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Dampieras are attractive Australian native plants. The best known are from Western Australia and can be difficult to grow in the eastern states. Don Burke recently looked at a hardy cultivar which is native to the Glasshouse Mountains of Queensland and will grow in...
Daphne ‘Star White’ One of the best things about winter in Australia is the fragrance of daphne in flower. Winter daphne (Daphne odora) originally came from China. As well as the green-leafed variety with pink and white flowers, there is also one with a...
These Australian natives were once considered to be very temperamental plants. Today they are much easier to grow as they have been grafted to the hardier understock, Darwinia citriodora. Plant details Botanical name: Darwinia lejostyla hybrid ‘Coolamon...
One of the best garden shrubs is the diosma. It grows as a round tidy plant with masses of pink flowers in late winter and spring. It will grow in all but the most tropical and humid parts of Australia. Plant details Common name: Diosma but also known as confetti bush...
Dwarf Oleander There are few plants which grow almost everywhere in Australia. The humble oleander (Nerium oleander), is such a plant and it is also one of the most useful of all garden plants. If pruned correctly the oleander can be a magnificent plant, its dense...
Early Spring Flowering Plants The Burke’s Backyard Spring Special features the following plants. Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ Rhododendrons are one of the world’s most beautiful cold climate flowering plants. There are between 800 and 900...
Cool Climate Palms and Ferns Palms and ferns are often associated with tropical climates but ‘Burke’s Backyard’ recently looked at some palms and ferns which can grow in colder areas. Palms for cool climates Dwarf sugar palm (Arenga engleri): A small...
With autumn upon us it is time to look out for some annuals (also referred to as bedding plants) which will provide outstanding colour during winter and early spring. Don recently came across two new varieties of popular winter flowering plants, cineraria and pansy....
Euphorbia leucocephala ‘Snow Flake’ Snow Flake is an interesting plant from Central America which puts on a terrific display of creamy white bracts during autumn and winter. Related to Poinsettia, Euphorbia leucocephala ‘Snow Flake’ is a...
Azaleas are among the most popular and best flowering shrubs in the world. They grow well in most areas of Australia, from Brisbane to Perth and south and are a feature of many spring gardens. There are thousands of varieties of azaleas most of them very beautiful and...