Cornelian Cherry
Although the flower display of Cornus mas, the cornelian cherry, is not as spectacular as some of its popular relatives, Peter Valder thinks this species is well worth planting. It's one of the few trees which flower in a cold climate in the ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Window Cleaning
Of all the irksome household chores, cleaning windows has to be right up there with the ironing. Commercial cleaners, soap and water, newspaper and other methods all work reasonably well, but there has to be a better way! Peter Valder recommends ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Displaying Wisteria
The blue form of the Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is very popular among gardeners, but there are many other kinds available. Peter Valder looked at the two most widely cultivated Japanese species, W. brachybotrys and W. floribunda, and ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Easter Plants
Many plants are associated with Easter and the passion of Jesus Christ, although nobody really knows what sort of wood the cross was made of, or what plant was used to make the crown of thorns. In our segment Peter Valder looked at two South ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Colourful Azaleas
In spring, many gardens are filled with azaleas in colours such as pink, white, mauve or red. However, a wider range of colours can be found in some cool climate gardens. Peter Valder explores several different colours. The 'Mollis' azalea was ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Wisteria Seed Pods
Wisterias are beautiful flowering plants but Peter Valder noted that some people seem surprised to see this plant with seed pods. Peter Valder recently looked at these plants when he visited some Mt Wilson gardens. Wisteria is a legume, like peas ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Camellia x williamsii
Peter Valder is particularly fond of the williamsii camellias. These are hybrids between Camellia japonica and a wild camellia from Western China, Camellia saluenensis. They are named after John Charles Williams, who planted seeds of C. ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Chinese Art Show
Peter Valder gave us a guided tour of 'Fragrant Space', an exhibition of Chinese flower and bird paintings currently on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The paintings are on loan from the Guandong Provincial Museum, and are by major ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Cobra Plant
Peter Valder recently visited some gardens in Mount Wilson, NSW and found an unusual and quirky plant known as the Cobra Plant. So if you're into weird and bizarre plants in the garden, the Cobra Plant is an easy one to grow. Tubular shaped ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Gordonia
Peter Valder looked at one of the very best small trees for Australian conditions. Gordonia axillaris (renamed Franklinia axillaris, but still known and sold as Gordonia axillaris) The genus name, Gordonia, commemorates James Gordon, an ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Common names:
Most gardeners think of cyclamen as delicate indoor plants, but they occur naturally in harsh, rocky areas in Europe and the Mediterranean. Peter Valder considers Cyclamen coum and Cyclamen hederifolium to be two of the best wild ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Agave americana
If you want bold, architectural plants in your garden, Peter Valder thinks that it's hard to go past agaves. This fascinating group of perennial succulents occurs naturally in southern USA and Mexico. There are over 300 species, and many have ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
