Gardening expert and mayor Reg Kidd says these new estates have special needs for gardeners.

And while this week's rains are certainly helping out our yards, Orange is still in a drought and still on tough Level 5 restrictions.

Cr Kidd said topsoil was almost non-existent on a housing development block.

"It is the critical time to make sure you have a good soil structure to work with," he said.

"You have just made a huge investment in the house and by investing a little more time, effort and money you can make your experience more enjoyable and at the same time add thousands of dollars to the value of your home."

He said many developers now do a complete job with new houses and units as they know it is worth much more with an attractive garden.

"Perhaps do a deal, do it yourself and save some money," he said.

"If you have a heavy clay make sure you incorporate gypsum.

"It is probably worth buying some garden mix and incorporating it, and of course plenty of organic matter. Fertilizer is essential at this early stage to encourage micro organism and worm activity in your soil."

"As the days have still been quite warm, plants will still need water," he said.

"With this week's rain it is an ideal time to give plants a lift with some fertilizer.

"It's also a good time to inspect any trees or shrubs for any dieback from the harshness of heat and lack of rain.

"Cut out any dieback, especially in deciduous trees as it will be difficult to tell when they lose their leaves," he said.

"Autumn is an ideal planting time for trees," Cr Kidd said.

He said now was the time for people to do their research, buy trees and get ready to plant them.

Cr Kidd said evergreens were best planted in autumn, spring and summer while bare-rooted trees, such as fruit trees, were best planted in winter.

He said bare-root trees came with moist packing material around them to protect the roots.

"When bare-root plants are put out in the cold months there is less drying out of the roots and there are no leaves to wither," he said.

He said elm trees also grew well across Orange with fine examples in Cook Park and at Bloomfield Hospital showing what could be achieved.