4th September

…the half dozen new species of crataegus to produce berries since planted two years ago. Crataegus schraderiana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus schraderiana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus schraderiana ‘Fire Ball’ Sorbus japonica with…

29th December

…planted in 2007. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Gum Ball’ Hilliers says that ‘Oconee’ has better colours that ‘Gum Ball’. This evidence would suggest the reverse. Interestingly ‘Red Star’ lost its leaves weeks…

25th April

…utilis ‘Wakehurst Place Chocolate’ Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ just coming out into flower. Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Aralia foliosa is also newly planted with a very…

15th June

…Caerhays flower festival “Warleggan’s Bank” with coins and yellow lilies. “Warleggan’s Bank” “Warleggan’s Bank” ‘Grand Ball’ – Shasta daisies and Veronicastrum I think in the centre. ‘Grand Ball’ ‘Grand Ball’…

25th August

ball layers aerial ball layers A secondary flower on Magnolia ‘Sundance’ on Burns Bank. The first time this has had an autumn flower. It is similar to the spring ones…

31st August

…acorns. Quercus acuta Crataegus combyi now fully ripe and splendid in the sun. Crataegus combyi Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ likewise. Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus laevigata…

16th August

…already. Aronia melanocarpa ‘Autumn Magic’ A drought struck specimen box ball and a survivor! Such is life in a heatwave. These box balls brought in a lorry from overseas by…

3rd December

…here are nice yellow tints. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Gum Ball’ This is Liquidambar styracifolia ‘Oconee’, which has a very similar habit to ‘Gum Ball’ but, here, has coloured up rather better…

21st October

…dense shrubby habit and rounded ball like habit. Does best in full sun as here. Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Oconee’ Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Oconee’ Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Oconee’ Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Gumball’ (‘Gum Ball’) has…

25th September

…the pheasants are enjoying. Prunus laurocerasus A good show of berries on several species of Crataegus:- Crataegus wattiana – already shrivelling and over Crataegus wattiana Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ –…

20th September

…bush. Salix moupinense Salix moupinense Salix moupinense Crataegus ellwangeriania ‘Fire Ball’ was a gift from Bluebell Nursery. Its fruits are now fully ripe. Enormous for a thorn tree and this…

8th August

…Crataegus combyi Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ A group of Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’ which are now 8-10ft tall. Only one of them is flowering properly and,…

3rd August

…We used to stock other dwarf sisyrinchium. Sisyrinchium ‘E K Balls’ Sisyrinchium ‘E K Balls’ Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Fat Domino’ – a very striking red and not insipid like some of…

20th July

…well for the first time. Crataegus wattiana Crataegus wattiana Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ Crataegus combyi – first fruits with us. Crataegus combyi Crataegus aprica Crataegus aprica…

10th May

…flower. Rhododendron prunifolium by the 4-in-Hand. Rhododendron prunifolium The very last flower on Camellia saluenensis – a 6 month flowering season. Camellia saluenensis Malus ‘Butterball’. Malus ‘Butterball’ Malus ‘Butterball’ Malus…

12th April

…the contractor to move it! The fish channel is clearly set too high and unusable by fish as well so all in all a total ‘balls up’. We had put…

22nd April

…twig into the (still wet) moss ball. In another season we may have success. Our Irish friends told us that aerial layers took only a few months. Irish optimism! Our…

19th July

…have struggled with 3-4mbs of broadband speed. We may now have a solution which will not cost nearly as much as the alternatives if BT play ball.Pterocarya fraxinifolia is developing…

21st July

…like Isoplexis as does the flower. A completely new species to me which is a shrubby plant. Digitalis sceptrum Digitalis sceptrum Sorbus zahlbruckneri with fruit. The root ball on this…

6th January

…zahlbruckneri are now ripe and the leaves shrivelled or gone. On arrival from Holland 2 or 3 years ago the plant had a broken root ball but has fully recovered…