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If you live near the bush, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for any weed seedlings and remove them immediately. Weeds are always a worry in bushland areas, particularly in places where there are high water and nutrient levels. Don pulled up some weeds growing...
Don showed how to create a lovely, soft visual effect in the garden with a Clayton’s hedge – the hedge you have when you don’t really have a hedge. An ugly masonry fence along the front of a house was completely covered by a creeping fig (Ficus...
This week’s program was a Come & Save My Garden special. Don Burke and Scott Cam were on the road, knocking on doors and asking people if they needed any help with their gardens and homes. They pruned, nailed, planted and fertilised their way across the...
Bromeliads are native to tropical America. Many are epiphytes, that is they live on other plants but do not parasitise those plants. Rather than growing in soil, they are found up in the forks of tree branches, surviving mainly on the moisture and nutrients they...
Every week part of Burke’s Backyard is filmed in Don’s garden. It is an indigenous native garden, which mostly features plants that are native to the local area. A well-manicured, emerald green lawn offsets the areas of bush. Don grows two varieties of...
Don looked at some practical ways to save water and keep the garden alive and functioning through the drought. Watering the lawn If there are water restrictions in your area and you want to conserve water, it doesn’t hurt to let the lawn yellow off a little....
Pitcher plants, or Nepenthes, are amongst the most bizarre plants in the world. There are around 90 recognised species and most grow in moist, humid areas where they receive year-round rainfall. Many can be found in Borneo, Sumatra and the Philippines, growing in...
Don planted a stunning, white camellia (Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem’) in a white, glazed pot. The combination of a white flowering camellia in a white pot looks fabulous against a dark background, brightens up a dull area, and adds a touch of...
Coriander grows better during the cooler months of the year. During summer, coriander plants change rapidly from leafy to seedy (this is called ‘bolting to seed’) and it’s almost impossible to have a crop on hand for use in the kitchen in the hot months. During...
Every week, parts of Burke’s Backyard are filmed in Don’s garden. It is a native garden, which includes many plants that are indigenous (that is local) to the area. Over 200 species of birds visit the garden throughout the year, including silver eyes,...