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Turnip Rooted Parsley: The French Alternative  Turnip rooted or Hamburg parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) is a hardy vegetable resembling a carrot in shape and appearance. The beige coloured roots have a celery-like flavour, and...

Parterres are ornamental flower gardens arranged in precise geometric patterns and defined by straight pathways and crisp box hedging. They often feature a central ornamental element, such as a fountain, a specimen tree or...

Two-layered treeThe Western Australian willow myrtle (Agonis flexuosa) is a hardy evergreen tree with graceful weeping foliage, fibrous bark and lance-shaped leaves. It is native to Western Australia but will grow in most areas of Australia except for the...

Recently a photograph was sent into Burke's Backyard showing what appears to be a number of eucalypt trees (See photo). In actual fact this is just one tree. Whilst this look may have occurred...

Ugly BottlebrushBottlebrushes (Callistemon spp.) are wonderful plants for the garden. They are long-lived, require little maintenance and are almost impossible to kill. They make good screens, hedges, feature plants and street trees, and they are...

Underground BungalowBruce and Margaret Dunn have always longed for a peaceful place in the bush. They have spent the last 2 years building their architect-designed home in...

A 'Burke's Backyard' viewer sent in a photo of an unusual plant in flower in their front yard. The plant is Agave attenuata or the century plant. DetailsCommon name: Century...

Unusual CitrusRecently on 'Burke's Backyard' Don showed a photograph of a very strange rose growing out of the centre of another rose! Don invited any viewers with interesting or unusual things happening in their gardens to drop him a...

Update Native PruningAbout eighteen months ago Don visited the Cumberland State Forest Nursery in Sydney and talked to Steve Sullivan, Operations Manager, State Forest Nurseries about renovation pruning of native plants. They looked at a fifteen-year-old Grevillea 'Honey Gem',...

Upright Western Red Cedar Hedge Don looked at the upright, narrow-growing form of the western red cedar. Thuja plicata 'Fastigiata' is a small tree to about 10m (30-40') tall and 2m (6') wide. It has a narrow, columnar...