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...).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

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.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

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.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

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.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

NATIVE FRANGIPANI

Hymenosporum is a monotypic genus of trees in the family Pittosporaceae. The sole included species is Hymenosporum flavum, commonly known as native frangipani, found in the rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests of New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the frangipani, but is related to the widespread genus Pittosporum.

Hymenosporum flavum is a semi-deciduous tree up to 25 m high and a trunk diameter (DBH) to 45 cm. The obovate leaves are simple, alternate, glossy green above and lighter below. They measure up to 13 cm long by 4.5 cm wide, and are clustered towards the ends of the branches in pseudo-whorls.

The very fragrant flowers are quite large, about 40 mm diameter with a floral tube up to 28 mm long. They are initially functionally male, and coloured white with lemon tinges. Over a period of about 5 days the stigma begins to develop and the stamens curl away. At the same time the colour deepens until the fully functioning female flower is golden yellow with red/purple track lines in the throat.

The fruit is a dehiscent, two-chambered capsule, black/brown, densely hairy and about 35 mm wide and long. Seeds are about 7 mm long with a 4 mm  wing. They are numerous, and stacked together to fill each chamber.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

THE FIRST ROSE

The first roses have started to appear in our garden. This is the perennially favourite, "Mr Lincoln". It is a vigorous, tall upright shrub, 120–210 cm in height. Blooms are very large, 15  cm or more in diameter, with 30 to 35 petals. The rose has a strong damask fragrance. The high-centered, deep red petals are generally borne singly on long stems and do not fade, even in the hottest climates.

The shrub is a repeat bloomer. The buds are deep red and open up into large, velvety red, double blossoms. The foliage is dark red when young and becomes leathery and dark, matte green when the plant is older. It is generally healthy and heat tolerant, but is susceptible to blackspot. 'Mister Lincoln' is hardy to zone 5–9

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

CHIMONANTHUS

Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet) has been cultivated in China for more than 1,000 years and has been introduced to Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia and the United States. It is a familiar plant in British gardens, where it is grown mainly for its gorgeous scent. The rather insignificant, creamy-yellow, waxy flowers are borne on bare stems from about December to March, with the leaves appearing later.

Long esteemed in China and Japan for its fragrance, many parts of the plant are rich in essential oils and are also used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Wintersweet was introduced to Japan from China during the 17th century, and to Britain, under the name of Calycanthus praecox, a century later. The generic name means "winter-flower', while the specific name means "precocious' as it flowers so early.

It is a deciduous shrub (or sometimes with persistent leaves), up to 3 m high and wide (up to 13 m tall in the wild), with rough, opposite, dark green leaves and small, solitary, highly scented, yellowish flowers borne on short stalks in winter and spring before the leaves appear. The outer petals (tepals) are waxy, almost transparent, in appearance, while the inner tepals are smaller and usually purplish. The flowers are beetle-pollinated.

Named cultivars include Chimonanthus praecox ‘Luteus’, which has slightly larger flowers and yellow inner tepals, and C. praecox ‘Grandiflorus’, a larger shrub, with bigger leaves and larger, but less strongly scented, pure yellow flowers, with red-stained inner tepals.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MT MORGAN WATTLE

Acacia podalyriifolia is a perennial tree which is fast-growing and widely cultivated. It is native to Australia but is also naturalised in Malaysia, Africa, India and South America. Its uses include environmental management and it is also used as an ornamental tree.

It is very closely related to Acacia uncifera. It grows to about 5 m in height and about the same in total width. It blooms during winter. Common names for it are Mount Morgan wattle, Queensland silver wattle, Queensland wattle, pearl acacia, pearl wattle and silver wattle.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

GINGER LILY

Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili ginger, Kahila garland-lily, or ginger lily) is a plant native to the Himalayas in India, Nepal, and Bhutan and is in the Zingiberaceae family. It grows to 2.4 m tall with long, bright green leaves clasping the tall stems. The very fragrant pale yellow and red flowers are held in dense spikes above the foliage. They appear towards the end of summer.

Ginger lilies have flourished in the wild in Australia and are now considered an invasive weed here and in NZ. Ginger lilies generally have yellow flowers but can also be hybrids with cream, orange, red and white flowers.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FLOWERING GUM TREE

From Autumn until Spring, many of Australia's native flora species flower. This is a flowering Eucalyptus tree, all of the common eucalyptus trees being referred to in Australia as "gum trees".

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

SPANISH JASMINE

Jasminum grandiflorum, also known variously as the Spanish jasmine, Royal jasmine, Catalan jasmine, Sicilian jasmine, Greek jasmine, is a species of jasmine native to South Asia, the Arabian peninsula, East and Northeast Africa and the Yunnan and Sichuan regions of China. The species is widely cultivated and is reportedly naturalised in Guinea, the Maldive Islands, Mauritius, Réunion, Java, the Cook Islands, Chiapas, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is closely related to, and sometimes treated as merely a form of, Jasminum officinale.

Jasmine has been made into a well-known scent around the world. It was introduced as a perfume in Europe in the 16th century. The flowers create an aroma that exudes a calm atmosphere, relieving mental and emotional strains. Due to the pleasing scent, J. grandiflorum are commonly made into essential oils, perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics worldwide.

Here it is seen growing in our garden, where it forms a luxuriant climbing shrub, flowering profusely in Summer and whose delicious perfume is intense during the evening. In the Summer afternoons, my grandmother used to pick the burgeoning buds of this flower and thread them with a needle, forming the festoon you see below, which was brought indoors. As the flowers opened later that evening, the perfume filled the house.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

ORIENTAL LILIES

Lilium (members of which are true lilies) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range extends into the northern subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies. 

The lilies illustrated here are Oriental hybrids (Division VII). These are based on hybrids within Lilium section Archelirion, specifically L. auratum and L. speciosum, together with crossbreeds from several species native to Japan, including L. nobilissimum, L. rubellum, L. alexandrae, and L. japonicum. They are fragrant, and the flowers tend to be outward facing. Plants tend to be tall, and the flowers may be quite large.

The whole group are sometimes referred to as "stargazers" because many of them appear to look upwards. They are used extensively as a cut flower and are long-lasting in flower arrangements.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

A ROSE...

And what a rose! The magnificent 'Mr Lincoln' currently in bloom in our garden.

Rosa 'Mister Lincoln', also known as 'Mr. Lincoln', is a dark red hybrid tea rose cultivar. Bred by Herbert Swim and Weeks Rose Growers in 1964, the rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1965.

The stock parents of this rose are the hybrid tea rose cultivars 'Chrysler Imperial' and 'Charles Mallerin'. The plant was introduced into the United States via California by Star Roses in 1965. 'Mister Lincoln' was the best-selling crimson rose in the US for many years. Known as the "California drought friendly native rose", it won the All-America Rose Selections award in 1965.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

STIRRINGS OF SPRING

The fragrant violets and wattles are blooming in the garden, and the first bulbs are showing their flowers: Anemones, jonquils and lachenalias. Meanwhile, the neighbour's almond tree is all buds that are unfurling their blossoms. Spring is not too far away, although we've had some bitterly cold days...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme 

VIOLETS

I saw quite a lot of violets blooming by the creek yesterday, and that is a little early. We usually get them flowering a little later, August to September. However, I also caught sight of some plum blossom as I was driving, and that was also early. So perhaps first signs of Spring waiting in the wings...

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SWEET ACACIA

Vachellia farnesiana, also known as Acacia farnesiana, and previously Mimosa farnesiana, commonly known as sweet acacia, huisache, or needle bush, is a species of shrub or small tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its flowers are used in the perfume industry. The plant's young leaves, flowers, and seed pods are edible raw or cooked. The foliage is a significant source of forage in much of its range, with a protein content around 18%. The tree makes good forage for bees. The seed pods are readily eaten by livestock.

The plant is deciduous over part of its range, but evergreen in most locales. Growing from multiple trunks, it reaches a height of 4.6–9.1 metres. The bark is whitish gray. The base of each leaf is accompanied by a pair of thorns on the branch. The dark brown fruit is a seed pod. The small flowers have five very small petals, almost hidden by the long stamens, and are arranged in dense, globular or cylindrical clusters; they are yellow and highly fragrant.

The flowers are processed through distillation to produce a perfume called cassie, which has been described as "delicious". It is widely used in the perfume industry in Europe. Flowers of the plant provide the perfume essence from which the biologically important sesquiterpenoid farnesol is named. Scented ointments from cassie are made in India.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

AUTUMN ROSE

We are seeing the last of the roses in our garden. This is a beautiful rose, just after a rain shower. It is Rosa 'Mister Lincoln', also known as 'Mr. Lincoln', which is a dark red hybrid tea rose cultivar. Bred by Herbert Swim and Weeks Rose Growers in 1964, the rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1965.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MR LINCOLN ROSE

Rosa 'Mister Lincoln', also known as 'Mr. Lincoln', is a dark red hybrid tea rose cultivar. Bred by Herbert Swim and Weeks Rose Growers in 1964, the rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1965.

'Mister Lincoln' is a vigorous, tall upright shrub, 121–213 cm in height. Blooms are very large, 15  cm or more in diameter, with 30 to 35 petals. The rose has a strong damask fragrance. The high-centred, deep red petals are generally borne singly on long stems and do not fade, even in the hottest climates.

The shrub is a repeat bloomer.The buds are deep red and open up into large, velvety red, double blossoms. The foliage is dark red when young and becomes leathery and dark, matte green when the plant is older. It is generally healthy and heat tolerant, but is susceptible to blackspot. 'Mister Lincoln' is hardy to zone 5–9.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FREESIAS

We have a flower garden in our backyard and it is a pleasure to see the arrival and departure of the seasons, each bringing with it a bounty of floral gifts. It's always a pleasure to cut some flowers from one's garden and bring them into the house. Freesias are particularly rewarding as they need little care, bloom profusely and many varieties are scented beautifully. Many of the new large-flowered cultivars come in some astounding shades. Here are some of the ones growing in our garden.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SPRING BLOSSOM

Prunus cerasifera, or the purple leaf plum is a small deciduous tree commonly planted for its deep reddish-purple leaves and white/pale pink flowers that are among the first to appear in spring. Although it is short lived, it is fast growing and great for use as a specimen or shade tree. It is in the Rosaceae family, and this like many of the stone fruits are part of the Prunus genus.

Purple leaf plum grows to approximately 4-6 m tall and wide at maturity, and has a rounded shape. It should be planted in a location with full sun. The leaves will turn green if grown in the shade. Most cultivars for sale have the reddish-purple leaves, there are ones with green foliage also available.

Flowers are small, fragrant and either white or pale pink. Purple leaf plum is one of the first trees to flower in the spring, with the blossoms appearing before the leaves. Although the fruits are small at only 3 cm, they are edible. These little gems can be yellow, purple, or red, depending on the cultivar chosen. Birds love to eat these fruits off the tree, too.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme