Solve a problem, find a plant or look for a design inspiration
Don looked at a row of standard Hill’s weeping figs (Ficus microcarpa var. hillii) growing by the side of a driveway. These large, evergreen trees come from the rainforests of coastal Queensland. They have large, short main trunks or several main trunks...
Pruning Grevilleas Grevilleas are by far the most popular flowering Australian native plant grown in gardens today, which is hardly surprising when you consider that they attract native birds and many of them flower for most of the year. The only problem is that...
Weird Carrots Don reached into the Burke’s Backyard mailbag and pulled out two interesting letters from viewers with problems growing vegetables. Both gardeners enclosed photographs of twisted, bizarre-looking carrots. Carrots need a light, well-drained soil,...
Wood Ash in the Garden Now that those chilly winter evenings are here, lots of people have been stoking up their slow combustion heaters or warming themselves in front of glowing open fireplaces. In fact many of those people have written in to Burke’s...
Heavy Metals in Fertilisers These days most people realise that using too many chemicals on the garden could be damaging to the environment. We received a letter from Jo Erkelens, a very concerned viewer who purchased a packet of Yates Gro Plus Complete Plant...
Lawns A lush, green lawn adds beauty and value to any home, but many backyard lawns are thin and patchy, and struggle to survive. The problem is that most of us are ordinary gardeners, not greenkeepers, and we don’t have time to give our lawns constant care and...
Low Maintenance Garden People often write to Don asking for his advice on setting up easy care gardens. They explain that they love gardens, but they lead busy lives and don’t have much time to spend on maintenance. Over the years many experts have claimed that...
Years ago, nurseries were fairly boring places. The plants were rarely sold in flower, and not much effort went into presenting them. However, times have changed dramatically. These days nothing cheers gardeners up more than a trip to the local nursery. Not only do...
As a builder, Scott Cam uses power tools such as chainsaws every day, and he thinks they are fantastic. Although he jokes about ‘toys for the boys’, he actually doesn’t regard power tools as toys. Scott thinks chainsaws are potentially very...
Clover in Lawn Now that the cold days of winter are behind us there’s no excuse for putting off all those outdoor jobs. Spring is the ‘make or break’ time for beautiful lawns, and your lawn is sure to need some urgent attention. Don looked at a...