Natural Defences of Plants Don demonstrated that diagnosing sick plants is not as straightforward as it seems. Also, that something as simple as watering the garden is actually one of the most complex arts in horticulture. Caterpillar problem? One plant in a row of...
Don loves peeping over fences and looking into neighbouring gardens. In fact, there is no better way to find out which plants grow best in your area. If the owner of the garden comes out, take the opportunity to ask for information about any plants you are interested...
Even gardeners with green thumbs are sometimes at a loss when it comes to sick plants. Some plants fail to thrive or simply die, even though they receive the best care and attention. The good news is that there is a diagnostic service offered by the Sydney Royal...
This is an important time of year for your lawn. Give it some TLC now and it will stay green and healthy through the winter. Don suggested that you don’t leave it any longer – prepare your lawn for winter this weekend (the last weekend of April). Soil...
A few years ago on ‘Burke’s Backyard’, Don propagated some azaleas (the single, salmon pink, tall-growing variety ‘Splendens’) from cuttings. Those cuttings have now grown into strong, healthy plants. Growing plants from cuttings is a...
Protecting Plants From Frost – The French Alternative Many plants are difficult to grow in cold areas because they are sensitive to frost when young. As they grow larger and older these plants become more frost tolerant, so it is important to protect young...
Pruning a Sasanqua with Don and Dave About 21 months ago Don showed how simple it is to buy an ordinary sasanqua camellia from a nursery and in just a few minutes turn it into a beautiful ball on a stick or topiary. The two camellia standards that were created almost...
Pruning Grevilleas Grevilleas are by far the most popular Australian native plants grown in gardens today. They attract native birds to the garden and many of them flower for most of the year. The only problem is that after five to six years some grevilleas start to...
Some very common plants or ‘garden workhorses’ can look special when clipped and pruned into interesting shapes. A good example is Hedera canariensis, a species of ivy native to Tunisia and Algeria. Plant details Common name: Canary Island ivy Botanic...
Jenny McCann lives in Lesmurdie, Western Australia, with her husband, Eliot, and baby, Davis. They do have a garden – somewhere under a jungle of morning glory (Ipomoea indica). Jenny recently sat down and wrote a letter to Burke’s Backyard urgently...