Wondering what to plant right now? Take a look at what expert gardener Andrew Stark recommends adding to your garden in autumn, winter, spring and summer!

Andrew Stark is a renowned figure in the horticultural world, celebrated for his spectacular garden designs, extensive plant knowledge, and passion for climate-adaptive gardening. With a career spanning over three decades, Andrew has become a trusted media voice and industry leader. He has an Instagram following of over 216K and a background that includes international garden studies, innovative plant hybridisation, and major appearances at RHS London and heading up next year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Creating a flourishing garden isn’t about chance, it is all about timing. Understanding what to plant and when is the key to cultivating a space that’s beautiful, productive, and deeply satisfying all year round. Whether you’re growing a lush flowerbed, an edible garden, or brightening up your balcony, seasonal planting ensures your garden thrives through every shift in weather and flourishes all year round.

Gardening is more than digging holes and pulling weeds, it’s an act of creativity, mindfulness, and connection with nature. Every season brings new opportunities to experiment, reflect, and enjoy the slow magic of watching something grow.

Ready to make the most of every month in the garden? Here’s what to plant right now and throughout the beautiful Australian seasons.

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What to plant in Autumn

Autumn is often overlooked, but for gardeners, it’s one of the most important planting seasons. The soil is still warm, the days are cooling down, and moisture levels increase, creating perfect conditions for root development.

Best options for autumn planting:

• Cool-season vegetables
• Flowering bulbs
• Shrubs
• Cold-tolerant flowers

Start with cool-season veggies like peas, broccoli, spinach and lettuce. These staples love the milder temperatures and will reward you with vibrant, nutritious growth.

For flower lovers, autumn is the moment to introduce structure and long-term beauty with shrubs like hydrangeas, hellebores, and camellias (both Sasanqua and Japonica types). These plants provide colour, form, and seasonal flair as the garden winds down.

It’s also the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs including daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, jonquils, ranunculus, anemones, freesias and crocus. These bulbs lie dormant through winter and burst into colour as the weather warms.

In pots, brighten up patios or balconies with cold-tolerant blooms like pansies, violas and cyclamens. They’ll keep the garden feeling fresh right through the chillier months.

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What to plant in winter

Winter is all about building the foundations for the seasons to come. It’s a quieter time in the garden, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done and it’s a time for heavy lifting with spring blooms just around the corner.

Best options for winter planting:

• Perennials
• Ornamental grasses
• Roses
• Fruit trees, including berries
• Hedges
• Dahlias

This is the time to get perennials like iris, salvia, penstemon, agastache, aquilegia and ornamental grasses into the ground. They’ll establish strong roots during the cool months and be ready to shine come spring and summer.

Roses are best planted now, whether bare-rooted or in pots. Look for varieties such as hybrid teas, floribundas, David Austins, climbers and pillar roses. Give them a good position with plenty of sun and you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular blooming season.

Thinking fruit? Get in early. Winter is prime time to plant apples, pears, apricots, nectarines, plums and figs. It’s also a great time for berries like raspberries and blackberries, which are brilliant for homegrown harvests later in the year.

Looking to shape your garden? Add structure with ornamental trees and hedging plants. Maples, magnolias, ornamental pears, crabapples, elms and robinias all do well when planted in winter.

Bonus tip: If you’re a fan of dahlias, now’s the time to plant their tubers for a late-summer floral explosion.

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What to plant in spring

If there’s one season that defines optimism in the garden, it’s spring. The soil is warming, buds are bursting, and it’s the ultimate time to plant with energy and enthusiasm.

Best options for spring planting:

• Flowering shrubs
• Perennials
• Hydrangeas
• Roses
• Daphne
• Gardenia
• Citrus

With most plants coming out of dormancy, spring is the time to go big. Plant perennials, hedging plants, flowering shrubs, pretty much anything that needs warmth and time to establish.

Hydrangeas take centre stage now. From mopheads to lacecaps, oakleaf to panicle varieties, these lush, large-leafed beauties thrive in spring and reward you with dramatic colour and volume.

Roses, too, love this season. Whether you’re planting new ones or tending to existing bushes, spring is their time to shine. Feed them well, keep them hydrated, and enjoy the perfume.

Want fragrance? Daphne and gardenia offer timeless scent and style, both are spring favourites that also lend themselves to potted planting near doorways and windows.

Citrus trees also do well when planted in spring. With the soil warming, it’s a great time to plant lemons, limes, oranges and mandarins, alongside other fruiting and ornamental trees.

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What to plant in summer

Summer is the season of reward. Long days, warm soil, and regular watering mean it’s the time to truly enjoy the fruits (and flowers) of your labour.

Best options for summer planting:

• Herbs
• Vegetables
• Pollinating flowers
• Ornamental trees

Make the most of the heat by growing herbs like basil, mint, coriander, rosemary, thyme, chives and sage. These thrive in warm weather and are perfect for picking fresh and adding straight to your meals.

The veggie patch should be buzzing with productivity, try planting beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, peas, parsnip, pumpkin, silverbeet and turnips. Keep the water up and your garden will be overflowing with goodness.

Summer is also a floral feast. Introduce colour and pollinator-friendly plants like lavender, dahlias, agapanthus, grevillea, hibiscus, catmint, salvia, agastache, gazania and geraniums. These sun-lovers are low-maintenance and bursting with personality.

Ornamental trees such as crape myrtles, magnolias and ornamental pears also come into their own, offering striking seasonal flowers and much-needed summer shade.

“Whether you’re starting with a single pot or transforming your entire landscape, planting with the seasons helps your garden not only survive but thrive. So go grab your gloves, get your hands dirty, and make every corner of your garden a seasonal masterpiece.”

Andrew Stark

You can follow Andrew Stark on Instagram for more inspiration and fabulous tips on what to plant right now!

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Do you have a seasonal planting ritual? Share it with us in the comments below!