Coastal Illawarra gardens can warm quickly in spring, while exposed spots still feel cool and windy. Treat any planting list as a guide: your garden’s sun, shelter, soil and drainage are the final say.
A useful spring starting list
For sunny edible beds, consider warm-season crops such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and zucchini as conditions settle. Leafy greens and herbs—including lettuce, basil, parsley and coriander—can fill smaller gaps and containers.
Flowers such as marigolds, nasturtiums and sunflowers add colour and can help make the vegetable patch feel like part of the garden rather than a separate utility space.
Use succession planting
Rather than sowing every lettuce, bean or herb at once, plant smaller batches a few weeks apart. This spreads the harvest, replaces tired plants gradually and makes it easier to learn what performs well in your space.
Prepare before you plant
- Clear weeds and old crop material.
- Refresh tired soil with suitable compost or organic matter.
- Check that water can soak in without pooling.
- Add mulch after planting, leaving breathing room around stems.
- Plan support for climbers before they become difficult to handle.
Observe, then adjust
Check young plants often during their first few weeks. A plant that struggles may need more water, more shelter or simply a different position. Gardening is not about getting every choice right immediately—it is about noticing what the space is telling you.