2nd May

…is damp and overcast but the garden is not! Magnolia x veitchii ‘Peter Veitch’ still has a few flowers out low down on this enormous tree. Magnolia x veitchii ‘Peter

13th February 1897 – 2020

…‘Sir Peter Smithers’ Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’ Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ – OUTSTANDING and a huge flower Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ Daphne bholua ‘Garden House…

3rd August

…a very good sky blue – medium-tall growing. Agapanthus ‘Sandringham’ Agapanthus ‘Sandringham’ Agapanthus ‘Bressingham Blue’ – taller growing and very floriferous. Not quite as dark as Agapanthus ‘Navy Blue’? Agapanthus…

24th July

…to the ground and reseeded each year. wild flower meadow wild flower meadow Eryngium bourgatii ‘Picos Blue’ very fine. Eryngium bourgatii ‘Picos Blue’ Agapanthus ‘Royal Velvet’ and Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’….

14th February 1897 – 2020

…be that this is a pot and kettle labelling situation Sir Peter? Magnolia ‘Peter Smithers’ Magnolia ‘Peter Smithers’ The first magnolia to show from afar above the castle. from afar…

7th April

…White and blue Spanish bluebells. Spanish bluebells Azalea ‘Amoena’ racing out on the drive. Azalea ‘Amoena’ I stop to bemoan the premature end of Prunus ‘Shirotae’ as a result of…

25th July

…‘Eureka Blue’ Geranium ‘Eureka Blue’ Geranium ‘Dusky Rose’ – groundcover with dark leaves. Geranium ‘Dusky Rose’ Geranium ‘Dusky Rose’ Geranium ‘Blue Sunrise’ – blue at first fading quickly. Geranium ‘Blue

28th February

…and bud today on Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’. Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ The Magnolia campbellii seedling above Crinodendron Hedge is the best magnolia display by far today in the…

11th March 1897 – 2020

…dallii Pittosporum dallii Pittosporum dallii Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’ would make an easy spring bulb pot sale with little effort. Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’ Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’ Chionodoxa forbesii…

27th July

…in full flower. Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ Hydrangea ‘Fireworks Blue’ excellent on the drive. Hydrangea ‘Fireworks Blue’ Hydrangea ‘Sunset’ looking good down opposite the lodge. Hydrangea ‘Sunset’ Hydrangea ‘Selma’ quite…

17th February

…early and sometimes ahead of the other magnolias we have already seen in flower. Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ Camellia ‘Salutation’ (C. reticulata x C. saluenensis) was raised at…

15th September

…flower growing up through his Magnolia doltsopa! Quite a sight! He wants to propagate Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ and we are doing so. Peter Shotter’s – Lapageria rosea Peter Shotter’s –…

21st April

…but have failed miserably up to now. Blue-green young foliage and tiny rockery plants really which I believe have now been reclassified as rhododendrons. Menziesia ‘Honshu Blue’ Menziesia ‘Honshu Blue’…

6th July

…fraseri ‘Magical Volcano’ Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Heavenly Blue’ is an evergreen sub-shrub unlike the other herbaceous penstemons. Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Heavenly Blue’ Geranium pratense ‘Delft Blue’ Geranium pratense ‘Delft Blue’ Salvia ‘Purple…

26th April

…most tender plants. Podocarpus elongatus ‘Blue Chip’ Podocarpus elongatus ‘Blue Chip’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Hattie Carthan’ is just coming out. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Hattie Carthan’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Hattie Carthan’…

17th April

…clump of narcissus on Hovel Cart Road. Perhaps Narcissus x intermedius? narcissus Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ – blue and yellow work well together here. Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’…

30th January 1897 – 2020

…lovely. Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’ Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’ Daphne bholua ‘Peter Smithers’ Daphne bholua ‘Peter Smithers’ Daphne bholua ‘Peter Smithers’ Daphne bholua ‘Perfume Princess’ Daphne bholua ‘Perfume Princess’ Daphne…

14th February

…The Magnolia campbellii by Tin Garden today. Magnolia campbellii Magnolia campbellii First flowers out on Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’. Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ A Magnolia campbellii Alba seedling that…

17th December

Next Day >< Previous Day CONTRIBUTORS: FJW 1955-2007 CHW 2015- JCW 1897-1939 CW 1940-1955 2024 – CHW Last week Lizzie and I attended Peter Bickford-Smith’s funeral at Stithians Methodist Church….

22nd July

blue and white picotee edging Hydrangea ‘St Clare’ Hydrangea ‘St Clare’ Hydrangea ‘Taube’ – easily the best blue lacecap HYDRANGEA ‘Taube’ HYDRANGEA ‘Taube’ Hydrangea ‘Fireworks blue’ – very floriferous and…