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Stone is a strong yet rustic material to include in the garden. ‘Burke’s Backyard’ recently visited a stone sculptor who bases his designs on historical and cross cultural themes. The sculptor Jock Langslow is a stone sculptor who is now making...
Hedges are amongst the most fashionable plants that you can put in any garden. They are practical and great for privacy. Hedges can be used for defining areas in the garden, for dividing one section from another, adding structure to the garden. Privet There are many...
In an outer Sydney suburb, Don and the Burke’s Backyard team transformed a daggy Aussie backyard into a Tuscan inspired entertainment area. They tackled several problem areas including an old swimming pool and an ugly fibro garage. The spectacularly stylish...
One of the incredible privileges of living in Australia is being able to watch such a wonderful collection of native birds. The best way to bring them into your backyard is to plant native Australian plants such as grevilleas, banksias or bottlebrush. Another way to...
Small backyards don’t necessarily mean no garden at all. They can be transformed into garden rooms as an extension of the house. One such example of a garden room courtyard was designed by Jim Fogarty. The design The aim was to provide a low maintenance,...
Gardens can take as much of your time and money as you let them, but Burke’s Backyard recently featured an award winning garden developed on a tight budget. Budget gardeners Molly and Neil McCloskey of Corrimal, NSW, have some useful tips on how to garden...
Most of Australia has just emerged from the awful El Nino drought. Our garden plants have suffered badly through this period. So, this is the most important spring in the last 10 years – put in some effort now and the results will be tremendous. The problems:...
Dry stone wall building is one of the oldest construction methods known to mankind. These mortar-less barriers are dotted throughout the British countryside. During the Burke’s Backyard trip to Ireland, Don visited the Rock of Cashel, a cathedral built entirely...
There are many statues and garden ornaments available these days. They are often white concrete which look great in a formal Roman or Greek old style garden but unfortunately don’t suit most gardens. In a conventional garden a more neutral colour such as...
A swimming pool and its surrounding landscape can fulfil your fantasy. Don recently visited a pool area which was jointly designed by Brad Baxter of Award Pools & Landscapes, Ty Armstrong the owner and John Storch, Landscape Architect. This particular pool could...