“Frost tolerant Plants”

The South Burnett certainly delivers crisp winter mornings with beautiful views of misty paddocks. It’s been really nice too, seeing the mist rising over the dam beyond the blue gums. On the flip side though for many gardeners, including myself, frost can be disheartening if not kept in check. By choosing hardy plants and giving your garden a little winter care, the coldest months can become a lot easier. Thankfully there are plenty of frost tolerant plants that not only survive, but actually thrive.

The hardy, wide leaved Callistemon are really worth growing and some feature gorgeous hot pink flowers. Another one of my reliable favourites is Hebe. It’s a lovely evergreen flowering shrub in pinks and purples that handle South Burnett frosts quite easily. Ideally plant Hebes in well drained soil and trim lightly after flowering to keep them neat and healthy. Euryops are another hardy plant with bright yellow flowers; giving them full sun and pruning lightly will keep them looking great.

Covered in soft, white, double flowers around August and September are the May bush (Spiraea). These are perfect for borders or feature shrubs and thrive in a sunny position. While its common name refers to its flowering time in the Northern Hemisphere (May), here in Australia in our Southern Hemisphere it flowers in spring. One of my favourite frost hardy, low growing flowers are Dianthus, especially the beautiful deep red coloured ones with long lasting blooms. These lovely pollinator friendly flowers are ideal in rockeries, pots, garden beds or borders.

I find one of the toughest low growing and easy to manage grassy plants is Liriope. It was one of the first plants I purchased when moving here 21 years ago. It’s ideal for borders, driveways, or under trees. This tough little plant tolerates frost, drought and is always looking healthy; the purple flowers are nice too. A bit of a trim in late winter will encourage fresh new growth and if wanted, can be easily divided for your garden or gifted to family and friends.

Grevilleas are another fantastic shrub. Many varieties flower right throughout winter including tall Honey Gem and the shorter Soopa Doopa; all loved by birds and bees needing nectar. They’re drought tolerant, frost hardy and perform well in our South Burnett climate. Eremophila too are drought tolerant natives that handle frosty mornings while attracting birds to your garden.

Strawberries definitely deserve a place in the winter garden. They’ll survive frosty nights and burst into growth as soon as the weather warms up. If you’re wanting to get a head start on your summer fruits they can be planted in winter. Beautiful fragrant herbs such as Lavender, Rosemary and Wormwood are hardy perennials thriving in full sun and well drained soil. Being robust they are able to easily withstand the frost and their silvery green foliage adds lovely contrast to winter gardens. Roses too, do well with winter chill with many varieties benefiting from the changing seasons, helping to promote stronger spring growth.

Mulching generously with hay, straw, bark, sugarcane or whatever you have; helps enormously to protect roots from frost. Watering in the morning can prevent damage to leaves allowing time for the soil to dry during the day. Another tip is waiting until the end of winter before feeding plants, preventing the new growth that the frost will damage. Although very tempting now, remember to prune back frost sensitive plants after the risk of frost has passed. The already frosted leaves will protect any untouched leaves and stems underneath. With planning and good choices enjoy your garden all winter long. Those frosty mornings always offer the promise a beautiful day!