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Water-wise gardens are becoming more and more important as the drought bites hard and water restrictions are in place in many part of the country. Don showed a garden that will grow and survive in the driest areas of Australia, because it has mostly been planted with...
This week’s Plant of the Week is the white potato creeper. A member of the Solanaceae or nightshade family, it is a classic, widely used plant in Australian gardens that perhaps should be used even more. Plant details Common name: White potato creeper, potato...
It’s autumn, and soon many plants will be turning glorious shades of red. A fascinating explanation of why plants turn red is in the March issue of Burke’s Backyard magazine. Out now.
Flesh-pink and sweet-smelling, a crowd of naked ladies is an arresting sight! But best of all, once you have them, all you have to do is gawp. They look after themselves. ‘Naked ladies’ is the common name given to the South African bulb, Amaryllis...
Planting a Shade Tree Dianne Fiddyment, from Narraweena in New South Wales, emailed Don to ask for advice. A very large liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) was recently removed from her garden. The garden is large and the effect of the removal has been...
One of Don’s all time favourite trees, the lemon-scented gum announces its presence in a garden or street by the delicious lemon fragrance from the leaves. The perfume is particularly noticeable after rain. Plant details Common name: Lemon-scented gum Botanic...
There’s nothing worse than nosey neighbours! Nigel Ruck showed some of the best privacy plants to help protect your backyard oasis. Before you buy your privacy plants, you need to work out how big you want them to grow. If you don’t know how tall or wide you want it,...
Bamboo is used extensively in Asia, both for ornamental and construction purposes. The stems are straight and uniform, making them perfect for the construction of fences, walls, scaffolding and even small bridges. When split into thin slats, bamboo stems can be woven...
Dying tips on agave Don was asked about dying tips on an agave (Agave sp.) growing in the garden. He thought that too much water may have caused the brown tips, or that it could be a salt problem. He suggested replanting the agave in a raised garden bed, where the...
The Japanese Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica) grows naturally in Japan, China and south-east Asia through to eastern India. It is said to be the most commonly used plant in Japan. Even more popular in Australian gardens is its dwarf form, Nandina domestica...