December Planting Guide

What a wild week of weather it’s been! We jumped from icy, wintery days on Monday and Tuesday straight into full-blown summer by Thursday. I’m not entirely sure what happened to spring this year—if it showed up at all, I must have blinked and missed it.

Despite the chaos, the garden is pressing on. I picked my very first zucchini of the season (always such a satisfying moment!) and the strawberry patch is gifting me a small but steady handful each day. The tomatoes are loaded with fruit, though they’re stubbornly refusing to ripen without those warm night-time temperatures. Patience, patience…

I’ve also been watching my cherry trees closely, hoping for a sweet little harvest. Unfortunately, the local cockatoos were watching even more closely. They swooped in and helped themselves well before I had the chance. Next year, these trees will definitely need netting—especially since the feathered thieves managed to cause a bit of structural damage in their enthusiasm.

I don’t mind sharing some of the garden’s bounty with our native wildlife, but honestly… they could do with a few lessons in manners and portion control!

While the weather is warm, here is a list of vegetable and herbs you could plant in your garden or pots to reward you with fresh produce throughout Summer and Autumn.

• Basil - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Beans (Dwarf or climbing) - plant seedlings or seeds

• Beetroot - sow seeds (remember to soak overnight first for best results)

• Cabbage - plant seedlings of summer varieties (Savoy is my favourite)

• Capsicum - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Carrot - sow seeds

• Celery - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Chives - sow seeds

• Coriander - sow seeds

• Cucumber - plant seedlings

• Eggplant - sow seedlings

• Leeks - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Lettuce - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Oregano - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Parsley - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Potato - plant seed potatoes

• Pumpkin - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Radish - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Rock melon/Cantaloupe - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Spring onions - sow seeds

• Squash - plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Sunflower -plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Sweetcorn -plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Sweet potato - plant crowns

• Tomato -plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Watermelon -plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

• Zucchini -plant seedlings or start seeds in a seed tray

Happy gardening