A beautiful plant with amazing flowers which open late in the afternoon and close again the next morning, hence the name ‘Four o’clock plant’. This plant has an amazing number of other common names: Four o’Clock flower, Marvel of Peru, Purple Jasmine, Jalap, Mirabilis jalapa, Maravilla, Clavilla, Bonina, Gul Abas, Hendirikka, Anthi Mandhaarai, chandrakantha, and
Climbing plants have many different uses in the garden. Climbing plants can be trained to cascade over walls, fences or statues, or to climb up and over trellises and entrances. They are a valuable landscaping tool that add a little extra color, liveliness and texture to a garden. Climbing plants are an excellent option for
Gardenia is a beautiful and fragrant plant for your home or garden. Delicate blossoms and a deep, sultry scent make these an attractive flower for many gardeners. Gardenia care takes some effort, as the plant is quite finicky about temperature, moisture and soil requirements. With a little care, you can have beautiful gardenias each year,
Planting lavender (Lavandula) is a great way to start off the spring gardening season. Easy to grow, these fragrant flowers can be pink, blue, grey, white or purple. A little effort now will pay off for years to come as this low maintenance perennial yields its aromatic and useful blossoms. Purchase a plant from a
Water in the garden – whether a formal pool, a small stream, a short cascade or a wildlife pond – will allow you to grow many plants that do not thrive in any other conditions. Even in the smallest plot you can have a trough with dwarf water lilies floating in it. In a larger
Hyacinths are a beautiful, scented spring bulbs. They are the most popular of all indoor bulbs. Hyacinthus orientalis (Dutch hyacinth) is the common garden Hyacinth. The leafless flower-stalks bear 30 or more crowded bell-like flowers with a fragrance that can fill a whole room. Roman hyacinths differ in a number of ways – 2 0r
Freesia is a type of about 14 different species and all the Freesia species are of African origin. 12 of the 14 species are native to Cape Province in South Africa and the other two are native to tropical Africa. Freesias are very fragrant and usually come in white or yellow. Growing freesias is relatively
Wisteria is best known for its pea-like blossoms in varying shades of white, rose and lavender. Once established, wisteria is not difficult to maintain. It will survive with average rainfall, and bloom with little to no fertilizer. However, wisteria does need seasonal pruning to ensure spring blooms and compact growing. Otherwise, you could end up
The botanical name of Aloe vera is Aloe barbadensis miller. It belongs to Asphodelaceae (Liliaceae) family, and is a shrubby or arborescent, perennial, xerophytic, succulent, pea- green color plant. It grows mainly in the dry regions of Africa, Asia, Europe and America. The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word “Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter
Some plants live in situations where their roots cannot obtain sufficient nutrients, and so they have evolved mechanisms to trao insects and then digest the contests of their bodies. There are three groups of these insectivorous plants – The Fly Traps with spiny-edged leaves which are hinged in the middle, the Sticky-leaved Plants with hairs
There is a small select group of highly desirable bulbs for the end of the year. They provide a beautiful contrast to the more brazen shows of color on the trees and shrubs, and help keep the eye moving around the fall garden. Most require well-drained soil and plenty of sun in order to thrive,
Summer gardens need plenty of scent. Roses are always favourites, but there are many more rich, intriguing scents on offer. With the right choice you can have the fragrance of pineapple (Cytisus battandieri), marzipan (Heliotropium), and even chocolate (Cosmos atrosanguineus). Mix scented plants with showy but less fragrant flowers such as crocosmia and agapanthus to
