This gardening calendar outlines major gardening tasks and what flowers and vegetables to plant for each season. It is specifically written to help gardeners in cool temperate, subtropical and tropical areas of Queensland, but gardeners living elsewhere in similar climatic regions may also find it useful. Simply decide on which of the climatic regions outlined below best describes where you garden.

Climatic regions

Tropical – Northern tip of Queensland extending south to Rockhampton. Hot and humid from December to March followed by a long dry season from April to November.
Subtropical – Coastal regions east of the dividing range south from Rockhampton to just below Coffs Harbour. Dry relatively warm winters and wet, moderately hot summers.
Cool Temperate  – Small area just inland from the coast including Toowoomba and Warwick and inland parts of northern NSW. Winters are cold and frosty.  Summers are cooler than surrounding districts.

Now select the season (above) that you are interested in and you will find a list of seasonal tasks and planting lists for the climatic zone in which you garden.

Slowed growth during winter provides an opportunity to tackle major landscaping projects like making new garden beds, paving, constructing pergolas or building retaining walls. Frost plagues inland gardeners, but elsewhere attention should be paid to making optimum use of scarce water resources.

Seasonal Tasks
Plant roses, deciduous trees, shrubs and frangipani cuttings.
Prune roses, deciduous plants and swollen gall wasp stems on citrus.
Relocate poorly positioned trees and shrubs to new areas.
Control carrot-like bindii weed in lawns to avoid painful burrs during summer.
Fertilise citrus, passionfruit, native plants and emerging bulbs, then water well.

Camellia, colvillea, grevillea, ipomoea vine, poinsettia & tabebuia

All Zones – alyssum, petunia, marigold
Tropical - amaranthus, begonia, cosmos, celosia, gomphrena, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, torenia & zinnia
Subtropical - calendula, cornflower, dianthus, kale, lobelia, nemesia, pansy, phlox, statice, strawflower  & viola
Cool Temperate – as for subtropical plus candytuft, cineraria, clarkia, delphinium, English daisy, godetia, hollyhock, larkspur, linaria, lupin, nigella, polyanthus, poppy, primula, schizanthus, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, sweet William & wallflower

All Zones – carrot, cauliflower, kohl rabi, lettuce, radish, spring onion & turnip
Tropical  - beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, French beans, garlic, leeks, potatoes, pumpkin, silver beet, squash, swede, sweet potato & tomato
Subtropical - beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, celery, endive, French beans, garlic, leeks, onions, parsnip, peas, potatoes, silver beet, spinach, swede, sweet potato & tomato
Cool Temperate – parsnip & peas

Wattle, shower orchid (Congea) dombeya, coral tree (Erythrina), orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia)

All Zones – alyssum, marigold & petunia
Tropical - amaranthus, begonia, cosmos, celosia, gomphrena, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, torenia & zinnia
Subtropical - amaranthus, cosmos, gomphrena, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnias
Cool Temperate - calendula, candytuft, dianthus, kale, lobelia, nemesia, pansy, phlox, primula, statice, strawflower, verbena, viola

All Zones – carrot, kohl rabi, lettuce, radish, spring onion & turnip
Tropical  - beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, French beans, garlic, leeks, potatoes, pumpkin, silver beet, squash, swede, sweet potato & tomato
Subtropical - beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, celery, endive, French bean, garlic, leeks, peas, potatoes, silver beet, swede, sweet potato & tomato
Cool temperate – cauliflower, garlic, parsnip & peas

All Zones -  alyssum, marigold, petunia
Tropical - amaranthus, begonia, celosia, cosmos, gomphrena, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, torenia & zinnia
Subtropical - amaranthus, begonia, celosia, cosmos, gomphrena, salvia, sunflower & zinnia
Cool Temperate - calendula, lobelia, nemesia, pansy, phlox, statice, strawflower, verbena & viola

All Zones – kohl rabi, lettuce & radish
Tropical & Subtropical - beetroot, carrot, capsicum, celery, cucumber, eggplant, French beans, okra, potatoes, pumpkin, silver beet, spring onion, squash, sweet potato, tomato & zucchini
Cool Temperate – cabbage, cauliflower, celery & silver beet

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