Canberra has a great seasonal climate that allows for year-round growing. However with it's harsh frosts and hot summers you want to make sure you select plants that can handle the extremes of all seasons.
When buying your plants, choose from a cold-climate nursery. They'll have a selection of plants that have been specifically chosen for this region and will have expert advice on how to keep your plant happy in your Canberra garden.
Choose plants that will thrive in Canberra's frosty winters
Canberra's winters are certainly not for the faint hearted! With an elevation of 578 metres above sea level and at the foot of the Snowy Mountains, your Canberra garden will experience harsh frosts from April to September. However a common Canberra saying is to never plant your tomatoes before Melbourne Cup Day (early November) because you can't trust that you won't experience a late season frost!
As such, you want to make sure the plants you select for your garden are frost hardy and can withstand a long stretch of cold weather.
The Significance of a Cold Climate Nursery in Canberra
Local Expertise: A local Canberra nursery will be your best bet for selecting plants suitable for this region as they have the knowledge and experience in curating a range of trees, plants and shrubs that will thrive in Canberra.
Hardiness to Weather Extremes: Cold climate trees and plants are naturally more resilient to Canberra's weather extremes. They have adapted to survive freezing winters and scorching summers, making them better equipped to thrive in your garden.
Reduced Plant Stress: Purchasing from a cold climate nursery means the plants have been grown locally or sourced from similar climates. This reduces the transplant shock that plants from other regions might experience when adapting to Canberra's environment.
And if you want to experiment with a wider selection of plants your local Canberra nursery will be able to tell you how to manage some more cold-fearing plants until they are able to withstand the winter on their own.
Stunning Canberra Autumn Colour For Your Garden
One of the things we love most about Canberra and it's cold-climate is the ability to enjoy the turning colours of Autumn and the burst of delicate blossoms in Spring.
Deciduous trees can also be a great addition in a Canberra garden to provide essential shade during the hot summer months and then allowing winter sun through the bare branches.
Below is a selection of some of our favourite deciduous trees that can be enjoyed in Canberra.
Japanese Maples
Golden Ash
Chinese Pistachio
Ornamental Pear
Manchurian pear / Pyrus ussuriensis
Canberra Flowering Trees
Canberra Nursery Classics
These favourites are popular for a reason. Hardy, decidious and not afraid of a harsh frost, these options are perfect for privacy or border hedges
Cascades Nursery - A Cold Climate Canberra Nursery
At Cascades Nursery our growing nursery is located in Crookwell NSW with an elevation of 887m above sea level.
With extremely harsh frosts, snow and high winds our nursery trees have adapted to withstand the worst our winters have to offer. If we can't grow it in Crookwell we certainly won't be selling it to grow in your Canberra garden!
If you're looking to create the perfect Canberra garden that will withstand our cold but beautiful winters we invite you to check out our extensive range of cold-climate trees and plants.
Discover our full range of cold-climate trees and plants.
Visit us at the Capital Region Farmers Market every Saturday to talk to Ben about your tree and plant requirements. If you're after something in particular please feel free to contact us so that we can bring options to the market for you.