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Sick Gum Trees One of the most popular native trees in Australia through the 70s and 80s was the Wallangarra white gum (Eucalyptus scoparia). It is an attractive small tree to 12m (40′) tall, with slender weeping branches and smooth, powdery white bark often...
Design the Perfect Backyard How do you create a backyard that works really well and also looks good? The Burke’s Backyard Lanscaping Kit shows you how to fully plan your backyard even if you have no idea of garden design. The kit makes it really easy to create...
Sick Rosemary Plants like rosemary and lavender are Mediterranean natives. They are perfectly adapted to wet winters, hot dry summers and well-drained soils. It’s been a very wet year in many parts of Australia, particularly along the east coast, and gardeners...
Boston ivy is one of about ten species from North America and Asia belonging to the genus Parthenocissus. It is not actually an ivy but a member of the Vitaceae, or grape family. It’s a particularly good climber for covering large walls or fences, with the added...
Climbers Climbing plants are excellent for covering or decorating walls, fences, pergolas, arches and arbours. They are also very good screening plants in areas where trees and shrubs are too large. Don looked at a typical range of climbers available right now at...
Grown and admired in China and Japan for over a thousand years, wisteria is one of the great garden plants. These vigorous, long lived climbers like a sunny position with good drainage and reliable moisture during flowering and the initial growth period. In Australia...
Native Wisteria Japanese or Chinese wisterias are stunningly beautiful plants, but they do have limitations. Some gardeners don’t like the fact that they lose their leaves in winter, and they don’t really suit planting schemes featuring Australian natives....
Why not try growing some tomatoes and chillies over summer? The Burke’s Backyard Italian Tomato was voted the best tasting tomato in Australia, and under independent testing has proved to be one of the strongest growers of all the tomato varieties. The...
Cumquats make very good container plants for small gardens or courtyards, with their handsome, compact foliage and lovely fragrant flowers. They belong to the genus Fortunella, although they were once classified with their close relatives, the Citrus. There are two...
The most fashionable citrus at the moment is the lime. Demand for varieties like Tahitian and Kaffir has built up tremendously over the last few years, probably because they are so popular in Asian cooking. Limes are an excellent source of Vitamin C and they are a...