FFF648 - MEXICAN MOCK ORANGE

Choisya ternata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, known as Mexican orange blossom or Mexican orange. It is an evergreen shrub, growing up to 3 m in height. Its leaves have three leaflets (hence ternata) and are aromatic, releasing a smell reminiscent of basil when crushed. The white flowers are scented, appearing in spring (sometimes with limited repeat flowering in autumn). Choisya ternata originates from Mexico. It is drought tolerant, preferring well drained soils.

The shrub is widely grown as an ornamental plant in suitable climates. It tolerates temperatures down to −10 °C but is severely damaged by temperatures lower than −15 °C. It responds well to pruning and shaping. In addition to the species, a number of cultivars are grown, including the golden-leaved C. ternata 'Lich' (usually sold under the name Sundance), and the inter-specific hybrid C. ternata 'Aztec Pearl' (C. dumosa var. arizonica × C. ternata). The species and these two cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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FFF647 - MONA LAVENDER

Plectranthus ‘Mona lavender’ is a broadleaf evergreen, herbaceous perennial shrub with a dense, rounded form. It belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is a hybrid of  two South African parents: Plectranthus saccatus and Plectranthus hilliardiae.

In Australia it is grown as a houseplant in pots or in the garden. It requires partial shade and soil that is high in organic matter and moist with good drainage. It requires a warm temperate climate for full-time outside growth. In cooler climates, it may be placed outside in summer in a place that receives morning sun to full or partial shade. It may grow 30-60 cm tall and wide.

Pinch or prune the stems to maintain a bushy rounded form. Propagate by stem cutting. The lavender blooms begin to appear when the days get shorter in Autumn and will often bloom into spring, with adequate indirect light.  Deadheading helps to extend the blooming period. The shiny dark green leaves are ornamental with purple undersides.

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FFF646 - YELLOW GUM 'ROSEA'

Eucalyptus leucoxylon, commonly known as the Yellow Gum, (South Australian) Blue Gum or White Ironbark, is a small to medium-sized tree with rough bark on the lower 1-2 metres of the trunk, above this, the bark becomes smooth with a white, yellow or bluish-grey surface. Adult leaves are stalked, lanceolate to broad-lanceolate, to 13 x 2.5 cm, concolorous, dull, green. Flowers in white, pink or red appear during winter. 

E. leucoxylon is widely distributed on plains and nearby mountain ranges or coastal South Australia, where it is known as the Blue Gum and extends into the western half of Victoria where it is known as the Yellow gum. The species has been divided into numerous varieties and subspecies. A spectacular red-flowered form of uncertain provenance Eucalyptus leucoxylon ‘Rosea’ (shown here) is widely planted as an ornamental plant, it flowers profusely in winter.

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FFF645 - CALADENIA

Caladenia catenata, commonly known as white caladenia, white fingers and lady's fingers, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. It is a ground orchid with a single hairy leaf and one or two white, sometimes pink flowers on a thin, sparsely-hairy stem. It is similar to Caladenia carnea but lacks the red and white bars on the labellum of that species. 

There are one or two flowers borne on a slender, sparsely hairy spike 10–30 cm high. The sepals and petals are glistening white, rarely pink and are sparsely hairy on the lower part of their backs. The dorsal sepal is linear to oblong, erect or slightly curved forward and is 15–22 mm long. The lateral sepals and petals are about the same length as the dorsal sepal and spreading. The labellum is white or pinkish with a yellowy-orange tip. It is 8–10 mm long, 6–18 mm wide when flattened and has three lobes. The central lobe is triangle-shaped, longer than the lateral lobes, curves downward and has finger-like teeth on its edges. The lateral lobes are narrow and may have a few teeth near their tips. There are two rows of yellow or white, club-shaped calli on the centre of the mid-lobe but only as far forward as the front of the lateral lobes.

Flowering occurs from August to November, earlier in New South Wales than Victoria. This Caladenia is uncommon in Victoria where it grows in scattered populations in forest and woodland east of Melbourne. It is more common in New South Wales where it usually grows in sandy soil in coastal forest and shrubland. It is probably the most common Caladenia in the Sydney region.

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FFF644 - ROSA "PEACE" FOR ANZAC DAY

The Peace rose, correctly Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland', is a well-known and successful garden rose. Over one hundred million plants had been sold, as of 1992. It is a Hybrid Tea rose with large flowers of a light yellow to cream colour, slightly flushed at the petal edges with crimson-pink, being slightly fragrant also. It is hardy and vigorous and relatively resistant to disease, making it popular in gardens as well as in the floral trade. It was developed by French horticulturist Francis Meilland in the years 1935 to 1939.

When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States to protect the new rose. It is said, that it was sent to the US on the last plane available before the German invasion, where it was safely propagated by the Conard Pyle Co. during the war.

The rose became known as "Peace" in the following way: In early 1945 Meilland wrote to Field Marshal Alan Brooke (later Viscount Alanbrooke), the principal author of the master strategy that won the Second World War, to thank him for his key part in the liberation of France and to ask if Brooke would give his name to the rose. Brooke declined saying that, though he was honoured to be asked, his name would soon be forgotten and a much better and more enduring name would be "Peace".

The adoption of the trade name "Peace" was publicly announced in the United States on 29 April 1945 by the introducers, Messrs Conard Pyle Co. This was the very day that Berlin fell, officially considered the end of the Second World War in Europe. Later that year Peace roses were given to each of the delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco, each with a note which read: "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace".

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FFF643 - GREVILLEA

Grevillea is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to rainforest and more open habitats in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville.

The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 50 cm tall to trees 35 m tall. Common names include grevillea, spider flower, silky oak, bottle brush and toothbrush plant. Closely related to the genus Hakea, the genus gives its name to the subfamily Grevilleoideae.

The brightly coloured, petal-less flowers consist of a calyx tube that splits into 4 lobes with long styles. They are good bird-attracting plants, honeyeaters in particular are common visitors. They are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Dryandra Moth.

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FFF642 - 'THE LADY OF SHALOTT'

Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’, introduced in 2007, is prized as one of the best David Austin roses, thanks to its repeat flowering, disease resistance and its beautiful apricot, cup-shaped flowers, each bearing about 60 loosely arranged petals. The leaves contrast nicely with the flowers, the new growth red-bronze turning a vibrant mid-green.The shrub is bushy with slightly arching stems.

This rose has a light tea fragrance with hints of cloves and spiced apples. It is a recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. The rose was named after the Tennyson Society, which promotes the work of 19th century poet, Lord Alfred Tennyson. “The Ladyof Shalott” is a popular Tennyson ballad, written in 1832 and inspired by Arthurian legends.

This rose should be planted in full sun or partial shade, in rich, fertile well-drained soils that are adequately watered. It grows up to 120 cm tall and 100 cm wide and is perfect for beds or borders. The colour of the blooms contrast nicely with salvias, nepeta or lavender. 

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FFF641 - BOUGAINVILLEA

Bougainvillea in the Nyctaginaceae family is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees with flower-like spring leaves near its flowers. Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. They are native plants of South America from Brazil west to Perú and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Bougainvillea are also known as Bugambilia (Mexico).

The vine species grow anywhere from 1 to 12 m tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow.

Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The species here illustrated is Bougainvillea spectabilis. The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville (hence the generic name), during his voyage of circumnavigation, and first published for him by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789.

It is possible that the first European to observe these plants was Jeanne Baré, Commerçon's lover and assistant whom he sneaked on board (despite regulations) disguised as a man (and who thus became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe).

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FFF640 - WHITE BOTTLEBRUSH

Callistemon is a genus of shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1814. The entire genus is endemic to Australia but widely cultivated in many other regions and naturalised in scattered locations. Their status as a separate taxon is in doubt, some authorities accepting that the difference between callistemons and melaleucas is not sufficient for them to be grouped in a separate genus.

Callistemon species have commonly been referred to as bottlebrushes because of their cylindrical, brush like flowers resembling a traditional bottle brush. They are mostly found in the more temperate regions of Australia, especially along the east coast and typically favour moist conditions so when planted in gardens thrive on regular watering. However, two species are found in Tasmania and several others in the south-west of Western Australia. At least some species are drought-resistant and some are used in ornamental landscaping elsewhere in the world.

Melaleuca pallida, commonly known as lemon bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. (Some Australian state herbaria use the name Callistemon pallidus.) It is an upright shrub with thin, spreading branches, silvery new growth and pale yellow, sometimes pinkish bottlebrush flowers. Callistemon pallidus is a hardy plant, adaptable to many soils but needs full sun.

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DOUBLE ASTER

Aster is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The circumscription of the genus has been narrowed, and it now encompasses around 170 species, all but one of which are restricted to Eurasia; many species formerly in Aster are now in other genera of the tribe Astereae.

Aster amellus is the type species of the genus and the family Asteraceae. The name Aster comes from the Ancient Greek word ἀστήρ (astḗr), meaning "star", referring to the shape of the flower head. Many species and a variety of hybrids and varieties are popular as garden plants because of their attractive and colourful flowers. 'Aster' species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species—see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Aster. Asters can grow in all hardiness zones.

Here is a double hybrid happily growing as a perennial for many years in our garden. It has a striking colour, is disease resistant and makes an excellent cut flower.

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