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Soft Buffalo One of the best lawn grasses for shady areas has always been buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). It forms a coarse, durable carpet and is reasonably drought tolerant. The good news is that recently some exciting new kinds of buffalo lawn have...
This striking plant from Thailand looks like bamboo but it’s actually a perennial grass. In Asia the large leaves are used to wrap food for steaming, and the flower heads are tied together and used as brooms. Plant details Common name: Tiger Grass Botanic name:...
Wherever you live in Australia, it pays to shop around and make sure you buy your plants at prices to suit your budget. There are a growing number of nurseries that sell plants at very competitive prices, and many offer discounts if you buy in bulk. Here is a list of...
In our special money saver’s edition of Burke’s Backyard, Don had some fun going out and scrounging around for bargains. He found cheap pavers, pots, windows, doors, baths, sinks and landscaping materials. Simon’s Seconds For cheap pavers and pots, we recommend...
Don found some old flyscreen doors at a salvage yard, attached them to a wall and used them as trelliswork to support climbers. The doors would usually cost $30 each from a salvage yard, but a wrought iron trellis of the same size costs around $600! As well as saving...
Here is Don’s list of five stylish plants suitable for gardens in many areas of Australia. Evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) The evergreen magnolia, or Bull Bay magnolia as it is commonly known, grows to around 20m (60′) in cultivation. It has dark,...
Some of the best garden designs have little touches of fun and humour amongst all the seriousness and formality. In fact, there is a long tradition of having fun in gardens, and therefore including elements that give people a bit of a laugh and make them happy. Don...
Multi-grafted fruit trees are a great way to save money and space in the garden. Having different varieties on the one tree means that each graft grows independently of the others, so the fruit retains its own characteristics, such as flavour, appearance and ripening...
Cast iron pots When Don tried to lift a beautiful old cast iron pot, he was amazed to discover that it wasn’t cast iron at all. In fact, it was a cheap plastic pot that had been coated with a rusting paint. Rusty plastic mouldings Rusting paint can also be applied to...
Don looked at a citrus tree with a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is moved in plants from old leaves to new growth and to developing fruit. When a magnesium deficiency is present, the young citrus leaves appear green and normal, but older leaves turn yellow and often...