Pomegranates The pomegranate is one of the all time great plants of horticulture. It is native to the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, Afghanistan and Iran, where it has been grown since ancient times. Plant details Common name: Pomegranate Botanic name: Punica...
A few weeks ago on Burke’s Backyard we featured a lovely ornamental variety of pomegranate called ‘Legrelliae’ (Punica granatum ‘Legrelliae’). It has very attractive double salmon/scarlet flowers with a white edge to each petal, and like...
Prunus ‘Okame’ Don looked at an attractive hybrid cherry. Prunus ‘Okame’ is a cross between P. campanulata and P. incisa. Plant details Common name: Okame cherry Botanic name: Prunus ‘Okame’ Description: A hardy deciduous tree,...
Prunus x blireana One of the best spring blossom trees, Prunus x blireana is a cross between the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) and the purple-leaved plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’). Plant details Common name: Purple-leafed Plum Botanic name: Prunus x...
Scribbly Gum Scribbly gums (Eucalyptus haemastoma) are spectacular Australian trees with smooth, whitish yellow bark. The bark has a prominent feature which was written about in Snuggle Pot & Cuddlepie – strange looking ‘scribbles’ resembling...
She oak If you like Australian native plants, and particularly if you like attracting native birds to your garden, think about planting a she oak. They have woody, barrel-shaped cones containing slender, winged seeds which birds like Glossy Black Cockatoos and...
Tibouchinas are native to south-east Brazil, where people use the massed purple blooms to decorate churches at Easter time. Here in Australia tibouchinas also make quite a statement in autumn, with their riot of purple flowers. Don looked at Tibouchina...
Tree Farm Ten years ago landscape designer, Michael Pfahl and horticulturist, Ronan O’Connor had problems finding large trees suitable for the landscaping projects they were working on, so they decided to grow their own. Today their nursery, Treekeepers Nursery...
Variegated Eucalypts Recently on Burke’s Backyard we featured ‘Summer Beauty’ and ‘Summer Red’, wonderful hybrid gum trees developed specially for the home garden. They produce masses of flowers, and you always know exactly what colour...
Flowering Peaches The flowering peach, Prunus persica, was thought to have originated in Persia, hence its species name ‘persica’. However, it has long been the subject of Chinese poetry, art and tradition, and may well have been brought into cultivation...