What to plant and do now

Lately I have had a few people asking me what they can put in their vegie garden at the moment, with winter approaching.

Now is a good time for the good winter veg. Think brassicas, roots and peas and beans. More specifically cabbages, broccoli, brussels sprouts for your brassicas. Perhaps try some different varieties - I have put in a purple sprouting broccoli this year.

For the root veg, it's things that grow underground! Carrots, turnips, onions, parsnips, beetroot and a relative of these is silverbeet. I like the rainbow char varieties of silverbeet because of the strikingly coloured stems, but I'm sure the flavour is the same. Be careful not to confuse spinach and silverbeet as your spinach won't do any well.

It is more specific when it comes to peas and beans. Check seed packets to ensure that your variety of pea will grow over winter, but most will. Beans on the other hand, really just leaves it to broad beans. I told you all that I wouldn't be planting broad beans again, but I am once again tempted by the welcome green bushiness and pretty flowers at a normally drab time.

You can also put in year round varieties of lettuce, and herbs help add a green touch to the garden, with lovely smell and culinary uses to boot. And garlic. Don't forget the garlic! Lots of garlic if you have the space. You won't get to harvest till close to Christmas, though, so remember that when working out what is going where.

In terms of flowers, for the complimentary, companion type garden there are still a few to choose from. Plant sweet peas up a trellis for their pretty flowers and sweet scent. Try calendula for some colour, although I have found young seedlings can be frost tender, even though a mature plants are frost hardy. Pop some pansies in now for continued colour and now is also the time to be putting in spring flowering bulbs. Strawberries can be pretty in borders and have the bonus of fruit. Put them in now but you won't get fruit till spring.

And before the frost hits... move potted basil and tomato plants into a frost protected area or inside. Do the same with aubergine, chilli and capsicum if you can. Aubergine is a perennial in warm climates, but doesn't tolerate frost so is usually treated as an annual in frosty zones. Pull out pumpkin vines, cutting pumpkins with a few centimeters of stalk. Leave pumpkins in the sun to cure and the skin to harden (they should sound hollow when you tap them) or use soon.

Happy gardening!

PJG