Flower Loving Insects – Insect Loving Flowers
Schefflera Indoor Umbrellas
 Schefflera arboricola, known as the “dwarf umbrella tree,†has small green leaflets attached to stout petioles. Indoors it will have a mature height of 3 to 4 feet.
Schefflera arebold make good individual plants as indoor specimens in large decorative containers. The palmate leaves have 5 to 9 finger leaves from a central stalk.
Schefflera actinophylla can grow to heights of 8 to 10 feet inside and up to 40 feet outside in very warm climates. As well as being called the ‘octopus plant’ it also shares the common name of umbrella plant. For a 4th name it is sometimes botanically named Brassiaia actinophylla.
Where to Grow Schefflera Indoor Umbrellas
- To keep the umbrella tree happy reasonable warmth of 15-20 degrees C is best.
- Through winter the temperature should be at least 10-13 degrees C
- A lightly shaded location is best. Bi-coloured leaves look best with some sun.
- Avoid very sunny or dark locations.
- Use a robust potting mix containing some loam to feed the plant for a number of years. Fertilise in summer during growth.
- The larger the plant the more water it needs.
Black Aphids on my Dahlias
These little breeders have been having a banquet on some of my Dahlias. They go for the soft new shoots and nascent flower stems which must be easy to get their teeth into. For some reason they have been quite selective on the plants they choose (As has been the spray I have used in a prophylactic manner). I hope the rest of the summer is black fly free but you never know.
Why are Black Fly Bad News
- Black fly aphids or thrips are common sap-sucking insects.Â
- They are unsightly and look like they can do serious damage to plants.
- As sap sucking insects they can create a lack of vigour and damage growth.
- Insect secretions can go mouldy and add further problems to the dahlias
- In severe cases viruses can be transferred to plants by these insects.
Lulled into a false sense of security by the low level of greenfly around my garden I wasn’t expecting black fly. I only left my dahlias alone for a few days and the flies multiplied like rabbits. I am on a more frequent look out patrol now. The muggy weather is one reason for the outbreak of black fly.
Reviving Parched Indoor Plants
Dried out plants can become distressed and look to be in terminal decline through lack of water. They may wilt and the leaves drop off or go crispy.
Tips to Revive Dried Out Plants.
- Getting water to the roots of the plant will provide a chance of reversing the dehydration.
- It may pay to loosen the soil at the top of the pot so the water can permeate to the roots.
- Soak the pot in a bucket of water up to the rim of the pot. Leave it to soak through, it will take longer on a large pot.
- If the plant is really parched spray the leaves with tepid water.
- Place a saucer under the plant to catch excess water. I use ‘clay granules in the saucer to help create humidity.
- It may need drastic surgery on badly dried up stems and leaves. A little judicious pruning may relieve the need for the plant to repair all the damage at once.
Other Related Care Issues
- Move plants away from fierce sunshine. Keep them away from windows or with some shade while they recover.
- Do not leave plants in a draft which leeches moisture from your plant.
- Pots that are full of roots are hard tpo water – where can the moisture be retained if the roots are in the way. Repot into a bigger pot with fresh soil.
- Take cuttings to rejuvenate a plant and be satisfied with a smaller offspring for a while.
- Put grit or a inorganic mulch on the top of your pot.
- Always consider the type of plant and the sort of watering regime needed. Both these African violets and Orchids need great care and to be allowed to drain after watering.
- Some plants die and there will be nothing much you can do but try again.
Grow Winter Aconite = Eranthis
Winter Aconite
- One of the earliest bulbs to bloom. They can be planted 2″ deep in August.
- They look particularly good in masses.
- They grow, flower and seed when light penetrates the bare branches of the trees above them. So they grow well in semi shade.
- Eranthis dry out very easily so keep moist.
- Â Winter Aconites dislike being moved and are best left to their own devices.
- Eranthis are part of the buttercup family.
Read more on gardeners tips
Conifer Corner in Poor Shallow Soil
There are 7 or 8 different conifers in this photo from a total of 16. The whole bed is roughly rectangular 6 yards by 5 yards. It has one unusual feature in that the soil is very shallow and poor.
The Beds Origin
- Originally the area was a tarmacked drive that was not used or needed. The answer should have been to dig it up, and almost one third of it was, but my tactical bad back intervened.
- The solution was to buy a large lorry load of top soil and make a hump of soil that we called our rockery. The drainage from the start was excellent.
- The depth was 1′ at the edges and may be 2′ in the middle. With a few rocks it looked like an alpine garden without the real height.
- Alpine enthusiasm waned after several years and some dwarf conifers were planted for coverage in the now compacted and impoverished soil.
- Little or no fertiliser has been used in 20 years but in dry summers there has been some occasional watering.
- Despite all this the conifers survive and the prostrate spreading junipers grow year on year.
- The rockery stones provide stepping off points.
- Some bulbs were planted but only grape hyacinths seem to have thrived. Patio roses succumb to black spot.
As was 10 years ago at the start of the conifer plantation era.
Comment
- Plants want to grow and will adapt to many conditions as this bed demonstrates
- Losses have been minimal and most conifers still seem happy.
- It remains to be seen how the roots of any shrub to be replaced will have grown through the tarmac and substrate. It may be hard to dig out but not as hard as clearing all the original tarmac in one go. The disposal of just a part was a job in it’s self.
- The lack of soil depth has turned the taller growing conifers into partial bonsai and all the better for that.
Overhead view of the same garden bed five years earlier.
Winter Moth Problems on Fruit Trees
Fruit trees can be a winter home for a range of female moths. Amongst them are woolly aphis and capsid bugs plus other pests that emerge from the ground. They crawl up fruit tree stems and trunks in October to lay their eggs. The caterpillars hatch in spring and feed on the foliage and fruit.
Prevention and Treatment
- To check the progress of these pests a barrier can be erected. Some fruit growers use a band of paper covered in tacky grease.
- Tubes of special grease are now available specially for older fruit trees with rough bark where grease bands are less effective as pests can crawl under the band. Alternatively the bark can be smoothed first.
- Winter moth and mottled umber moth need an application at the beginning of winter before adult female moths climb trees to lay eggs. Apply again in summer to protect against ant infestations.
- Rentokill call their product ‘Glue Bands’.
- Grease any support stakes and low hanging branches.
Other Tips
- Fix the grease band 1 ft below the lowest branch. Paint the stem with lime wash above the grease band.
- Reapply after 2-3 months or renew the grease effect.
- Also suitable for ornamental trees that are susceptible to infestation.
- Keep bands free of dead leaves.
Chionodoxa Bulbs to Plant in August
Chionodoxa
- Chionodoxa or Glory of the snow are hardy, early flowering bulbs to plant before the end of August.The bulbs appreciate a bit of warmth to get going.
- Chionodoxa grow 6-8″ high and thrive in ordinary soil .
- Plant 2-3″ deep in rockeries or borders.
- Alternatively plant closely in a pot of loam. Keep in a cold frame until growth is visible the take into a greenhouse or windowsill for a good display of bright blue flowers.
- Water regularly after the emerging of foliage until the leaves die.
For the specialist there are a dozen different varieties to investigate and grow. Potentially the basis of a fine collection. See more detail and a list of species here
Chionodoxa need water in the spring so if the ground is dry
Lily Ponds Starting to Look Good
July is the season to look out for mature lilies in older ponds. There is nothing to beat the calming influence of a white lily on a pond of still water. Of course not all ponds are and remain tranquil. This smaller pond on Filey cliff tops acts as an advertising hoarding for ice cream. Who invented ice cream for dogs? It is already enough to encourage kids to splash in the pond never mind dogs.
 Waterlily Tips
- Waterlilies need a position in full sun to flower at their best.
- Waterlilies need calm, still water. Warm water and light provide the best conditions.
- Even deep varieties can’t grow when the water is more than 5 feet deep. Most varieties grow happily in 3 to 4 ft of water if allowed time to establish.
- Waterlilies are best planted from late spring to mid-summer.
Lily Pond Tips
- Do not allow trees to over hang a pond
- Keep fountains and running water away from lilies as they do not like disturbance or flowing water
- A base of natural clay and silt are the best medium into which you plant lilies
- Read Gardeners Tips
- Aim for a minimum two thirds water to one third water lily and you will get the best reflections.
Burnby Hall Yorkshire (above) has two magnificent lakes holding a national collection of Water Lilies.
Looking for the Unusual
Visual nature can be found all around in your garden, local park or field. Keep a look out for interesting or unusual shapes, patterns and textures and take a camera around with you. I like the contorted Hazel branches that weave their own pattern.
This log in parkland had an amazing pattern created by the symmetry of the old bark. The teeth shapes remind me of cogs on a rustic wheel. …