It's that time of year again where temperatures reach a low and your garden needs a lot of TLC. Deborah Hele has all the info on how to care for your garden in the winter month of June.

• Remember to protect tender plants against falling night temperatures with a light fleece covering or Hessian.
• Ensure secateurs and pruners are sharp and spray bottles are in good working order in readiness for pruning.
• Continue fertilising established winter flowering annuals like pansies, cinerarias, primulas and petunias on a fortnightly basis.
• Cut down on watering your kikuyu lawn to twice a month.
• Continue watering your planted spring bulbs as you don't want them to dry out.
• Continue mulching your garden beds with bark chips, saw dust, mulch and compost to provide a warm layer through the winter and to assist with the retention of water.
• You are still able to split perennials like agapanthus, clivias, dietes and cannas.
• Plant vegetables like swiss chard, onions, cabbage, beetroot, lettuce varieties, onions, garlic and celery.
• Sow flower seeds like Namaqualand daisies, Virginian Stocks, mesembryanthemums, Californian poppies and nasturtiums.
• Now's also a good time to restore your wooden garden benches, chairs, jungle gyms and Wendy houses.

Bring the garden inside this winter

Indoor flowering plants are the perfect gifts, whether it's the celebration of a new baby, a dinner gift for your host or a birthday gift. They are easy to transport, take home and to pop into a ceramic, brass or basket container.

There are a variety of indoor flowering plants that are available at this time of the year. The colours are so vibrant and cheerful that it is so difficult to make your final choice. But always choose a plant that is full of buds that are ready to open. This will ensure a longer period of flowering.

You should also keep in mind the two most important criteria in maintaining good health and continuous flowering of your indoor plants: proper lighting and watering.

Our top recommendations for you this winter are African violets, amaryllis, azaleas, begonias, chrysanthemums, cinerarias, cyclamens, kalanchoes and gerberas.

For more detailed information on Flowering Pot Plants, email marketing@gardenshop.co.za with Flowering Pot Plants in the subject line.