Many plants are associated with Easter and the passion of Jesus Christ, although nobody really knows what sort of wood the cross was made of, or what plant was used to make the crown of thorns. In our segment Peter Valder looked at two South American plants that were...
Plant selection is very important if you want a low maintenance garden. Some plants are high maintenance nightmares. At the top of the list is lawn, which needs regular mowing, fertilising and edging (paving is a much better low maintenance choice). Azaleas need...
According to legend, four-leaf clovers are incredibly lucky and they help you to see the fairies in your garden. One leaf for fame and one leaf for health, one leaf for a faithful lover and one leaf for wealth! If you’ve had trouble finding a four-leaf clover,...
Blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora) is not a true ginger, but it has ginger-like, arching stems and vibrant, purple/blue flowers in autumn. This exotic Brazilian perennial is the perfect plant for moist, shady spots in the garden and looks particularly good teamed...
Olive Trevor first started collecting bromeliads 20 years ago. Bromeliads were very hard to buy in those days, so Olive began to import and propagate them. Her hobby became a thriving business, and today she sells her bromeliads all over Australia. Olive goes to the...
If you want a bright, happy, tropical-style garden but you don’t live in the tropics, think about planting canna lilies. Cannas are undergoing a new wave of popularity now that warm colours and bold foliage are back in style. In our segment Don visited canna...
Camellias are amongst the world’s best flowering plants. They are hardy and disease resistant, most varieties have attractive, glossy green foliage, and they put on their fabulous flower display in the cooler months of the year when the rest of the garden often...
One of the best things about winter in Australia is the fragrance of daphne in flower. Winter daphne (Daphne odora) originally came from China. As well as the green-leafed variety with pink and white flowers, there is also one with a creamy yellow border to the leaf...
You may remember about two years ago on Burke’s Backyard we did a tremendously popular courtyard makeover using blue metal dust (also known as crusher dust or quarry sand), an inexpensive but very classy looking material. The stark white of the buildings was...
Don looked at some of the plants that produce their perfume through the summer months. Perfume adds atmosphere and a wonderful feeling of romance to any garden. The next time you visit your local nursery, think about buying some fragrant plants. Roses (Rosa sp.) Roses...