Melbourne Garden Calendar: What to Do, Season by Season
Melbourne’s weather swings hard, and a garden in the western suburbs deals with hot dry summers, wind off the bay and sudden storms. Doing the right job at the right time of year saves work later and keeps a garden healthy. This is the calendar we follow at Green 1 across Hoppers Crossing, Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit and the rest of Melbourne’s west.
| Months | Season | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| September – November | Spring | Grass grows fastest now. Mow every 1–2 weeks and keep the blades high rather than scalping. Feed the lawn, top up mulch before the heat, and prune spring-flowering shrubs once they finish flowering. |
| December – February | Summer | Water deeply but less often, early morning is best. Raise the mower height so the grass shades its own roots. Keep gutters clear of dry leaves through fire season, and cut back any branches touching the roof before storms. |
| March – May | Autumn | The best time of year for the big jobs: hedge reshaping, tree work and a full garden clean-up. Clear fallen leaves from gutters once the trees are bare, and tidy beds before winter. |
| June – August | Winter | Growth slows, so mowing drops back to every 3–4 weeks. The dormant season is the right time for pruning most deciduous trees and for removing dead or unsafe limbs while the structure is visible. |
Spring (September – November)
Spring is catch-up season. Grass that barely moved through winter can put on a week’s growth in a few days, and a lawn left too long gets patchy once it is finally cut back.
- Mow every one to two weeks, and never take off more than a third of the blade height in one cut
- Feed the lawn early in spring so it thickens before summer
- Mulch garden beds while the soil is still holding winter moisture
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after the flowers drop, not before
- Trim hedges for shape as the new growth hardens
Related: Lawn mowing · Hedge trimming
Summer (December – February)
The aim in summer is keeping things alive and safe rather than pushing growth. Melbourne’s dry spells and north winds are hard on lawns, and dry material around the house becomes a fire risk.
- Water deeply two or three times a week rather than lightly every day, early in the morning
- Raise the mower height so longer grass shades its own roots
- Clear dry leaves from gutters and roof valleys before and during fire season
- Cut back branches touching the roof, gutters or power lines before storm season
- Keep mulch topped up to hold moisture in the soil
Related: Gutter cleaning · Tree lopping
Autumn (March – May)
Autumn is the best working season in a Melbourne garden. The soil is still warm, the heat has gone, and plants recover quickly from being cut back. Most of the big jobs belong here.
- Book hedge reshaping and larger tree work while conditions are mild
- Clear gutters again once deciduous trees have dropped their leaves
- Do a full garden clean-up before winter: weeds, dead growth, overgrown beds
- Remove green waste rather than leaving piles that harbour pests
- Repair and reseed thin patches in the lawn while the soil is still warm
Related: Garden clean-ups · Green waste removal
Winter (June – August)
Growth slows right down, so winter is about structure and safety rather than appearance. It is also the quietest time to get tree work booked.
- Drop mowing back to every three or four weeks, and avoid mowing wet, soggy lawn
- Prune most deciduous trees while they are bare and the shape is easy to see
- Remove dead or unsafe limbs before the spring winds arrive
- Keep paths and driveways clear of slippery leaf build-up
- Plan any bigger landscaping work ready for spring
Related: Tree removal · Garden maintenance
Which suburbs we cover
Green 1 works across Hoppers Crossing, Werribee, Point Cook, Tarneit, Truganina, Williams Landing, Wyndham Vale, Manor Lakes, Laverton, Altona Meadows, Altona, Sunshine, Braybrook, Footscray and other suburbs across Melbourne.
Need a hand with any of it?
Call or WhatsApp Ahmed on 0413 822 058, or email info@green1.au. Send a few photos on WhatsApp and we will give you a free quote. See all our services.