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Goldfussia (Strobilanthes anisophyllus) is a hardy, evergreen shrub growing to around 1.5m (5′) tall. It has glossy, dark green leaves of unequal size, which are stained blackish purple on both sides. Mauve flowers appear in spring, and intermittently throughout...
Euphorbia leucocephala, or snow flake bush, is an interesting plant from Central America, which puts on a wonderful display of creamy, petal-like bracts during autumn and winter. Closely related to poinsettia, it is a classic low maintenance plant that would suit the...
The lipstick hibiscus (Malvaviscus penduliflorus) is an evergreen shrub from Mexico. It belongs to the Malvaceae or Mallow family, along with its relative the true hibiscus. It grows to around 2m tall. It has pendulous, bright red flowers from about Christmas through...
Jap pumpkin Maree Allen wrote to say that she has recently grown a Japanese (Jap) pumpkin weighing 17 kilos, and she wonders if this is an extra large specimen. Don asked anyone who has grown a bigger Jap pumpkin to let us know. For the time being, Maree holds the...
Tulip tree An audience member asked Don about her tulip tree, which is 15 years old and has never flowered. Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) are closely related to magnolias. These large, deciduous trees are native to North America. They have long stemmed,...
‘Golden Lyre’ is a hybrid between Grevillea ‘Honey Gem’ and the species Grevillea formosa. This beautiful grevillea has arching branches and green/yellow brush flowers in summer and autumn. ‘Golden Lyre’ flowers over a long period...
Lynn and Greg Duffy wrote to Burke’s Backyard asking for help with their tiny apartment courtyard. The area was originally part of a driveway that was divided up to create small courtyards for the ground floor units. Part of the problem was that a concrete...
Don looked at a scribbly gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma) with vertical splits in its trunk. He explained that during periods of drought trees often don’t grow much, but as soon as it rains they make up for it with enormous amount of growth. Sometimes the girth of a...
Don showed how to use storm water pipes to create a stylish architectural feature for the garden. Storm water pipes are effectively pots without bases. They’re cheap and very strong, and when the plants grow down through the bottom into the soil you don’t...
This week, rather than choosing just one plant, Don looked at the entire citrus family. No Australian backyard is complete without at least one citrus tree! Citrus trees have glossy, evergreen leaves and fragrant white flowers in spring. The flowers are followed by...