JACOB'S LADDER

Attractive, dense ferny foliage makes Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Blue Dove' (also known as Jacob's ladder) a valuable plant for all year round interest in the garden. As an added bonus loose sprays of open bell shaped flowers in a soft shade of blue can appear from spring right through to and including autumn. Its 'lacy' appearance makes it a useful plant for softening hard lines and edges created by rocks, garden edging or paving.

Polemonium is a genus comprising of around 30 species of mostly perennial herbs which are native to regions of North and Central America, Europe and Asia. An excellent plant for general garden use and suitable for most colour schemes. 'Blue Dove' looks particularly at home in woodland type settings or in the cottage garden.

It may be grown in semi shade although this may decrease flower production. This, however, is not necessarily a reason to avoid planting it in such locations as the attractive foliage alone will lend a visual appeal to these often difficult landscaping zones. To accent the foliage further create a foil of foliage behind it using larger, broader leafed plants or those with tall slender foliage such as that of Irises.

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WINTER ROSES...

Our very mild Autumn has meant that we've had some varieties of rose continuing to bloom luxuriantly till the end of May, as you see here (our last month of Autumn here in the Antipodes). The first few days of June have been very wintry, so the garden is now beginning to assume its cold weather guise. Roses are now definitely beginning to go downhill...

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DELPHINIUM & JAPANESE ANEMONES

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AUTUMN HYACINTHS

Our weather is all topsy-turvy this year, with many late Summer flowers lingering in the garden (I picked some lovely roses on Mother's Day, and also some chrysanthemums!). And now well before Autumn is over, bulbs are sprouting with the first jonquils blooming already, together with violets. And here some hyacinths (these are from the florist, so no doubt, they have been forced to bloom...).

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KALANCHOE

Kalanchoe, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. A Kalanchoe species was one of the first plants to be sent into space, sent on a resupply to the Soviet Salyut 6 space station in 1979. Many hybrids, such as these, exist and are used as popular indoor plants.

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AT THE FLORIST

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NATIVE GERANIUM

The Austral Stork's Bill (Pelargonium australe) is an Australian native flower, similar to stork's bills in other parts of the world. The plants produce clusters of asymmetrical, light pink to white flowers, often with darker reddish-purple markings on the upper petals.  The leaves are generally soft, velvety, and rounded with toothed edges. It is popular in gardens for its hardiness, salt tolerance, and long flowering periods.

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GLORY FLOWER

Clerodendrum bungei, commonly known as rose glory bower, glory flower or Mexican hydrangea (though neither a Hydrangea nor from Mexico), is a species of flowering plant in the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae. Native to China, it is commonly grown in gardens as an ornamental shrub. It has escaped from cultivation and is naturalised in the Americas.

Clerodendrum bungei is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 2 m in height. Its leaves are cordate (heart-shaped), 10–20 cm long and not quite as wide, and have coarsely toothed edges. The flowers, which appear in late summer, are coloured rose, crimson, or pink, and arranged in a conspicuous rounded terminal inflorescence known as corymb, which is up to 10 cm in diameter. As in other Clerodendrum species, the calyx is five-lobed. At the centre of each flower there is a slender tube c. 3–4 cm long which terminates in five spreading white lobes.

While the flowers are fragrant, crushed leaves have an unpleasant odour. Clerodendrum bungei possess extrafloral nectaries that produce a sweet secretion attracting ants (and other arthropods), which in return often protect plant from herbivory. Its flowers also attract butterflies.

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THE LAST ROSE

The last rose of the season is making a brave show of it... 
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AUTUMN DAISIES

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DAHLIA SEASON

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"TEDDY BEARS"

'Teddy Bear' sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), are a popular double-flowered cultivar known for their lush, fluffy, and rounded appearance. Unlike traditional sunflowers with a dark central disk, 'Teddy Bear' sunflowers have petals that cover the entire flower head, giving them a soft, pom-pom-like look.

They are typically a compact, dwarf variety, often growing between 60-100 cm tall, making them well-suited for pots, small garden spaces, or as a short hedge. They are frequently grown for their ornamental value and make excellent, cheerful cut flowers. Care: Like most sunflowers, they are sun-loving annuals that are relatively easy to grow and perform best with regular watering during their flowering period.

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ZUCCHINI FLOWER

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MORNING GLORY

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called morning glories, but this can also refer to related genera. Those formerly separated in Calonyction (Greek καλός, kalos, good and νύκτα, nycta, night) are called moonflowers. The generic name is derived from the Greek words ιπς (ips) or ιπος (ipos), meaning "worm" or "bindweed," and όμοιος (homoios), meaning "resembling". It refers to their twining habit.

The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, lianas, shrubs and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants. Ipomoea nil is a species of Ipomoea morning glory known by several common names, including picotee morning glory, ivy morning glory, and Japanese morning glory. It is native to most of the tropical world, and has been introduced widely. It is cultivated as an attractive ornamental plant in many places, and the descendants of garden escapees now grow wild, in some situations regarded as a weed.

This is a climbing annual herb with three-pointed leaves 3 to 8 centimeters long. The flowers are several centimeters wide and appear in various shades of blue, pink or rose, often with white stripes or edges or blends of colors. Common cultivars include 'Scarlet O'Hara', 'Early Call', and 'Rose Silk'.

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TULIPS

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MARVEL OF PERU

Mirabilis jalapa (the four o'clock flower or marvel of Peru) is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis, and is available in a range of colours. Mirabilis in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa is a town in Mexico. Mirabilis jalapa is said to have been exported from the Peruvian Andes in 1540. The flowers usually open from late afternoon onwards, then producing a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance, hence the first of its common names.

A curious aspect of this plant is that flowers of different colours can be found simultaneously on the same plant. Different colour variation in the flower and different colour flowers in same plant. Additionally, an individual flower can be splashed with different colours. Another interesting point is a colour-changing phenomenon. For example, in the yellow variety, as the plant matures, it can display flowers that gradually change to a dark pink color. Similarly white flowers can change to light violet.

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ILLAWARRA FLAME TREE

The tree commonly known as the Illawarra Flame Tree is botanically named Brachychiton acerifolius. It is a striking, semi-deciduous native Australian tree, famous for its spectacular display of vivid red, bell-shaped flowers that often cover the entire tree when it is leafless.

B. acerifolius is very popular as an ornamental tree both in its native Australia and around the world. The flowering is a spectacular event, as the tree sheds its leaves just prior to producing masses of bright scarlet flowers over the entire tree. It is used for street plantings, public parks and gardens, and in private gardens. It is easily grown and may be propagated from seed, cuttings, or by grafting.

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CACTUS

The Orchid cactus, specifically identified as Disocactus ackermannii or a similar Epiphyllum hybrid, is known and sought after for its vibrant red flowers. These plants are a species of epiphytic cactus, meaning they grow on other plants or objects in their natural tropical Central and South American habitats, sustaining themselves by absorbing nutrients from the air rather than being parasitic.

They are popular for their large, showy blooms that can measure over 10cm wide. The plant features long, flat, or three-angled stems and does not have typical sharp thorns or spikes. Epiphyllum hybrids are often grown in hanging baskets due to their cascading growth habit and are relatively easy to propagate from stem cuttings.

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ARTICHOKE

The artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), also known by the names French artichoke, globe artichoke, and green artichoke in the United States, is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom.

The budding artichoke flower-head is a cluster of many budding small flowers (an inflorescence), together with many bracts, on an edible base. Once the buds bloom, the structure changes to a coarse, barely edible form. Another variety of the same species is the cardoon, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. Both wild forms and cultivated varieties (cultivars) exist.

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MOTH PLANT

Araujia sericifera is a perennial vining plant in the genus Araujia, of the family Apocynaceae, that is native to South America. The species was described in 1817 by the Portuguese botanist Félix de Avelar Brotero. The synonym Araujia hortorum is in more frequent use in New Zealand.

Its common names include bladderflower, white bladderflower, bladder vine, cruel vine, cruel plant, moth plant, moth vine, common moth vine, and false choko. It was introduced to Europe and other areas as an ornamental plant, but it is now considered a noxious weed. In some countries, such as France, the attractive and abundant fragrant flowering make it a specimen considered worth cultivating. However its strong robustness combined with high seed production can make it invasive in most environments, but not in France due to its sensitivity to frost.

Moth plant is toxic for some people. Skin contact with its sap can cause rashes. Contact with the eyes, in particular, can cause severe discomfort.

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