Indian Bean Tree – Vivid Golden Yellow Foliage

The Indian Bean Tree, actually native of the Southeastern USA, is a popular tree to grow in temperate climates where it is reasonably hardy and requires little attention. Now grown across the UK and Europe due to its striking nature of vivid green heart-shaped leaves with a tinge of purple. It later on in the season produces clusters of white flowers and then long slender pods that are like beans. However, non of this is edible as is the case even in plants belonging to the Fabaceae family that contains both edible peas and beans and highly toxic plants. So only eat what you know to be safe.

The Indian Bean Tree, Catalpa, is part of the Bignoniaceae family known for its Trumpet Vines. The variation popular in the UK is the Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’, that has golden yellow foliage. In the US it can attract the catalpa sphinx moth that can strip its leaves bare. In the UK, I have found the young and tender leaves susceptible to blackfly aphids that will need controlling. Later in the summer it can suffer from powdery mildew if the air is very humid in an enclosed space. Removing the worst affected leaves keeps the plant looking healthy. The plant can put on strong growth upwards that makes it a little top heavy while the trunk may not keep up. So in the early years support is required in windy conditions.

5 Key Reasons for Growing Indian Hawthorn
On a recent visit to St Julian’s in Malta, I came across a shrub that I was not familiar with. I am always looking around for plants, shrubs and trees that are attractive and unusual to me. This plant was used in the landscape gardening around our hotel and proved quite effective in that situation.

5 Reasons for Using Indian Hawthorn in Landscape Gardening.

Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) is an evergreen shrub that maintains glossy green foliage all year. In the spring it produces clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers, followed by dark berries in autumn. Hence, an interest plant all year round.

The plant is low maintenance. Indian hawthorn requires little care once established. It’s does not require much watering and will survive through a dry spell. It needs only occasional pruning to keep its bushy shape and thrives in a variety of soil types with good drainage.

The shrub can be fashioned into many uses and is a versatile plant. It can be used for hedges, borders, or as a stand-alone specimen in gardens, patios, and even grown in containers.

It is both heat and salt tolerant. When I think of the situation these plants were in, close by the salty Mediterranean waters that can, in autumn and winter be rough with salt water spray and punishing winds, and yet hot and arid in summer months. This plant can take some punishment.

The Indian Hawthorn can support the local ecology and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies that we so desperately need, and the berries provide food for the birds.

So, all in all, a good choice to fill a space with an attractive shrub that won’t take up much time and resources or need replacing every bad year.
Cabbage Tree Palm – Effective Exotic Looking Plant

The Cabbage Tree is a plant I often see feature in many gardens around me where the climate is mild and you find a sheltered sunny spot. Cordyline australis, commonly known as the cabbage tree, is a striking evergreen plant native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 20m and live for several centuries, but I mainly see it around 2 to 5m high.

Some people may consider the Cabbage Tree as a palm tree but there is another tree that is native of southeastern US that is known as the Cabbage Palm. Looks somewhat similar but is the Sabal palmetto. The Cabbage Tree may have multiple trunks that branch out into separate into multiple flowering heads and a crown of palm like leaves that are long, slender and sword like. In flower, the heads produce a cluster of small, creamy-white flowers. They are fragrant and in a fir tree like spike that can be up to 1m in length, beneath is the green new foliage and if left the brown faded remnants of the past year.
Musk Mallow – A stunner in the Flowering Meadow

The flowering meadows are in full swing and among the stand out plants I found was this Musk Mallow. The Mallow I normally see is the large shrub mallow often used in borders for height and width, the Malva arborea or Tree Marrow. This Mallow sits just above the grasses to produce a stunning flower head that stands out as a flower among flowers. The Musk Mallow is part of the mallow family (Malvaceae), and can be seen in meadows, hedgerows and by roadsides.

Musk Mallow Alba

The flowers emit a slight musky scent, hence the name. They are a perennial flowing plant that is native to Europe and Western Asia. Sometimes used for its culinary and medicinal use, best left to the experts. They certainly standout in wherever they can be found flowering. Some Musk Mallow naturally form a white flower, in this case identified as Malva moschata f. alba.
Garden Privet – Best for Garden Privacy

Garden privet continues to be the main choice for garden hedging when privacy is desired. It is an attractive option with its small oval shaped leaves and light structure that allows it to be shaped from the ground up. Very versatile, fast growing and resilient plant that can be trimmed and pruned when necessary to keep its shape and look attractive all year round. Semi-evergreen, depending on conditions, it provides a thick screen once established and well maintained. In early summer it will produce a display of small white fragrant flowers and small black berries in the autumn.

Wild Privet vs Garden Privet

The garden privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium, oval-leaf privet, native of Korea and Japan, has oval shaped leaves with better coverage and may stay green longer. Wild privet, Ligustrum vulgare, native to Europe, has narrower, longer leaves but is less dense and not so good for hedges. Ligustrum is part of the oleaceae family or Olive family that includes plants such as Lilac. Privet looks like a miniature Lilac. Like much of the family, it requires a sunny, well-drained site but will tolerate a dryer, partial shade.
Veronica brachysiphon – Hebe from New Zealand

Veronica brachysiphon is a shrub that is endemic in New Zealand but making its way across the planet to be found in gardens, like UK. It is part of the Plantaginaceae family that includes Antirrhinums and Fox Gloves among many more species. Common name is Hookers Hebe after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Loved by the Bees

The Bees were very active on this flowering shrub. It thrives on well drained soil and can tolerate a wide range of situations.
Cape Fuchsia – Keeps Coming Back

Cape Fuchsia is a plant that thrives in my area where it is protected from the harsh elements. It not only keeps coming back but tries to spread out using suckers that spread along the surface producing their own roots it not trimmed back. Although it flowers well the flowers don’t last long in the heat we are seeing at the moment. Of course it is not a Fuchsia, nor closely related, but does have some resemblance. It also sits well along side my perennial Fuchsias.

Known scientifically as Phygelius, this particular variant is the Phygelius aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’. It is a member of the Scrophulariaceae family. The Scrophulariaceae family has at least 2 other members that work well for me, Buddleja and Namesia. Although, to be fair they will grow almost anywhere. The shrub maintains a tidy look throughout the season but needs some pruning in the autumn to keep it at its best and not spreading out of control.