, arches and trellises before the weather turns rougher. And I pay close attention to how cold, moisture and shade are beginning to behave across the garden.

I am also thinking about continuity. I do not want bare gaps sitting for too long or soil left exposed through winter. This is something I talk to Matthew Evan’s, of Fat Pig Farm and author of Soil, in my book, The Productive Garden Companion. 

I want the garden to keep carrying itself forward. That might mean succession sowing leafy greens, replanting a bed as soon as it opens up, or putting in something simple that protects and improves the soil while I decide what comes next.

May rewards that kind of steady, practical care.

Quick checklist.

• Clear out truly spent summer crops and tidy only what is finished. 

• Add compost or well-rotted organic matter to any beds you plan to plant next. 

• Mulch exposed soil to protect structure, hold moisture and buffer temperature shifts. 

• Plant or sow what suits your climate now, especially cool-season edibles in temperate, cool/alpine, sub-tropical and arid regions. 

• Weed early while the ground is still softer and easier to work. 

• Check trellises, ties, arches and other supports before late-autumn and winter winds strengthen. 

• Watch how water moves through the garden after rain and fix any drainage issues before winter deepens. 

• Notice frost pockets, shade shifts and wind exposure so you can plant more intelligently. 

• Keep succession sowing going for leafy greens, herbs or other quick crops where your climate allows. 

• Pause and observe what actually worked this season before making new decisions.

Continue your gardening journey with me

If you enjoy this kind of content, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on design, productivity and seasonal care. May is also a great month to sign up to my newsletter if you do not already subscribe, where you can find out more about an exciting giveaway I am running for those who pre-order a copy of my book The Productive Garden Companion.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks onWicking Bed Gardens andIntroduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

The Productive Garden Companion is now available to pre-order - This is the book I’ve wanted to find my entire life.

Beauty, Tending, Belonging: Why I Keep Growing Things - Growing things is how I remember who I am.

The Medicinal Garden Workshop with Caroline Parker & Natasha Morgan — Step into the magic of nature

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

April garden tasks for Australian climates & adding interest for winter

April brings a sense of settling to the garden.

The rush of high summer has passed. Light softens, mornings cool, and the garden begins to shift from heat and speed into a more measured autumn rhythm. This is the month to tidy with restraint, prepare beds carefully, and make the most of the soil warmth that still lingers.

In many parts of Australia, April is one of the best planting windows of the year. The pressure is off. Moisture begins to hold a little longer. New sowings establish more steadily. It is also a good time to pay close attention to what the garden has taught you over summer. Which crops performed well? Which beds struggled in heat or wind? Where did water move, sit or disappear too quickly?

I always think of April as a month for resetting. Not by stripping everything back, but by observing first, then acting with a bit more clarity.

Shared tasks for all climates

These are the April tasks I keep as my base checklist:

• Clear out spent summer crops, but only where they are truly finished.

• Top-dress productive beds with compost or well-rotted manure.

• Refresh mulch to around 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 inches), keeping it clear of stems and trunks.

• Sow in succession rather than all at once, especially for leafy greens and quick crops.

• Save seed from healthy, productive plants.

• Weed early while the ground is softer and before winter growth slows things down.

• Check supports, trellises and ties before autumn winds strengthen.

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Seeds and seedlings by climate

Here are the April highlights by climate.

Temperate

This is one of the most generous planting windows of the year. Soil still holds warmth, but the fierceness has gone out of the season.
Try: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, beetroot, carrots, radish, silverbeet, lettuce, rocket, spinach, peas, broad beans, spring onions, leeks, parsley, coriander and dill.

This is also a good time to:

• feed and mulch fruit trees

• plant strawberries in cooler temperate districts

• keep harvesting lingering tomatoes, basil and late zucchini while nights remain mild

• sow little and often so the garden stays productive rather than peaking all at once

Cool and alpine

April is a serious month in cool gardens. Growth slows, frosts begin to return in some districts, and timing matters.

Try sowing or planting: broad beans, peas, beetroot, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, lettuce, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, leeks and garlic.

This is also a good time to:

• tidy out the last of the summer crops

• sow a green manure crop in any bed you will rest over winter

• prune back herbaceous perennials as flowering finishes

• protect young seedlings from sudden cold snaps

• choose fast-maturing varieties where the growing window is short

Subtropical

April often brings a welcome easing. There is still warmth in the soil, but conditions are usually more workable and less relentless.

Try sowing or planting: lettuce, Asian greens, silverbeet, beetroot, carrots, radish, spring onions, coriander, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, celery, ginger and turmeric in suitable districts.

This is also a good time to:

• turn compost heaps and accelerate them with nitrogen-rich inputs

• lift, divide and replant rhizomatous crops such as ginger, turmeric and horseradish

• weed thoroughly, then mulch before winter weeds take hold

• give citrus its final feed before spring growth

• store chill-requiring bulbs in the crisper if your winters are mild

Tropical

April is a transition month between the wet season and the dry in many tropical areas. The work now is about harvesting what is finishing, reducing weed pressure, and preparing beds properly for the next round of sowing.

Try sowing or planting: beans, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, coriander, cucumber, eggplant, kale, basil, corn and chilli.

This is also a good time to:

• harvest the last of the wet-season crops

• weed regularly and mulch heavily

• prepare beds with compost and well-rotted manure

• apply trace elements to help renew the soil ahead of the dry season

• keep a close watch on snails, slugs, aphids and citrus leafminer

Arid

In arid regions, April is a valuable reset point. Days can still be warm, but this is the moment to capture the gentler conditions before winter slows everything too sharply.

Try sowing or planting: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, beetroot, carrots, radish, turnip, swede, lettuce, silverbeet, spring onions, beans and herbs such as coriander and parsley.

This is also a good time to:

• harvest pumpkins and the last melons

• prune and feed citrus and other evergreen fruit trees

• top up mulch to suppress weeds and reduce moisture loss

• protect brassicas early from caterpillars

• keep watering deeply but less often, rather than little and often

Plants to think about in April for winter colour and interest

April is a beautiful moment to plant shrubs, bulbs and perennials that will carry the garden visually through winter.

Winter gardens often rely on three subtle elements:
• Fragrance that carries through cold air
• Flowers appearing on bare branches
• Plants with beautiful stems, bark or evergreen form

These quieter moments are what give winter gardens their depth. Plants like winter sweet, daphne, hellebores and witch hazel are not loud performers, but they hold the garden beautifully through the coldest months.

One of my favourite winter flowering shrubs is Chimonanthus praecox, winter sweet. It is a quiet plant for much of the year, but in the depths of winter it suddenly comes into its own. Small waxy flowers appear along the bare branches, releasing a warm, spicy fragrance that carries through the cold air. Often you smell it before you see it. In a cool climate garden it is one of those plants that quietly holds the garden through winter and reminds you that the seasons are already beginning to shift.

Cool climate gardens

These gardens benefit from plants that bring fragrance, early flowers, bark and structure through winter.

Fragrant winter shrubs
• Chimonanthus praecox, winter sweet
• Daphne odora, incredibly fragrant late winter flowers

Winter flowering perennials and bulbs
• Hellebores, often flowering through the coldest months
• Snowdrops, Galanthus, delicate white winter flowers
• Cyclamen coum, jewel like ground layer colour
• Early narcissus, bringing brightness to the late winter garden

Plants that provide structure or seasonal beauty
• Hamamelis, witch hazel, sculptural winter flowers
• Cornus, dogwoods, colourful winter stems
• Sarcococca, sweet box, subtle fragrance in deep winter

Temperate climates

Milder winters allow a mix of evergreen structure and seasonal flowers.

Winter flowering shrubs
• Camellia sasanqua, early winter colour
• Camellia japonica, mid to late winter flowers
• Correa, wonderful winter nectar for birds
• Grevillea, many varieties flower through winter

Perennials and bulbs for colour
• Hellebores
• Pansies and violas
• Freesia and anemone
• Ranunculus

Warmer climates

Northern NSW, Queensland, subtropical regions

Winter is gentler, so colour and structure come from different plants.

Winter flowering plants
• Aloe species, dramatic winter flowers
• Salvias, many varieties flower through winter
• Plectranthus, soft purple winter blooms
• Hibiscus, providing colour through mild winters

How I work with April

I see April as a month of adjustment. Not retreat, and not quite rest either. More a recalibration.

It is the time I start reading the garden differently. The angle of light changes. The air sits differently in the morning. Growth is no longer racing, which means there is a chance to intervene with a bit more intelligence. Beds can be improved. Crop choices can become more strategic. Mistakes made in summer can be noticed and resolved before winter really settles in.

This is also when I am thinking about continuity. I do not want a productive garden to operate in feast and famine. I want something always moving forward. A tray of seedlings under cover. A gap replanted before it becomes empty for too long. Compost maturing in the background. Mulch protecting what is already in place.

April rewards that kind of steady thinking.

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Quick checklist

1. Clear tired summer crops.

2. Top-dress beds with compost.

3. Refresh mulch.

4. Sow leafy greens and roots in succession.

5. Plant brassicas suited to your climate.

6. Watch for early frost in cooler districts.

7. Weed, edge and tidy lightly.

8. Take note of what summer taught you.

---

Continue your gardening journey with me

If you enjoy this kind of content, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on design, productivity and seasonal care. April is also the month to sign up to my newsletter if you do not already subscribe. To celebrate my birthday each week of April I will be sharing via the newsletter free resources to help you in your garden journey.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks on Wicking Bed Gardens and Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

When the world feels uncertain, grow one thing – are you thinking what I am thinking?

Romanesco: fractal beauty from the brassica bed – I harvested the first Romanesco heads this week and had to stop and stare.

The Medicinal Garden Workshop with Caroline Parker & Natasha Morgan — Step into the magic of nature

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

October garden tasks for Australian climates

October brings a sense of momentum in the garden.

Soil is warming, days are stretching, and spring growth is accelerating. This is the month to keep sowing steadily, build structure, and prepare for the abundant months ahead.

Shared tasks for all climates

These are the October jobs I keep as my base checklist:

• Mulch to lock in moisture and protect warming soil.
  

• Feed fruit trees and top-dress beds with compost.
  

• Plant out spring annuals, evergreens, and citrus while soil is still soft.
  

• Tie up climbing crops and trellis where needed.
  

• Pinch tips on herbs such as basil to encourage bushier growth.
  

• Keep sowing in succession for a continuous harvest.
  

• Watch for pests and act early with gentle, natural control.
  

• Water deeply and less often to encourage strong root systems.

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Seeds and seedlings by climate

Here are the October highlights by climate.

Temperate

Warm season crops take off now.
Try: tomatoes, basil, beans, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, corn, melons, capsicum, eggplant, lettuce, rocket, silverbeet. Harden off seedlings and plant out once frost risk has passed.

Cool and alpine

Frosts may still linger in higher areas, so stay watchful.
Try: beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peas, silverbeet, spring onions, radish. Start warmth lovers like tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and corn in trays and transplant once conditions settle.

Subtropical

Conditions are reliably warm, with storms possible along the coast.
Try: beans, cucumber, capsicum, eggplant, pumpkin, corn, okra, melons, sweet potato, taro, basil, coriander, dill. Plant passionfruit and keep mulching heavily.

Tropical

The build-up towards the wet season begins, with increasing humidity.
Try: snake beans, cowpeas, okra, zucchini, sweet corn, sweet potato, taro, basil, coriander. Shade cloth or afternoon protection helps tender crops.

Arid

Heat is climbing quickly, so protect soil and conserve water.
Try: tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, melons, okra, corn, basil, oregano. Plant in cool parts of the day and mulch deeply.

How I work with October

I see October as the turning point of spring — the garden shifts from tentative beginnings to full momentum. I keep sowing little and often, making sure I’m not overwhelmed all at once. I also start building in structure now: staking tomatoes, weaving in trellises, and tying up climbers before they surge. It’s about keeping ahead of growth so that abundance feels generous rather than unruly.

Quick checklist

• Mulch and feed fruit trees.
  

• Succession sow warm-season crops.
  

• Tie in climbing beans, peas, and cucumbers.
  

• Pinch herbs like basil.
  

• Protect tender crops in frost or harsh sun zones.
  

• Water deeply and mulch to conserve soil moisture.

Continue your gardening journey with me

If you enjoy this kind of content, my workshops offer more detail and guidance on design, productivity and seasonal care.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks on Wicking Bed Gardens and Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

Workshops are back. Gathering again for Spring – Discover the rest of the years workshops — from Garden Design, Productive Gardens, Wicking Beds and Medicinal Gardens.

Rooted in Reflection, Growing with Intention – Explore the intentionality behind creating a garden that serves both purpose and beauty.

September garden tasks for Australian climates — Explore last months quick tips and my must dos.

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx

The Medicinal Garden Workshop with Caroline Parker & Natasha Morgan

Step into the magic of nature

With Caroline Parker of The Cottage Herbalist and Natasha Morgan at the idyllic Little Cottage On A Hill. Together, they will guide you on a journey through the healing power of plants bringing them into your everyday life from your own garden that nurtures the body, mind, and soul. Whether you’re new to medicinal plants and their uses, a seasoned gardener or just starting, this workshop will provide valuable insights and hands-on experience to help you cultivate the use of healing plants in your gardens and everyday life. 

Date: Sunday 2 November 2025

Time: 10 am - 1 pm

Location: Natasha’s Studio & Garden, Little Cottage On A Hill, Daylesford, VIC

Buy your ticket via the shop.

From edible treats to therapeutic remedies, unearth the healing potential of plants, both wild and cultivated. Come for a day of healing botanical goodness, learning to make healing treats for the body, mind and soul.  Delve into the medicinal benefits of botanicals by creating your own hand-made delights and celebrate the release of  Caroline’s book, ‘The Medicinal Garden’.

Enjoy a day of sumptuous experiences in a gorgeous space with lovely people. Natasha and Caroline will share discussions on how to bring plants and their incredible healing properties into your everyday life in the simplest yet most precious ways.

About the Workshop:

Join Caroline Parker (aka @thecottageherbalist), and Natasha Morgan for a unique hands-on workshop in the idyllic setting of Little Cottage On A Hill, Daylesford. Dive deep into the world of botanical healing as Caroline shares her expertise in creating natural, healing remedies.

Caroline is a degree-qualified herbalist, author, farmer, forager and facilitator.  She is obsessed with cups of tea, getting her hands dirty, growing beautiful herbs and flowers, and foraging for wild weeds and herbs. Caroline’s small home-based studio, in the cool and misty Wombat Forest, is where you'll find her blending up award-winning teas and tisanes. 

What You’ll Learn and Create:

• An immunity-boosting botanical syrup

• A magical medicinal balm for gardeners and so much more!

• A weedy pesto/salsa from foraged botanicals that will transform any meal

Participants will receive beautiful botanicals to use on the day, as well as recipes to follow and take home, ensuring you can continue creating medicinal magic long after the workshop. Be welcomed in Natasha’s idyllic garden world to pick from and enjoy during a guided tour. Of course, there will also be pots of Caroline’s award-winning hand-blended tea and a sumptuous long table morning tea of freshly baked botanically infused healing treats (sweet and savoury), beautiful company and conversation!

Tickets are extremely limited, so grab some friends, your camera or phone to take pics, and come to Daylesford for the day—just do it quickly! You don’t want to miss out.

Note: Caroline will have her latest book ‘The Medicinal Garden’ available for purchase and signing on the day.

Continue your gardening journey with me

See what other workshops I offer, you’ll find everything from guidance of design, productivity and seasonal care.

If you are building your garden from home right now, my ebooks on Wicking Bed Gardens and Introduction to Backyard Chicken Keeping offer practical step by step guidance that pairs well with the workshops.

You may want to check out my related content below:

Workshops are back. Gathering again for Spring – Discover the rest of the years workshops — from Garden Design, Productive Gardens, Wicking Beds and Medicinal Gardens.

Rooted in Reflection, Growing with Intention – Explore the intentionality behind creating a garden that serves both purpose and beauty.

Stay connected for more seasonal inspiration:
Instagram | Facebook | Gardenstead | LinkedIn | Pinterest | YouTube | Website | Newsletter

Thanks so much for following along.
Natasha xx