…and better. Magnolia ‘Aphrodite’ Magnolia ‘Aphrodite’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ is excellent too but, as yet, unnamed. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’…

…‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ An elderly clump of Rhododendron loderi types which I had completely forgotten about and may have missed completely for years. Rhododendron loderi Rhododendron…

…Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ is very fine and black as it opens. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Another new one…

…Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ with its first flowers out above Crinodendron Hedge amid the Styrax species planting. Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ beside it. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black…

…light creamy white insides to the near black tepals. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Our largest Magnolia rostrata has flower buds showing pink very high up. This was given to…

…Marie’ x ‘Black Tulip’ has been out for a while now and the leaves are emerging. Paler than ‘Black Tulip’ as you would expect but with a rounded Black Tulip…

…in open woodland Edgeworthia chrysantha Edgeworthia chrysantha Sarcocca wallichii with huge black berries Sarcocca wallichii Sarcocca wallichii Nothofagus dombeyi trunk Nothofagus dombeyi Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black…

…black in bud. Camellia ‘Black Magic’ Camellia ‘Black Magic’ Magnolias tower over the woodland valley garden. The dark one may well be ‘Bishop Michael’. Magnolias Magnolias Magnolias Camellia ‘Fairy Wand’…

…Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ in the Rockery is one of the later evergreen azaleas to flower. The best very dark red? Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ This is Rhododendron reticulatum…

…of Littleworth’ at its best and now layered for posterity. Rhododendron ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ Rhododendron ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ Rhododendron cinnarbarinum subsp. xantocodon Purpurellum Group with a few flowers. This is…