In the wild, plants are nourished by a constant diet of decaying plant and animal matter. But in the artificial environment of the garden, plants need to supplement their diet with fertilisers. Spring is the time to fertilise your garden including any lawns,...
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 naturally it is an effect you can create in your own garden. How to...
[metaslider id=31322] Citrus trees were an integral part of an Australian backyard and still have an important place in today’s garden. Not only does the Vitamin C in their fruit protect against colds and flu in the colder months, citrus are also highly...
Iris Book One of the most spectacular achievements in plant breeding this century is the development of modern irises. There are many different iris species and within the main garden irises such as tall bearded and Japanese iris, exist a myriad of colour and forms....
Driveway Tips ‘Burke’s Backyard’ visited a home in Sydney where a recently-constructed driveway had begun to disintegrate. The gravel drive had become pot-holed after only four years of use. This prompted advice on the correct way to make a driveway....
Trees, particularly native trees, in gardens need care and attention so that they stay healthy and safe. A tree that is living in your backyard is under a lot of stress compared to the same species in the bush. To highlight this, Don contrasted the growth of a large...
Layering is an easy method for propagating a plant. Unlike other methods (such as cuttings) the piece that is being propagated remains attached to the parent plant while it develops its own root system. To layer a plant a supple branch is bent down to the ground while...
Listen to your Plants In recent years there has been much said about talking to your plants, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting the idea. However, there is good scientific evidence that listening to your plants does help enormously. Of course when you...
Mulch Path The garden path is usually given a hard surface of bricks, pavers or concrete. Occasionally softer surfaces such as grass or gravel are used. Another option is a eucalyptus mulch path: it looks sensational and costs next to nothing. The path is soft and...
Mushrooms and toadstools As a mycologist (a botanist with an expertise in fungi), Peter Valder is often asked how to tell the difference between a mushroom and a toadstool. All can be broadly described as the fruiting body of a fungus. As there are thousands of...