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Water Lilies: In a dry country like Australia there’s something wonderful about water gardens, they’re relaxing and they just feel fabulous to be in & there’s so many wonderful, plants that you can grow. The obvious one is water lilies, which are available in...
Don’s wonderful TV backyard makeover created everything you could need in an outdoor living area plus a mini-orchard of 11 dwarf fruit trees that will grow little higher than the fence. We all dream of having the backyard with everything: areas to sit and have dinner,...
Lots of people of all ages would happily say that apples are their favourite fruit. Whether you eat them fresh and crisp as a snack anywhere, anytime, or turn them into a crowd-pleasing dessert that always gets demolished, these fruits will always be super-popular....
Growing native plants in sandstone rubble Planting natives into rock rubble works because it duplicates the natural, wild conditions where most of these plants evolved. I have seen numerous native gardens grown in rubble in recent years, and Mal Johnson’s excellent...
Don Burke says the secret to growing great natives is to use crushed rock instead of soil. Here’s how it’s done. Planting natives into rock rubble works because it duplicates the natural, wild conditions where most of these plants evolved. Refer to the diagram (at top...
In the same league as jacarandas and poincianas, once seen in bloom a trumpet tree, cloaked in pink or golden flowers, is never forgotten. The tabebuias (pronounced ‘tab-eh-boo-ya’) are all from tropical Central and South America and although there are...
There are many different types of azaleas and most people have had one that looked beautiful but eventually died, usually because it was not a hardy variety. Some azaleas are very difficult to grow and others are easy so it is very important to select your azalea...
Don Burke says some citrus trees are much better performers in gardens than others. If you want a healthy citrus tree a great start is to take Don’s expert advice and plant one of his ‘best’ varieties. No fruit has affected civilisation as much as citrus. We drink...
Question I would like to have a try at creating my own standard grevillea. Is it possible to plant the rootstock in situ then trim off and graft onto it when it reaches the appropriate height? What method of grafting would you recommend? – Jo-Anne Britt,...
Bromeliads are native to tropical America. Many are epiphytes, that is they live on other plants but do not parasitise those plants. Rather than growing in soil, they are found up in the forks of tree branches, surviving mainly on the moisture and nutrients they...