Neem tree, Azadirachta indica

I have been using Neem oil as an insecticide on and off for years.

It sticks to the leaves and continues to work for some time after spraying. It is especially good to repel white fly which congregate on the underside of cabbage or broccoli leaves.

 Recently I came across this book, Neem: A tree for solving global problems which was published in the early 1990's by The National Academy Press in Washington D.C. It is a comprehensive guide to the use of Neem worldwide up to the date of publication. 

 Now it seems that the current opinion is that the Neem tree has serious weed potential in most regions of the dry tropics where it has been planted, including Australia. Birds find its fruit desirable and thus spread the seed far and wide.

 Pest plant risk assessment:Neem tree—Azadirachta indica - IPA-Neem-Tree-Risk-Assessment.pdf

Gomphrena 'Strawberry Fields'

 Gomphrena haageana 'Strawberry Fields' (Amaranthaceae)

 I have grown this hardy drought tolerant summer annual/short lived perennial for many years. This variety of Gomphrena flowers for most of the year. It is still in flower in July and at that time of year I usually cut back the plants to near ground level and within a couple of months it is in flower again. It has a semi rhizomatious root system, and you often see a swollen base near the soil surface from which new shoots appear. Usually the flowers start off as an apricot colour and as the summer progresses the colour changes to strawberry red. It is easy to grow from seed sown at any time from spring to mid summer.

The family to which it belongs, Amaranthaceae, includes lots of colourful foliage plants (Iresine, Amaranthus ,Celosia) and some have a similar flower type to this Gomphrena, that is a papery burr which stays on the plant for a long time. A good example is the popular purple leaf plant Alternanthera dentata which flowers in winter, while shedding most of its leaves, leaving behind the flower which persists for months until the weather warms up and new foliage growth commences. I mention this habit because it is annoying when trying to propagate from it, as the resulting struck cuttings appear as a mass of twigs covered in burrs. The Alternanthera seed is sterile, as it is in the very noxious weed Alternanthera philoxeroides, Alligator weed, which reproduces by stem pieces which break off and float in water or which have become attached to boats or vehicles. Unfortunately this Alternanthera, which originated from the Parana river floodplains of northern Argentina is now regarded as one of the worst weeds in the world.

Hibiscus bud drop

 In need of a regular drink Hibiscus rosa-sinenis are liable to drop lots of developing buds when their supply of water is fluctuating especially when stressed on hot summer days. At this time of year however when hot days are often followed by cool ones, they also react by doing the same. The plants are busy putting all their energy into producing new leaves so flower production comes second place. Though some varieties are not as susceptible to this phenomena as others, a regular supply of fertilizer which is not too high in nitrogen can limit its occurrence. Insects play no role in bud drop and the flower stems have not been chewed off by some critter.

Bud drop is a minor glitch with plenty of flowers to come in the months ahead

A pink Brugmansia

 Pink Brugmansia and Grass tree, Xanthorrhoea sp.

Brugmansias or Angel's Trumpets are greedy for water and fertilizer and if they are given both they are almost continually in flower. This one is at the lowest point of the garden so gets the run-off from all the water directed at plants on higher ground. It rests for two weeks in between flowering. The flowers start off yellow and change to bright pink after a couple of days.

Angelica pachycarpa

Flower of Angelica pachycarpa

Ripening seed of Angelica pachycarpa

This is not the herb Angelica but the glossy leaved biennial plant which is noted for its wonderful structure, especially the way the leaves clasp the stem and fan out from it, as well as the starry plate like flowers which appear in spring. Like many plants affected by a changing climate this species is skipping the normal slow growth of two years before flowering and instead is bolting ahead and flowering within its first year. When I grew it in the garden I let my plant go to seed and then dug up the seedlings which appeared underneath some time later. Trouble is I only ended up a few plants and I want more so I can have some plants available for sale, as, in its juvenile stage it makes a terrific pot plant or striking garden specimen. Saving seed of any plant can be both frustrating and rewarding. In this case the seed is ripening unevenly with individual seed cases turning brown and appearing ready to collect while their nearest neighbours are still green. What to do? Place a catcher or tray underneath the plants which means the seed could end up blowing away or stolen by insects, or place little muslin bags over the entire seed head so that the seed has something to fall into? Whatever seed I end up with I will store till next autumn before planting and hopefully have some nice plants ready by next spring.

Ox-eye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare

 Leucanthemum vulgare, Ox-eye daisy

The old fashioned garden perennial Shasta daisy has this as a parent and while this ox-eye is lumbered with the species name vulgare meaning common, the Shasta hybrids are given the title of superbum or superb, and given their large size compared to this one they truly are. What I like about this little perennial however is that it forms a completely dense mat of foliage through which weeds are not able to penetrate. Herein lies the problem, as this plant has been given noxious weed status in southern Australia and in many other parts of the world because it out-competes lots of native plants for space and habitat. My plant came from the garden of a lady who grew up in Hungary and came to Australia after the War. It probably reminded her of cool damp summer meadows where she played as a child.

In our relatively mild climate it always seems to be in flower and has not proved weedy but given its status elsewhere I keep it in the 'not for commercial propagation or sale area'.

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Lampranthus spectabilis

Lampranthus spectabilis syn Mesembryanthemum roseum (Aizoaceae)

Sometimes called 'Ice-plants' or in Australia 'Pigface', the former common name gives a better reference to the origin of the word Lampranthus, it being from the Greek lampros ,meaning shining and anthos , flower. The flowers really do glisten like ice in the sun and though their flowering season is really for only a few weeks of spring they certainly make an impact during the brief display. This species grows to about 40 cm high and spreads to about 60 to 90 cm. Its natural habit is to sprawl which makes it good to use as a spillover at the edge of raised garden beds or in containers with other mixed succulents or annual flowers. These are popular plants to use in coastal landscapes as they stand up to salty winds and dry spells, though they are equally at home away from the coast as they tolerate a few degrees of frost. Shearing back after flowering helps to make the plant more compact otherwise it can look a bit open and straggly over time.