What Flowers to Plant Now in Melbourne

Melbourne, known for its unpredictable weather patterns, offers a unique environment for growing flowers. Understanding the city’s climate and the flowering cycle of different plants is key to successfully gardening in the local climate. This article aims to provide you with insights into what flowers to plant right now in Melbourne.

What Flowers to Plant Now in Melbourne

To help you decide which flowers to plant in Melbourne right now, here’s a season-by-season planting guide to weather patterns and flowering plants that will thrive in your garden.

September to November (Spring)

Spring in Melbourne is a time of blossoming beauty, with around 60mm of rainfall each month. During this season, consider planting the following flowers that will thrive in the springtime conditions of Melbourne.

1. Blue Gem™ Westringia hybrid ‘WES03’ PBR: This is possibly one of the most beautiful westringias around, with incredible blue-purple flowers profusely blooming in spring, and regular flowers at other times of the year.
2. Amber Velvet’ Anigozanthos hybrid: This kangaroo paw can be planted while flowering in early spring, and it’ll continue to flower right through summer.
3. Buccaneer™ Agapanthus hybrid ‘AMDB002’ PBR Like many agapanthuses, this cultivar flowers its head off throughout spring. The difference is that Buccaneer Agapanthus has striped purple flowers and displays very good repeat flowering right through spring and summer.

December to February (Summer)

Melbourne’s summers can be drier than other Australian cities, making it a challenging time for some plants without irrigation. You can expect between 40-60mm of rain each month as the temperatures rise. However, there are still many flowers that can withstand the heat.

1. Grand Star™ Dietes grandiflora ‘Di1’: Unlike traditional Dietes varieties, this cultivar produces very little seed, meaning that it’s less likely to sprout weeds throughout your lawn or garden. It flowers in the warmer months, including summer.
2. Amethyst™ Liriope muscari ‘LIRTP’ PBR: Deep purple flower spikes appear in summer for this beautiful liriope. For the rest of the year, its strappy green leaves are enough to provide interest and appeal.
3. Pink Fusion™ Scaevola spp. ‘PFS200’ PBR Intended: This native ground-covering shrub flowers almost all year round with beautiful pink fan-shaped petals.

March to May (Autumn)

With a rainfall of 50-60mm per month, autumn is quite possibly the most beautiful season in Melbourne as the deciduous tree leaves begin turning colour. But leaves don’t have to be the only source of colour in your garden, so here are a few flowers you can plant in Melbourne during autumn.

1. Crimson Villea™ Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘H16’ PBR: This grevillea has an abundance of flowers from autumn right through to spring. In fact, it’s sometimes referred to as one of the showiest winter flowering plants in the world, so you still have plenty of colour to look forward to when autumn ends.
2. Obsession™ Nandina domestica ‘SEIKA’ PBR: Its flowers aren’t as spectacular as its bright red new growth during autumn.
3. Yareena™ Myoporum parvifolium ‘PARV01’ PBR: This myoporum flowers throughout the warmer months, right through to the end of Autumn.

June to August (Winter)

Despite the colder temperatures consistent rainfall during winter (around 50mm per month), certain resilient flowers can still be planted and thrive.

Here’s your planting guide for the cooler months.

1. Yalba™ Imperata cylindrica: With its incredibly beautiful flower plumes from April through to September, this native Australian grass is a winter garden masterpiece. Just make sure to keep its roots contained as it has a habit of spreading.
2. Meema™ Hardenbergia violacea ‘HB1’ PBR: This beautiful native pea grows as a shrub or climber, and flowers from July through to September. Pruning is only needed a couple of times a year to keep it from spreading too far.
3. Gold Cluster™ Grevillea juniperina ‘H22’ PBR: This low, ground-covering grevillea is covered in quite a lot of beautiful, pollinator-attracting flowers from winter through to spring.

Preparing Your Melbourne Garden for Seasonal Flower Planting

Before you start planting anything in your Melbourne garden, you’ll need to prepare for the perfect conditions. The quality of your soil can significantly impact the health and growth of your plants, so let’s explore how to improve your soil quality.

Soil Optimisation for Flowering Plants in Melbourne

Sandy soils, such as around the bay, can often become “hydrophobic,” meaning that water rolls off the top without penetrating into the root zone. To amend this, you can use a soil wetter, however if you’re already digging the ground for planting, now might be a good time to add a quality hydrogel like Terracottem or a Kaolin clay like Soil Solver.

Heavy clay soils can become waterlogged or compacted, and gypsum is the easiest way to quickly break them apart to make the conditions more favourable for flowering plants. You should also test the pH – most plants prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH of between 6.0-7.0.

The Manutech pH tester developed by the CSIRO is a great kit for even the most novice of gardeners. It’s also important to understand the specific soil conditions that different flowers prefer. For instance, some flowers thrive in slightly acidic soil, while others prefer slightly alkaline conditions.

By understanding these preferences, you can tailor your soil optimisation strategies to suit the specific needs of your flowers.

Mulching

Cover your soil with around 5-10cm of mulch. Opt for a chunky mulch that will break down slowly and provide plenty of drainage so that you don’t have all of that valuable water sitting in the mulch only to evaporate as the day heats up.

How to Plant Correctly Into Garden Beds

Choosing the right flowers is as important as the technique used for planting them. Incorrect planting could lead to underwhelming growth or even cause the plants to die.

To ensure you’re planting correctly, here’s a guide:

1. Right plant, right place: Consider aspects like sunlight, wind exposure, and the soil structure and conditions that each flower needs. It’s important to pair the correct plant with its ideal setting.
2. Dig a hole: The hole should be twice as wide and equal in depth to your plant’s root ball. If mulch is present, shift it away initially to prevent it from blending with the soil.
3. Use amendments: Based on the needs of the soil, you may introduce amendments such as compost for all types of soil, hydrogels to prevent sandy soil from becoming hydrophobic, and gypsum to break up heavy clay.
4. Position your plant: The top of the root ball should be level with the soil or mulch surface.
5. Refill the hole: Put the soil back into the hole, lightly pressing it around the base of the plant. Spread any moved mulch back over the surface. Ensure to remove any air pockets around the root zone and refrain from compressing the soil too much. Don’t cover the stems or leaves – they should be in the air.
6. Water adequately: Newly planted flowers need the right amount of water to establish their roots. Keep the moisture levels consistent (without making it overly wet) until they take root properly.

Ensuring Blooms All Year Round with Melbourne-Suitable Flowers

One of the joys of gardening is having a garden that’s vibrant with colourful blooms all year round. To achieve this, it’s a good idea to plan your planting cycle carefully. Consider planting a variety of species that flower at different times of the year so that you have colour and a food source for pollinators throughout each season.

Using Flower Seeds

Sure, you can buy pre-grown plants from your local nursery. But there’s something special about growing your own flowers from seed. Annual flower types such as sunflowers, petunias and everlasting daisies (also grown as a short-term perennial), can help you cultivate a closer relationship with nature.

Some edible plants have incredibly beautiful flowers – you can sow alyssum, sweet peas, make for some of the best flowers to grow. Sunflower seeds are delicious and nutritious for us as well as birds.

Daniel’s Wrap

Understanding Melbourne’s climate, as well as choosing plants that are in flower and will thrive in your garden’s conditions, is the best way to ensure that you’ve got plenty of flowers to enjoy right now.

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, we hope this planting guide has provided you with valuable insights into what flowers to plant now in Melbourne. Happy gardening!