One of the most spectacular archaeophytes of Malta, introduced in ancient times, is the Carob Tree, with its dome-like canopy providing a shady refuge for both wildlife and humans all year round. After these autumn rains it is not only the visual landscape which changes around us, but even the olfactory one as flowering male...
Enter Autumn! (or so we hope…for the sake of all farmers, all wildlife and all gardens in need of some rest from the heat…) The Autumn Squill is the miniature equivalent of the Sea Squill we introduced last August as our plant of the month. This tiny indigenous flower of less than a cm is...
Alongside the Sea Squill (featured in August) the Ground Thistle is one of the only species to flower boldly at this time of year. Its first signs of life come as quite a surprise in the form of a bright pink flower emerging from the drab landscape and dried up foliage from the preceding season....
August is one of the toughest months for all wildlife and few plants have the resilience to survive the scorching heat and drought of the Maltese dry season. Annual species usually complete their life cycle before the heat while perennials adopt extreme strategies such as by having tiny but tough leaves, by going dormant in...
Win a bee hotel or get a free tote bag! Would you like to help us save bees and ecosystems while having the chance of winning a bee hotel for your own home or office?Over the past months Friends of the Earth Malta has been circulating the petition (read more here) as part of a...
Purple and lilac are once again the colours of this month’s featured flower thanks to the spectacular blooming of the Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) which occasionally has pinkish lighter flowers. Known with various names in both Maltese (Għadiba, Bżar tal-Patrijiet) and English (Chasteberry, Monk’s Peppers) this deciduous Mediterranean species is one of the only indigenous...
The purple reign is here – as the saying goes … it’s time for thyme! The Mediterranean Thyme (MT: Sagħtar) Thymbra capitata is a hardy low growing and aromatic shrub protected by law but not from the relentless winds and long droughts which dominate its preferred habitat. The expanses of garigue have by now dried up...
One can feel that Heaven is here on Earth, especially when we look at and consciously connect with Nature and its immense complexity and intelligence. Many of us who practise permaculture or organic gardening have known for a long time that being in Nature is healing and lifting the Spirit. Just this last year researchers from...
