"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 is well known as part of the "Garden Gurus" team , the popular TV gardening show on Channel 9."

January

Plant up large bowls with succulents. They are ideal for hot dry positions where nothing else will grow. Install a water feature to create a cooling effect in the garden. Build a frog pond; frogs need water in the garden at this time of the year.

Place dishes of varying heights around to cater for the different sized birds, don't forget the lizards, place a saucer filled with water at ground level. Time to plant tropical fruiting trees to ensure they get established before the cold weather sets in. They thrive in the heat. Prune Apricot, Nectarine and Peaches immediately after fruiting. This reduces the amount of water they need over summer and the new growth will be fruiting wood for next season.

Tip:

Kangaroo Paws can be trimmed to ground level after flowering. This ensures strong disease free growth for next year.