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Mark Horton wrote to Burke’s Backyard to tell Don about his two neighbours, Simon Wright, who is an Australian, and Pete Kavanagh, a New Zealander. Simon and Pete are engaged in a bit of ‘friendly’ trans-Tasman rivalry over who has the best nature...
Don received a letter from Research Scientist, Dr Dugald Close, who is associated with the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Production Forestry, at the University of Tasmania. In the letter, Dr Close explains why leaves colour reddish shades in autumn, and...
If you live on a busy road, it’s a great idea to screen out passers-by and vehicles by planting a hedge. Hedges will also act as windbreaks, although they won’t cut down on street noise. The row of Leyland cypress shown in our segment was planted as a...
When choosing equipment or machinery for your house or garden, it’s best to go for something that is simple, with very few moving parts. That way, there is less to go wrong, wear out or break. Home irrigation systems are good examples. Many are fitted with tiny...
Don looked at a row of sasanqua camellias growing in a very narrow garden bed alongside a busy road. Because space was so limited, the camellias had been espaliered against the brick wall. Espaliering means training a tree or shrub to grow against a flat surface....
Don looked at a row of murrayas (Murraya paniculata) that had died back through the winter. This problem was caused by frost chilling the leaves down, stopping them functioning properly and leaving them susceptible to sunburn next morning. The parts of the bushes...
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...