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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,...
Don and the Burke’s Backyard team visited a garden that was being invaded by golden bamboo. This vigorous, running bamboo spreads by means of long, underground stems (or rhizomes). Every year new rhizomes are produced, and each rhizome is capable of suckering...
Jackie French says that when you serve mint, don’t be boring! There are many different forms of mint available, all with their own distinctive flavours and uses. Growing mint The genus Mentha includes around 25 species of perennial and annual herbs from Europe,...
Persimmons (Diospyros kaki) are outstanding trees for the backyard, and deserve to be much more popular in Australian gardens. They have been cultivated for centuries in China and Japan, and although they are believed to have been derived from a wild species, they are...
Japanese maples are usually grown for their magnificent displays of autumn colour. However, in Australia they also look wonderful in spring, when they are covered in lush, new growth. There are hundreds of cultivars available, and they come in a huge range of leaf...
Don looked at a new flowering cherry, Prunus ‘Millennium Sunset’, which has been developed at the University of Western Sydney. This is the first release in what is hoped will be a whole series of early flowering and low chill stone fruit, suitable for...
Don looked at Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’, one of the very best pencil pine varieties. Plant details Common name: Pencil pine Botanic name: Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’ Description: Very tight habit Best climate: Sydney, Perth and areas...
Jackie French loves sitting down to a feast of delicious, home-grown beetroot. She grows all different kinds – red, white, yellow, long, round, and even a sweet, candy-striped variety. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Beetroot grows in a wide range of climates. Sow seed...