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Clay Soils Many people think that the worst soil you can have in the garden is heavy clay. However, Don explained that any soil can be a good garden soil. Indeed, most natural soils in Australia are suitable for growing a garden. In most instances it is better to...
Burke’s Backyard first visited Rene and Carolyn Hundscheidt in 1998, when they were just starting their garden. Rene utilised his skills as a builder to design and carry out the construction work. The original native garden was bulldozed, and a fabulous,...
When garden designer Rebecca Haynes first saw this tiny courtyard, it was an unattractive area full of dead plants, hanging baskets and mosquitoes! Her main challenge was to create a garden that was good to look at, almost like a 3-D painting, because the courtyard...
This tropical courtyard garden showcases the skills of landscape designer, Phillip O’Malley. When working on this project Phillip had to overcome design constraints including lack of space, and a house with harsh red brick walls. Front Garden An old, mission...
Don and the Burke’s Backyard team visited James Letherbarrow and his French Bulldog, Hugo. James, who is an accountant and a passionate gardener, moved into the ground floor apartment three years ago. He began renovating the courtyard with the aim of creating a...
Janet Dangerfield asked landscape designer Andrew Quixley to come up with a design for her courtyard that was ‘different’, and that would arouse all the senses. The result is a fabulous water theatre, which Don describes as the most inventive use of water...
About 10 months ago Don reworked an azalea hedge that had grown so tall it was blocking the light and obscuring the view from the house. The pruning was done in late spring, after the main flush of flowers had finished. In order to reshape the hedge it had to be cut...
Rosemary Healion wrote a letter to Burke’s Backyard begging Don to come and save her garden. Just over twelve months ago she and her husband, Craig, hired a local landscaper to create a curved, paved edging in their backyard. Instead, the Healions were faced...
Greek Style Courtyard When garden designer Matthew Cantwell first saw the courtyard shown in our segment, it was ugly and dated. Quarry tiles, mission brown furniture and a dilapidated paling fence made it a depressing place where the family definitely did not want to...
Indian Goddess Garden In 1996 Julia Wright wrote to Burke’s Backyard asking for help with the landscaping nightmare that she had inherited. The small courtyard at the rear of Julia’s terrace was barren, out-of-date, and completely covered by ugly dark...