Night Flowers

Several times we have been asked about flowers that flower in the night. Thinking about our own garden we can recommend the following. The names run ENGLISH, Spanish and Botanical as for all 400 plants described in ‘Your Garden in Spain’

LADY OF THE NIGHT, Galan de noche, Cestrum nocturnum. (See page 136 of ‘Your Garden in Spain)

This tall shrub or tree depending on what you buy and how you prune it has masses of small trumpet like flowers that pump out a heavy perfume during the evening and night. Plants are still available in garden centres – some in bud - so planted now you can experience the perfume on the remaining warm balmy nights this autumn.

JASMINE, Jasmin, Jazmin. (See page 142 of ‘Your Garden in Spain’)

The white jasmine will flower several times a year provided  you prune it after each flowering. Spaniards traditionally planted one by their entrance gate to give a welcome to any visitors and alongside evening eating places.

ORCHID CACTUS, Epiphyllum, Epiphylum oxypetalum. (See page 168 of ‘Your Garden in Spain)

This plant and it’s relation Epicactus flower intermittently but when they do the formation of the bid and final flowers are truly amazing although each flower lasts only twenty four hours. When the large buds start to turn erotically upwards and show signs of wanting to burst open ensure you eat  by it for the next few nights and watch open as you watch into a large exotic trumpet like flower. If you are lucky you might have several flowers opening the same evening on a mature plant.

MIRABILIS JALAPA, Flower of the night, San Diego de noche (See page 162 of ‘Your Garden in Spain’)

This perennial  bulbous rooted plant is normally grown from seed. Often you can obtain seeds from plants growing on unmade pavements in urbanisations or waste ground. The flowers on young plants are normally either pink yellow or white but they soon cross pollinate and within a year or two you will have plants with an amazing mix of flowers of all colours and colour combinations.

NEEM NAMES TO LOOK OUT FOR

Some readers still have problems in tracing Neem oil the most effective general and ecological insecticide we have found for the flower garden vegetable plot and orchard. We therefore list below the product/brand names and suppliers that we have come across. If readers know of any others please let us know via ‘Contact us’ on our website www.gardeninginspain.com .

Coferal – Kartaneem, Seipasa – Manem, Econatur – Organihum Neem, Trabe – Ain ,Meristem – Oleomer Quimicos, Menem- Neem, Trade Cop – Nimprotec, Codias – Olinim, TCB – Techmen and Agromed – Aceite de Neem.

Ask your local horticultural shop or agricultural cooperative to go through their catalogues or computer data base if you have problems. If you still draw a blank you can import excellent Neem oil inexpensively from Niem-Handel, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.niem-handel.com.

Just a reminder that Neem oil extracted from the seeds within the kernel of the fruit of the Neem tree Azadirachta indica . Unfortunately this tree does nor withstand temperatures below zero and needs rich sandy soil and constant tropical/subtropical conditions. If you live on a sheltered coastal are of Andalusia it would be possible. In commercial products Neem oil is often mixed with a safe emulsifier to make it easier to mix into water and spray from  a  hand or back sprayer.
Neem acts by a combination of the following on different families of insects.
As an anti-feedant , stops  growth and maturity, a repellent, reduces  sterility, stops them flying, disrupts sexual communications and upsets their guts.