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Burke’s Backyard list of the top 10 best pot plants for shade. Don has listed plants to suit a variety of climates. To find out which ones grow best in your area, check with your local nursery. Note: not all shade-tolerant plants do well in a pot, but these ones do!
GROWING OLIVES IN COASTAL NSW OLIVE trees prefer a Mediterranean climate and Mediterranean soils, or they will struggle to grow well. What does this mean? It means that they detest the humid summer weather and summer rains that we get in coastal NSW or Qld. Olives...
Our March 2013 issue of ‘Burke’s Backyard’ magazine features a major investigation into the potting mixes you buy at your local nursery and garden centre. Expert scientific tests conducted by Kevin Handreck, Australia’s leading expert on...
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 necessary...
A drought is a tough time for all plants in your garden, especially the poor brown lawn. Here are Don’s tips on what to do, and what not to do, during the drought. Use glazed or plastic pots If you haven’t got much water, grow your plants in glazed or plastic pots....
Bottlebrushes ( Callistemon spp.) are among the hardiest of Australian native plants. They are long lived, require minimal maintenance and are almost impossible to kill. The flowers attract native birds, especially honey eaters, and reward the gardener with...
THE CULPRIT It’s this cycad blue butterfly which is doing the dam age. sick cycads Don Burke says if your sago palm is looking sick, the most likely culprit is a butterfly and its caterpillar. The good news is that there are safe sprays which can control the problem....
It’s OK to fake it, says expert renovator Cherie Barber. When you are renovating, faking it is all about getting the luxury designer look without splashing the cash. Here’s Cherie’s top 10 tips to ‘faux’ your way to a bigger sale price. For more tips, also check our...
You can make your own non-toxic controls for some common insect pests as well as free liquid fertiliser for the whole garden. They work out much cheaper than the commercially available alternatives. Soap spray • 3 teaspoons liquid soap or detergent • 2 cups water...
When a BBY reader and mum wrote in asking Don for his ideas on a magical kids’ garden he created a special design just for them. Dear Don, I really need some help. I am such a lucky mum. I have been blessed with one-year-old twin boys, Max and William, and a lovely...