There’s a particular kind of pride that comes with a garden you’ve grown yourself. The hibiscus finally in flower, herbs spilling over the edge of their pots, a patch of lawn that glows in the afternoon sun. That pride is exactly why we’re bringing the landscaping competition back this spring!
Dates, prizes and how to enter will be revealed soon. But we wanted to let you know it’s coming, because spring is the best time of year to get your garden in shape. In the meantime, we thought we’d share a practical guide around what grows well in Mackay right now.
Getting your garden spring-ready
Mackay’s spring sits in a sweet spot. Warm days, mild nights and none of the heavy humidity that rolls in with the wet season. It’s the ideal window to get plants established before the real heat sets in, so it’s worth making the most of it.
Start with the basics: clear out any weeds, dig some compost or well-rotted manure through your beds and lay down a fresh layer of mulch to help the soil hold onto moisture as the days warm up. If your irrigation hasn’t run since last summer, now’s the time to check it’s still working before you need it.
Reliable performers for this climate
For the vegetable patch. Tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, chilli, eggplant, beans, pumpkin, zucchini and sweet corn all take off once the soil warms up, and quick growers like radishes will give you something to harvest while the slower crops get going. Basil, coriander, chives and parsley round out the herb bed nicely, whether they’re in the ground or in a few pots by the back door.
For colour. Marigolds and nasturtiums are an easy win! Cheerful, fast-growing and handy for keeping pests off your veggies at the same time. If you’re after something with a bit more presence, hibiscus, bougainvillea, frangipani and gardenia are classic garden performers that thrive in exactly this kind of warmth and humidity.
For something closer to home. Given how much our estate sits alongside the wetlands and Bakers Creek, it’s worth taking a leaf out of nature’s own book. Lomandra, native ginger, swamp lily and grevillea all handle our wet-dry swings without complaint, and they’ll help bring in the birds and pollinators that are busy this time of year.
Whether you’d like to put your name forward for our upcoming competition or simply enjoy having the garden gloves back on, we hope this gives you a head start. Watch this space for the full competition details, entry information and terms and conditions. We can’t wait to see what your garden looks like by the time spring’s in full swing.