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Professor Struan Sutherland is the man who developed the antivenene for the funnel web spider bite and also antivenenes for many of the key Australian snakes. He has recently written his autobiography and has a lush garden based on hydroponics. Sadly he is now...
It’s spring and the sneezing, red eyes and runny noses are with us as some 20% of Australia’s population succumb to spring fever. Common allergies Allergies amount to some of the worst medical problems that we face in Australia. More than one in five...
When writing plant labels in the garden Don Burke always suggests a 6B pencil. The reason for using a 6B is because it is a soft pencil which will write on most bought labels (except ice-cream container labels) and is not affected by the weather. Permanent markers for...
Along the east coast of Australia in particular there has been a wetter season after the drought. This can lead to some problems especially an increase in the number of insects (flies, mosquitoes and sand flies) in summer. So don’t leave lots of water lying...
Winter is rose pruning time and the Flower Carpet or other ground cover type roses are some of the easiest to prune. They can be trimmed throughout the year to maintain shape and size and then once a year in late winter cut the bush back to rejuvenate and reinvigorate...
If you like conifers and particularly pencil pines remember that they will only grow straight up. Pay attention to where you plant any young trees or large shrubs. Look up and make sure there isn’t anything that will create a problem later on, like electricity...
To get the best flowers from most roses you must prune them in winter. Roses can be pruned when they are dormant, between June and early August. Prune earlier in frost free coastal districts (usually July) but leave pruning until August in areas which experience...
Wattles, also called acacias, are wonderful native plants. More than 850 species of wattle grow in Australia, ranging from ground covers and charming shrubs to giant trees that provide fine timber and screening. With this number of species and many cultivars there...
Topiary is a fascinating gardening activity where people can create all sorts of animals, birds and shapes in the backyard. Anthony Cabret is a master of topiary who can transform amorphous blobs of trees into artworks, like his model titanic that is sinking into the...
Many parts of eastern Australia received heavy rainfalls recently bringing relief to some drought situations. There are some gardening tips for autumn that will help your garden look even better after the rain. Autumn is a good time for planting particularly after...