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Autumn foliage plants are a great investment around the home. They provide shade in summer, put on a fabulous colour display in autumn, then lose their leaves allowing the warming, winter sun to shine through. Now is the perfect time to go for a walk or a drive, and...
Most people think of oxalis as a serious garden weed, which must be eradicated at all cost. However, Peter Valder explained that there are many beautiful, ornamental species of oxalis that can be planted safely, without any fear of them taking over the garden. Peter...
Don received a letter from Mrs Eileen Fourro, who was surprised and amazed when she harvested her potato crop. All the potatoes were normal, except for one gigantic spud shaped like a pig’s head. It seemed to have two big ears, two eyes and a long snout!
Teena Crawford is co-host of radio program ‘Smart Gardening’ on Melbourne’s 3AW. Two years ago she planted her front yard with Liriope muscari as a lawn substitute. On the day Burke’s Backyard visited, Teena’s ‘lawn’ was in...
Peter Valder thinks that this dramatic, South African native should be planted more often. Plant details Common name: Honey bush, touch-me-not Botanic name: Melianthus major Description: Evergreen perennial shrub with a height and spread of around 3m (10′). It...
In recent years, ornamental pear trees have been very popular in Australian gardens. A favourite in cool climate areas is the beautiful Manchurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis), with its heart-shaped leaves, scented white flowers and spectacular autumn colour. However, the...
This popular garden favourite has long been valued for its sweetly scented flowers. However, osmanthus also makes a good flowering hedge, as seen in our segment. It flowers on old wood, which means it can be pruned and shaped without cutting off the flower buds and...
You’ll need: fresh black or green olives salt water sterilised glass jars with lids* 1. First, wash and prepare the olives. Discard any with blemishes, separate the green and black ones if necessary (they have different soaking times, so need to be soaked separately)....
The stunning flower of the lapageria resembles an exotic tropical orchid, hand-carved from wax. Surprisingly, the lapageria is not a tropical plant. It is native to the cool, mountainous region of southern Chile, where it is known by its Araucanian Indian name,...
Hydrangeas were discovered in Japanese forests by early European explorers, who took plants back to Europe and used them to develop the hydrangeas we know and love today. Japanese grower/breeder Hiroshi Ebihara decided to import ‘European’ hydrangeas back...