Collecting Seeds One of the most enjoyable things about gardening is growing your own plants from seed. However, seed collecting can be tricky because some plants have dry fruits that split open as soon as they’re ripe. The seeds then drop to the ground, fly...
Pruning Native Plants Australian native plants are wonderful to have in the garden but they are not maintenance free. If native plants, particularly grevilleas, are not pruned at least once a year they can become straggly, lose vigour and even die. Don looked at a...
Cuttings Update Growing your own plants from a cutting is one of the most satisfying things you can do when gardening. The cuttings can be taken during late spring and summer and grow readily. Plants that can be grown from cuttings include; Coleus, Verbenas, Double...
Seeds Growing plants from seed is great fun, but seed collecting can be tricky because some plants have dry fruits that split open as soon as they’re ripe. The seeds then drop to the ground, fly away in the wind, or they may be eaten or carried off by birds and...
Cymbidium Orchid Tips Although there are still a few weeks of winter to go, many plants for sale at nurseries are in full bloom. Cymbidium orchids in particular are looking spectacular. If the ones at your place aren’t looking so good, just follow Don’s...
Sick Gum Trees One of the most popular native trees in Australia through the 70s and 80s was the Wallangarra white gum (Eucalyptus scoparia). It is an attractive small tree to 12m (40′) tall, with slender weeping branches and smooth, powdery white bark often...
Design the Perfect Backyard How do you create a backyard that works really well and also looks good? The Burke’s Backyard Lanscaping Kit shows you how to fully plan your backyard even if you have no idea of garden design. The kit makes it really easy to create...
Sick Rosemary Plants like rosemary and lavender are Mediterranean natives. They are perfectly adapted to wet winters, hot dry summers and well-drained soils. It’s been a very wet year in many parts of Australia, particularly along the east coast, and gardeners...
Don’s Rubble Garden Australian native plants are excellent in the garden especially the new varieties of grevilleas, grafted darwinias, banksias, compact and prostrate wattles. An excellent base for a native garden is sandstone rubble. Sometimes this is produced...
Spraying a Fertiliser One of the easiest and best ways to give your garden a quick boost of fertiliser is to use an applicator that clicks straight onto the hose. Don recommends filling the applicator with a mixture of half Seasol for root development, and half...