Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is generally grown as a dense shrub with masses of fragrant, thin, dark green leaves. Its flowers are usually small and blue in colour, although pink and white-flowered varieties are also available.

Plants can grow between 60cm and 1.5 metres in height, according to the particular variety selected, making them suitable for varied uses in garden plans. Prostrate-growing varieties are also available.

Rosemary is particularly suitable for growing as a hedge as plants respond well to pruning, provided that older wood is not cut into. The pieces removed from the plant can be used as cuttings to establish new plants.

Late summer is the preferred time for this to happen.

Because rosemary has smaller leaves it is generally more drought-tolerant. Growing conditions similar to its native habitat, the Mediterranean, will assist in ensuring good, long growth. Well- drained positions in full sun are ideal.

In addition to its value as a landscape plant, rosemary is also most useful in culinary applications. It can be used to flavour lamb, pork, chicken and fish dishes, and as barbecue skewers.

Some of the different varieties of rosemary include:

- Gallipoli”, which forms a large, grey-green shrub to 1.2m in height and has mauve flowers borne in profusion between late July and October.

- “Tuscan blue” has stiff, upright stems, making it an ideal hedging plant.

“Gorizia” forms a substantial bush to 1 metre. Its leaves are highly prized in Italy for cooking.

- “Corsican Blue” is an upright bush variety. Its fine leaves have an intense fragrance. Rich blue flowers are also a feature.

- “Huntingdon Carpet”’ is a prostrate grower, reaching about 25 centimetres in height. Plants are covered in beautiful blue flowers. It looks most effective when looks planted so it tumbles over rocks or a wall. It is also suitable for growing in a hanging basket.

- ‘Salem’ is a rosemary that came to Australia from Auckland, New Zealand. It’s an upright grower, attains a height of just under a couple of metres, with a width of about a metre, and makes a great hedging plant with spikes of deep blue flowers through summer.

- ‘Pink Remembrance’ and “Majorca Pink” produce pink flowers instead of blue, while “Sissinghurst White” is a good white-flowered variety.

Autumn is a time in the garden when tasks will generally include some tidying up of garden beds before the cooler weather begins.

While the soil remains warm, and occasional periods of rain are occurring, weeds will be prevalent in the garden. Most can be removed reasonably easily by hand, particularly if the soil has been loosened. It is important to make sure that the root system of the weed is removed, otherwise it will grow back, usually more vigorously than before.

Onion weed is one of the more difficult weeds to eradicate.

Onion weeds are in flower now. The white star-shaped flowers appear on tall, thin stalks, often above other plants in the garden. The onion-type smell of the stem will confirm the plant as onion weed. Black seeds soon form in the flower head and are then spread around the garden. Removal of the flower heads will assist in eradication but the corms or bulbs that the weeds grow from will remain in the soil. Attempting to pull out the weed will only cause the small bulbs to separate, thus spreading the weed.

Eradication of these weeds will generally require the use of a glysophate-based treatment, as the chemical will travel through the plant’s system.

Contact with the soil renders the chemical inert. The chemical can be applied directly to the leaves of the plant, but care must be taken to avoid making contact with wanted plants as these will also be destroyed in the process. Experience has indicated that the use of glysophate around rose bushes can be detrimental to the rose plant at a later time.

Once a weed had been treated with glysophate it should be left to die down.

As gardeners attempt to grow vegetables that are as nutritious as more traditional varieties, but which are also suitable for smaller garden areas, new varieties are becoming available.

Beetroot “Mini Baby Beets”, Cabbage “Mini Cannonball” and Cauliflower “Mini White” are all varieties that can be grown in smaller area, such as containers or pots, and yet still produce tasty crops.

Broccolini, which is a modern hybrid vegetable, formed by a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, produces crops with stalks that are thinner than traditional broccoli. The florets are also sweeter and have a slightly peppery taste.

Pak Choi varieties are also suitable for pot culture and produce white as well as green stemmed plants. The leaves and stems of these oriental vegetables are suitable for inclusion in soups, stir-fries, salads and for pickling. Tender, outside leaves can be harvested, or the whole plant can be used.

A full sun position should be selected for best results.