Potatoes, cabbages and broccoli can all be planted now. If potatoes are left too long, the warmer weather will result in plenty of foliage, but with a very small crop underneath. The cabbages will be smaller than they would have been if they had had some cold weather over them.

Lettuce can also be grown from seed now, as they will fail to germinate if the temperatures are over 30°C.

Potatoes can be planted from seed potatoes (small potatoes), which will result in a good harvest. Potatoes that have sprouted in the home vegetable box may produce a good crop, but using seed potatoes will guarantee a good crop. However, it is important to use seed potatoes that are certified disease free.

Potatoes can be grown in the mulch method, where the potatoes have contact with the soil before layers of mulch are applied over the top. It is imperative to ensure that the cover is sufficient to ensure the potatoes are totally covered from the sun, which will turn them green, forming a poison. The layers of mulch will need to be renewed as they begin to break down. A layer of at least 30cm of mulch should be applied at first.

Correa reflexa is the most widespread member of the genus and the most variable. It is typically a small shrub to about 1 metre in height but prostrate forms and forms reaching 3 metres are also known.

Leaves often have conspicuous oil glands on their surface and may be covered with short hairs. The leaves are 10 to 50mm long and oval shaped. In some forms, the leaves bend back against the stem giving the appearance of water stress.

The flowers are bell shaped and up to 40mm long. They may be pale green, red, red with yellow or cream tips or a number of other variations. The flowers produce nectar and attract honey eating birds. Flowering is usually during winter to early spring.

Although a desirable garden plant, C. reflexa is not suited to tropical districts. Because of the wide range of the species, it is preferable to try to obtain forms propagated from plants native to an area to be grown. For example, species native to areas such as western Victoria or South Australia may not succeed in sub-tropical areas of the east coast. In these areas plants propagated from forms growing in coastal NSW may be more successful.

A well-drained position in semi shade is the favoured position for this species.

In common with most members of the Rutaceae, propagation of C. reflexa from seed is difficult but cuttings usually strike readily from current season’s growth. 

A number of shrubs can brighten up the less colourful cooler weather garden with their bright yellow flowers.

Yellow flax, or Linum, is one such plant that adds much-needed colour to gardens now. The flowers are a clear, butter-yellow.

Linum grows as a small, evergreen shrub, reaching about a metre in height. The branches form  from a clumpy base. Its yellow masses of flowers contrast well with the lime green leaves. Although Linum is an evergreen shrub, it has sparse foliage. The plant should be trimmed regularly to avoid it becoming too straggly, particularly once it has finished flowering. Removal of the older stems and shortening new stems will encourage a bushier plant.

New plants can be obtained by taking soft-tip cuttings in spring, or the clump can be divided up once flowering has finished and new plants planted out. The stems should be shortened by about half if the division method of propagation is used.

Grey Euryops is a shrub that originates from South Africa. It has soft, grey divided foliage and yellow daisy-like flowers. Euryops is hardy in sun and grows well in a variety of situations. Regular pruning will help to keep it in shape. The removal of older, thick wood will help to rejuvenate the plant. Plants grow to about 1.5 metres in height.

Grevilleas “Honey Gem”, “Golden Lyre” and “Cooroora Cascade” (groundcover) are also in full flower now, if they have been planted in a warmer, sunny position. These grevilleas produce long, yellow flowers that are very attractive to native honey-eaters.

A wide variety of wattles also commence their flowering period at this time of the year. Varieties include plants with long, pendulous flowers, small ball-shaped flowers, masses of blooms or more sparse amounts of blooms.

Acacia baileyana, A. podalyriifolia and A. spectabilis all produce masses of golden yellow flowers.

The Savoy Cabbage grows well through the coldest months of the year. It is a highly nutritious vegetable and a good source of Vitamin C. This cabbage is more tender, and sweeter, than the usual green cabbage.

When planting cabbages in the vegetable garden it is necessary to rotate the plantings, using a different area or bed each year. Cabbages can be grown from seed or seedlings. As with most vegetables, they prefer a soil that has been enriched with humus and is free-draining.