SEASONAL CARE

Climbers
Vitis coignetiae
Crimson glory
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Perform major pruning in late winter. Summer pruning can control size and shape.

Grasses
Festuca glauca
Blue Fescue
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
Rake as needed, in early spring, cut the entire clump back to 2 cm - 4 cm from the ground to remove old, tired foliage and stimulate new growth.

Grasses
Poa labillardierei
Tussock Grass
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
Cut back mid to late Autumn or early spring to mounds 40cm high.

Ground covers
Tradescantia pallida
Purple Heart
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Trim any leggy or overgrown stems to encourage new growth.

Perennials - evergreen
Arthropodium cirratum
Renga Renga Lily
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Deadhead

Perennials - evergreen
Cota tinctoria
E.C. Buxton
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut back by half in winter to fresh lime-coloured leaves in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous
Salvia azure
Blue Sage
Maintenance:
Formative pruning, Dead-heading
Dead heading. Cut back stems hard in late winter or early spring to promote new growth.

Perennials - herbaceous
Stachys byzantina
Lamb's Ear
Maintenance:
Dead-heading, Winter cutback
Cut back to the ground in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous
Anemone japonica
Japanese Anemone
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Dead head

Shrubs
Myoporum floribundum
Weeping/Slender Myoporum
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Formative pruning

Shrubs
Plectranthus argentatus
Silver Spurflower
Maintenance:
Formative pruning, Dead-heading
Responds well to pruning; tip pruning encourages bushier growth and prevents legginess.

Shrubs
Casuarina cunninghamiana
River She-oak
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
The tree can be pruned or coppiced every few years to maintain a dense, smaller form. For younger plants, light, regular pruning in late winter helps maintain a compact shape.

Strappies
Lomandra longifolia
Tanika Lomandra
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
Cut back every 3-7 years

Climbers
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Star Jasmine
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
Pruning after flowering helps maintain shape and control size.

Grasses
Deschampsia cespitosa
Tufted Hairgrass
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Deadhead and cut back to 20 cm in autumn.

Ground covers
Chrysocephalum apiculatum
Yellow Buttons
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Deadheading and hard cut back late Winter.

Perennials - evergreen
Tulbaghia violacea
Society Garlic
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Cut to the ground in winter or remove spent flowers and foliage.

Perennials - evergreen
Liriope muscari
Lilyturf
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Requires minimal care; shear back old foliage in late winter/early spring for fresh new growth.

Perennials - evergreen
Verbena rigida
Polaris
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut to ground in winter

Perennials - herbaceous
Salvia yangii
Russian Sage
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Deadheading and hard cut back early spring

Perennials - herbaceous
Salvia leucantha
Mexican Bush Sage
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut the plant back hard to about 20–30 cm above the ground in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous
Heuchera
Palace Purple
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Deadhead and remove any dead foliage.

Shrubs
Continus 'Grace'
Smoke Bush
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Formative pruning into desired shape

Shrubs
Westringia fruticosa
Coastal Rosemary
Maintenance:
Clipping and cloud pruning
Clip into topiary forms in late spring and deep winter

Shrubs
Agonis flexuosa
Burgundy Willow Myrtle
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
The best time for significant pruning is in late winter or early spring before new growth begins

Succulents
Beschorneria yuccoides
Mexican Lily
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Minimal; remove spent flower stalks and any dead/yellowing leaves.

Grasses
Pennisetum thunbergii
Red Buttons
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut to ground in winter.

Grasses
Calamagrostis brachytricha
Feather Grass
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut back the entire plant to roughly 12 cm from the ground in late winter or early spring (Feb) before new growth appears

Ground covers
Dichondra argentea
Silver falls
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Low-maintenance; prune lightly in spring to maintain shape and encourage fullness.

Perennials - evergreen
Dietes grandiflora
Wild Iris
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Very low maintenance; doesn't require much pruning, but dead flowers can be removed.

Perennials - evergreen
Pycnosorus globosus
Billy Buttons
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Rake foliage and deadhead over winter. Keep spent flowers for the vase.

Perennials - evergreen
Gaura lindheimeri
Whirling Butterflies
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
In winter, cut back by about half or to new growth.

Perennials - herbaceous
Hylotelephium
Autumn Joy
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut back to ground in winter

Perennials - herbaceous
Agastache
Sweet Lili
Maintenance:
Winter cutback
Cut to ground in winter.

Shrubs
Veronica perfoliata
Digger's Speedwell
Maintenance:
Dead-heading
Formative pruning, coppicing

Shrubs
Eucalyptus pulverulenta
Baby Blue
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Prune to desired height and spread.

Shrubs
Backhousia citriodora
Lemon Myrtle
Maintenance:
Formative pruning
Prune after flowering to maintain shape, encourage bushiness, or for a tree form.

Shrubs
Leptospermum petersonii
Lemon Scented Tea Tree
Maintenance:
Occasional pruning
Prune lightly after flowering to shape and encourage dense growth; also remove dead wood.
Some photographs by Martina Gemmola