One of the most amazing and fun experiences for families with young children is the growing of sweet corn. These 2m tall giant plants (well they are giants to kids) are such fun to watch as they grow and to play “hide and seek” in late on. ‘Honeysweet’ is a wonderful...
Don’s Top Tips Don’s great gardening tips have always been a feature of Burke’s Backyard over the last 17 years. Here are some of his favourites. Hassle free hose Coiling a garden hose makes it kink. Rather than coiling your hose, just run it up and back along...
Don looked at some ‘must do jobs’ for spring. Repot now Over the next few weeks plants will make about 90-95% of their growth for the year, so repot any plants that need it now. Repot any plants that have been in the same pot for two years or more. This is...
Wildlife are behaving a bit differently this year. Most native bird species have gone to nest about 3-4 weeks earlier than normal, following the very warm winters in most areas. This is fine since the insects that birds feed on are also around earlier this year. So...
The lawns are already growing like mad, so it’s time to get the lawn mower serviced. Once a year you need new blades, fresh engine oil in 4 stroke engines, perhaps a new spark plug and maybe a carburettor service. All of this makes the mower easy to start and a joy to...
If you have very little space to grow food plants like herbs and vegetables, perhaps a vertical garden is what you need. If you have a sunny wall that faces more or less north, you can turn it into a high-rise vegie garden. To do it well, you could set up a poly-pipe...
Soon it will be time to grow carrots in the garden. They are fun and easy to grow and come in a rainbow of colours these days – not just orange. You do need to dig the soil over to spade depth and add compost now, in preparation for sowing in a month or two. It’s...
During winter there are some herbs that are well worth growing. There are lots of varieties of mint: common mint, spearmint and apple mint to name a few. Rosemary (so good with lamb) grows well now. Coriander is good in all but the coldest areas. In the warmer months,...
Q: Why did my lettuces, silverbeet or cabbages go to seed? A: It is so frustrating when your lettuces, silverbeet, cabbages or spinach go straight to seed and produce few leaves. This is caused by incorrect or no fertilizing. Plants need nitrogen to produce lots of...
FAQ: Can I keep ducks in a suburban backyard? The answer is yes! Of all duck species and varieties the Muscovy duck stands out as the best. Muscovies have a gentle disposition and make great pets. They produce little in the way of sound – they are not quackers!...