But don’t overdo it – small jobs can be done in the cooler times of early in the morning or late evening.

Now is the time to:

• lift and replant flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, that may be overcrowded or in too much shade. Forget those complicated charts on bulb planting depths; simply put the same amount of soil over the bulb as it is thick, ie a daffodil bulb that is 5cm thick, simply plant 10cm deep.
• prune roses at any time in January to promote a flush of blooms in autumn.
• dead-head spent flowers on annuals, such as petunias, for a continuous colour display. At the same time, apply a liquid feed such as Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient.
• Keep nipping out centre shoots of chrysanthemum and fuchsias to encourage more lateral shoots and more flowers.

THE past spring and summer have been some of the best gardening seasons for a long time. With only occasional bursts of hot weather tempered by regular rainfall this has been an ideal time for fruit trees, when a heavy abundance of fruit can result in broken branches. So it’s good to provide support and pick the fruit as soon as it’s ripe.

Keep citrus trees watered by building an earth bank around the tree, but well back from the trunk. This bank, which should hold at least several buckets of water, will only need filling once a week. Apply Neutrog Seamungus pelleted plant food around the drip line.

WITH our massive evaporation losses on hot days, mulching is the key to good gardening. Most landscape designers recommend Canberra Sand and Gravel’s Canberra Organic Mulch to a thickness of at least 50-75mm.

If existing mulch has compacted, usually due to storm rain, I suggest lightly hoeing or raking it over, which can be combined with weeding. Be careful not to puncture the drip irrigation lines and keep mulch back from the trunk of trees and shrubs to prevent collar rot.

CANBERRA has a wide variety of garden clubs, the oldest being the Horticultural Society of Canberra, which was founded in 1926.

The club’s publication, “The Canberra Gardener”, is available from most bookshops and newsagents. It is written especially for our climate by members of the society.

Anyone wanting more details about matching their interests with a particular garden club please contact me at cedricbryant@grapevine.com.au

All of Cedric Bryant’s columns are available at citynews.com.au