Megan Backhouse
Megan Backhouse is a gardening writer for The Age.
WA is home to our most beautiful natives. Here’s how to grow them where you are
For gardeners in Victoria and NSW, growing Western Australia’s stunning natives is an art form worth perfecting.
- Megan Backhouse
Latest
Layering can make or break a garden. This artist does it perfectly
With open gardens in Victoria and NSW, Ralph Bristow’s work will inspire every gardener to get creative.
- Megan Backhouse
The real reason your home gardening isn’t going to plan this summer
Here’s how to keep your garden in step with a changing climate.
- Megan Backhouse
Think you know bamboo? Why it might confound you yet
Gardeners can spend a lifetime studying the flowering habits of this common plant and still do not know it all.
- Megan Backhouse
Exactly what to do in your garden after a stint away (beyond watering)
Nothing brings you back down to earth faster than neglected plants. Follow these simple steps to have it rejuvenated in no time.
- Megan Backhouse
Ditch the hot-housed poinsettia. This Christmas native puts on a better show
Don’t bother with the holly and European mistletoe. Our most festive leaves, berries and flowers don’t thrive under a dusting of snow but stand up to dry heat.
- Megan Backhouse
This drastic measure scares many gardeners. It will pay you back in spades
The slightly daggy cousin of flashier plants, the shrub is the staple of many gardens. A tough love approach to maintenance will see fortune favour the brave.
- Megan Backhouse
Hate mowing the lawn? This water-wise alternative offers beauty without the brawn
A longstanding favourite among landscapers, this hard-wearing material is winning fans of wild gardening and informal planting alike. The secret? Sourcing it as locally as possible.
- Megan Backhouse
Sweet, fresh and pesticide free: the delights of backyard berries
They are the superfoods you can grow in your garden. Packed with essential vitamins, homegrown berries beat their supermarket counterparts for taste hands down – and this is the perfect time to grow them.
- Megan Backhouse
Buying food at the supermarket? There’s a fresher option, even in the city
Urban food farms are proving there’s no need to head to the shops when you can grow what you need in your backyard.
- Megan Backhouse