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The decorative ponytail plant is native to dry, desert regions of Mexico and the southern United States. Plant details Common name: Ponytail palm, elephant’s foot tree Botanic name: Beaucarnea recurvata (also known as Nolina recurvata and N. tuberculata)...
Giuseppe and Rosa Bianca Carlo-Stella have a fabulous garden filled with vegetables, herbs and fruit. They even have a mini coffee plantation in their backyard! Giuseppe and Rosa harvest the red coffee berries and extract the seed, which they use to make their own...
Don looked at the upright, narrow-growing form of the western red cedar. Thuja plicata ‘Fastigiata’ is a small tree to about 10m (30-40′) tall and 2m (6′) wide. It has a narrow, columnar growth habit, short branches and attractive deep green...
In November 2000, Eileen Grange bought a small tomato plant from a nursery and planted it in a pot. Recently, Eileen contacted us to tell us that her tomato plant has grown right up under the eaves of the house. It is now about 2.5m tall and 3m wide, and still going...
Mansoor Noor wrote to Burke’s Backyard to tell us about the very long gourds grown by his uncle, Mashuk Ali. Ali and his family gave Don and the film crew a warm welcome and then showed them the huge gourds, which hang down from a sturdy support structure in the...
According to Jackie French, you can have large, beautiful house plants without spending hundreds of dollars – you simply grow your own! Jackie likes to grow avocados as indoor plants because they’re easy to propagate. Also, you first need to eat an...
Growing your own fruit is tremendously rewarding, but knowing exactly when to harvest is sometimes difficult. Here are Don’s tips on harvesting pears, mangoes, pawpaws and bananas. Pear (Pyrus communis) Pears should be harvested just before they are ripe. Pick...
Australia is a multicultural society and this is reflected in our cooking styles. Don showed that it is both easy and fun to grow herbs in containers to suit your culinary preferences. Listed below are herbs for use in French, Greek and Thai cooking, along with...
The popular ‘Swane’s Golden’ is a fabulous conifer for use in narrow areas, but until recently there hasn’t been a good alternative for people wanting a pencil-shaped conifer with blue foliage. In our segment Don looked at ‘Blue...
Don showed an evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) in flower. The evergreen magnolia, or Bull Bay magnolia as it is commonly known, grows to around 20m (60′) in cultivation. It has dark, glossy green leaves with a rusty reverse, and large white, lemon...