"Sue McDougall is an acclaimed Garden TV presenter and qualified horticulturist. Sue has been involved in the horticultural industry all her life. She has owned her own garden centre until recently and has been a gardening copresenter on 6PR radio since 1995. She was part of the ‘Garden Gurus’ team for many years, the popular TV gardening show on Channel 9."

February

Brighten up the alfresco area by multi planting large glazed pots full of foliage colour. Become inspired with Bromeliads. These hardy plants are perfect potted plants surviving on very little water. They are also the easiest to grow indoor plants I know. Plant a crop of dwarf beans. They keep producing for months.

Plant a passionfruit in summer so they have a chance to get established before the cold weather sets in. Find a cool shady tree to create a garden under. An eclectic collection of pots of different sizes always adds interest to the garden.

Tip:

To protect tender young seedlings in a heat wave, take a small branch from a tree or shrub and place beside small seedlings. The foliage will protect the seedlings.