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...
Composting Leaves In the autumn the leaves on deciduous trees and shrubs turn fabulous shades of gold, scarlet, crimson, orange and purple. However, when the spectacular display is over the leaves fall and can be very messy. Some people burn the leaves or put them in...
Watering the garden is a much more complex job than many people think. It is particularly difficult if your soil is water repellent (or hydrophobic), because the water just runs off instead of soaking into the soil. These soils can be treated with a soil wetting agent...
Don explained why the orange tree (Citrus sinensis) shown in our segment was dying. It was struggling to survive in a damp, shady position, in heavy clay soil, with competition from the surrounding lawn. Don advised the garden owners not to try and save the orange...
Don’s first impression of this garden was that it looked ‘messy’. The owner, Wendy Coppock, had placed potted plants of all shapes and sizes outside the back door to screen the clothes line from view. A white cubby house for the kids had been plonked...
Fertilisers Plants produce most of their annual growth over the next few weeks, so it is important to fertilise them now. Lawns: use a complete lawn food, an organic food such as Dynamic Lifter formulated for lawns, or a slow-release lawn fertiliser such as Scotts...
In spring grass starts sending up new growth, so it’s the perfect time to give your lawn some extra care and attention. Water Using a fixed sprinkler (those with a rainmaker or arching pattern are excellent), give the lawn a good soaking once or twice a week...
The verge, or nature strip, in front of a property can be a problem for homeowners. Many people put in a lawn, which has to be constantly mown and maintained. These strips of lawn often look dusty, dry and ugly, and have bare patches and tracks worn through them by...
Banksias grow naturally in deep, sandy to gravelly soils with excellent drainage. In heavier soils and in humid climates they can be susceptible to root rots and fungal problems. Particularly tricky in east coast gardens are the beautiful Western Australian...