FFF422 - JUBILEE CELEBRATION ROSE

Rosa Jubilee Celebration ('Aushunter') (Pbr) is an exceptionally free-flowering rose named to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. It produces a mass of golden-flushed, pink blooms through the summer, each held clear of the foliage on stout stems. Their scent is strong and fruity.

A vigorous and healthy shrub rose that will provide months of colour in the border.Position: Full sun; Soil: Fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained; Rate of growth: Fast-growing; Flowering period: June to September; Flower colour: Salmon-pink; Other features: Excellent cut-flowers; Hardiness: Fully hardy.

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FFF419 - KNIPHOFIA

Kniphofia uvaria is also known as Tritoma, Torch Lily, or Red Hot Poker due to the shape and colour of its inflorescence. The leaves are reminiscent of a lily, and the flowerhead can reach up to 1.52 m in height. There are many varieties of torch lily, and they bloom at different times during the growing season. The flowers are red, orange, and yellow.

Kniphofia uvaria originates from the Cape Province of South Africa, and has been introduced into many parts of the world, such as North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe as a garden plant. It is hardy in zones 5-10. In parts of south-eastern Australia, such as the Central and Southern Tablelands of New South Wales and southern Victoria, it has escaped cultivation and become naturalised.

It is now regarded as an environmental weed in these locations, spreading from former habitations into natural areas, where it can grow in thick clumps and threaten sensitive ecosystems. Elsewhere in southern Australia it is regarded as a potential environmental weed, and it may have also naturalised in parts of South Australia and California.

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FFF409 - CHICORY

Common chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or for roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive.

It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America and Australia, where it has become naturalised. "Chicory" is also the common name in the United States for curly endive (Cichorium endivia); these two closely related species are often confused.

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FFF252 - DIEFFENBACHIA

Dieffenbachia is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental, especially as a house plant, and has become naturalised on a few tropical islands. Dieffenbachia prefers medium sunlight, moderately dry soil and average home temperatures of 17–27 °C. Indoors it should be watered about twice a week.

Dieffenbachia is a perennial herbaceous plant with straight stem, simple and alternate leaves containing white spots and flecks, making it attractive as indoor foliage. Species in this genus are popular as houseplants because of their tolerance of shade. The flowers are green/white and have the typical spathe of arums. The common name, "dumb canes" refers to the poisoning effect of raphides, which can cause temporary inability to speak.

Dieffenbachia was named by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, director of the Botanical Gardens in Vienna to honour his head gardener Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863).

With a minimum temperature tolerance of +5 °C, Dieffenbachia must be grown indoors in temperate areas. They need light, but filtered sunlight through a window is usually sufficient. They also need moderately moist soil, which should be regularly fertilised with a proprietary houseplant fertiliser. Leaves will periodically roll up and fall off to make way for new leaves. Yellowing of the leaves is generally a sign of problematic conditions, such as a nutrient deficiency in the soil. Dieffenbachia respond well to hot temperatures and dry climates.

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FFF193 - INFESTATION!

Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies, or whiteflies (not to be confused with "jumping plant lice" or true whiteflies), are small sap-sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions. The damage they do to plants has made them enemies of farmers and gardeners the world over, though from a zoological standpoint they are a highly successful group of organisms.

Their success is due in part to the asexual reproductive capabilities of some species. About 4,400 species are known, all included in the family Aphididae. Around 250 species are serious pests for agriculture and forestry as well as an annoyance for gardeners. They vary in length from 1 to 10 millimetres. Natural enemies include predatory ladybirds, hoverfly larvae, parasitic wasps, aphid midge larvae, crab spiders, lacewings, and entomopathogenic fungi such as Lecanicillium lecanii and the Entomophthorales.

There are various insecticides that can be used to control aphids, including synthetic insecticides and plant extracts/products that are thought to be more eco-friendly. For example, neem and lantana products can be used to protect plants against aphids. For small backyard infestations, simply spraying the plants thoroughly with a strong water jet every few days may be sufficient protection for roses and other plants. An insecticidal soap solution can be an effective household remedy to control aphids and other soft-bodied arthropods. It will only kill aphids on contact and has no residual action against aphids that arrive after application. Soap spray may damage plants, especially at higher concentrations or at temperatures above 32 °C. Some plant species are known to be sensitive to soap sprays.

Integrated pest management of various species of aphids can be achieved using biological insecticides based on fungi such as Lecanicillium lecanii, Beauveria bassiana or Paecilomyces fumosoroseus. Aphids may also be controlled by the release of natural enemies, in particular lady beetles and parasitic wasps. However, since adult lady beetles tend to fly away within 48 hours after release, without laying eggs, it requires repeated application of large numbers of lady beetles to be effective. For example, one large, heavily infested rose bush may take two applications of 1500 beetles each. In reality the only cost effective situation in which mass release of natural enemies makes sense is in closed or semi closed environments such as glasshouses or polytunnels.

This post is also part of the Friday Greens meme.

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FFF185 - DRYANDRA

Banksia ser. Dryandra is a series of 94 species of shrub to small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It was considered a separate genus named Dryandra until early 2007, when it was merged into Banksia on the basis of extensive molecular and morphological evidence that Banksia was paraphyletic with respect to Dryandra.

They are found only in the southwestern corner of Western Australia. They have never been popular among gardeners among the rest of Australia due to the plants' dislike of the humid and subtropical conditions which dominate the east coast. Endemic to Western Australia, Dryandra occurs virtually throughout the South West Botanic Province, and also, to a much lesser degree, in southwest parts of the Eremaean Province.

The series was named in honour of Swedish botanist Jonas C. Dryander. They are arguably among the most attractive and showy of all members of Proteaceae. Banksia ser. Dryandra species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the Dryandra Moth.

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