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Don looked at a lawn riddled with weeds, moss and lichen. He guessed that the garden owners had forgotten to reset the sprinklers for winter, so the lawn was overwatered. Also, being on the southern side of the house the lawn obviously didn’t receive enough sun...
Plants produce most of their annual growth over the next few weeks, so it’s the perfect time to give your garden some extra care and attention. Spring lawn renovation Aerate: lots of weeds and bare patches indicate that the lawn is compacted. You can fix the...
Don and the Burke’s Backyard team travelled west of Sydney to Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains. There they met Greg Bailey, the owner of ‘Springside Gallery’, who showed them around his beautiful 4 hectare (8 acre) garden. Don was amazed at how lush and...
Growing Carnivorous Plants Don visited specialist plant grower and author, David Banks. David demonstrated how easy it is to set up a bog area in a sunny part of your garden, where you can grow a mixed collection of carnivorous plants. Plants featured in our segment:...
When hedges such as camellias or lilly pillies are in active growth during the warmer months of the year, Don recommends pruning every 4 weeks or so. Regular light ‘haircuts’ keep hedges tidy and prevent them getting out of hand. If you wait too long...
Don looked at a spectacular red-flowering variety of bougainvillea called ‘Scarlett O’Hara’. This particular plant had been pruned back hard on one side and as a result it had produced lots of rampant, thorny growth. The unpruned side was covered in...
An irrigation system is an integral part of a low maintenance garden. Instead of being a slave to your garden, you can set up systems to water your lawn, flowerbeds, vegies and even your pots. You can put each one on a timer, so you won’t even have to remember...
Don showed how to make the most of bromeliads by planting them into stylish, dramatic pots. The fabulous sculptural beauty of bromeliads is at its best when they’re dressed up and looking great, and the good news is that these plants are easy to grow. Wide and...
You may remember our blue metal makeover, when Don transformed a large, ugly courtyard into a stylish entertaining area. The courtyard was cleaned up, agricultural pipes and blue metal were installed to drain excess water from the site, and the central area was filled...
On last week’s program we featured a stunning, succulent ball. You may have thought you’d like to make one yourself, but decided the succulents were too expensive to buy. The good news is that succulents are very quick and easy to propagate, and you can...