22nd November

…– CHW Two cherry trees by the sales point are superb today. Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (‘Chocolate Ice’). Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (‘Chocolate Ice’) Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (‘Chocolate Ice’) Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (‘Chocolate Ice’) Prunus ‘Ichiyo’…

25th April

…utilis ‘Wakehurst Place Chocolate’ (Wakehurst Chocolate is easier) is another good new birch variety. The bark will become better but it isn’t bad now. Betula utilis ‘Wakehurst Place Chocolate’ Betula…

13th April

…of the bunch. Certainly a great contrast between leaf and flower as the name implies. Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (syn ‘Chocolate Ice’) Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (syn ‘Chocolate Ice’) Prunus ‘Matsumae-fuki’ (syn ‘Chocolate Ice’)…

RHS Savill Garden Pictures 2018

…Betula utilis var prattii ‘Wakehurst Chocolate’ – extremely fine peeling bark Betula utilis var prattii ‘Wakehurst Chocolate’ Betula utilis var prattii ‘Wakehurst Chocolate’ Betula utilis var prattii ‘Wakehurst Chocolate’ Prunus…

11th August

…aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’ (one dead, one will be dead shortly and the third struggling) is in too hot a position. We need more shade to grow this beautiful variety properly….

19th April

…the majority of the other evergreen azaleas. Azalea ‘Greenway’ Prunus ‘Chocolate Ice’ (let us forget the Japanese name here) living up to its name perfectly. Prunus ‘Chocolate Ice’ Prunus ‘Chocolate

30th June

‘Chocolate Fascination’ is new to us this year and our first sight of the pale pinkish flower spikes above the dark blackish leaves. Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’ Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’ Paeonia…

1st March 1897 – 2020

…few new plants in the 2017 catalogue.Corydalis ‘Chocolate Stars’ is only just starting to reshoot but the leaves really are a delicate brown. Corydalis ‘Chocolate Stars’ Corydalis ‘Chocolate Stars’ Corylopsis…

22nd April

‘Hot Flash’ in the walled garden. Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ The very dark red Camellia ‘Night Rider’ which also grows at Burncoose. Here a huge bush near the…

17th August

…in error in previous years. Hedychium yunnanense Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’ – only 1 of 3 has survived the two droughts and is now making headway. Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’…

1st December

…great in a granite trough outside the estate office as well. Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ The first yellow flowers are just out on the…

20th April

…(now 17) too. Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ A wild self sown clump of Primula pulverulenta in a damp spot where little else will grow despite several attempts. Primula…

6th May

…has perhaps taken 15 years for the point to be made though. Rhododendron ‘Hotei’ Rhododendron ‘Hotei’ Rhododendron ‘Hotei’ Rhododendron ‘Hotei’ A clump of Rhododendron ‘Halfdan Lem’ nearby are a splendid…

18th July

…worth propagating. Podocarpus ‘Chameleon’ Podocarpus ‘Chocolate Box’ is a rockery plant really. Two casualties out of five planted. Podocarpus ‘Chocolate Box’ Podocarpus ‘Red Embers’ doing little red or emberish at…

27th April

…somewhere before but did not know the name. This is Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Jean O’Neil’ This is Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Jean O’Neil’ Prunus ‘Chocolate Ice’ with its contrasting bronzy new growth by…

22nd May

…‘Beelicious Pink’ Salvia x jamensis ‘Belle de Loire’. Salvia x jamensis ‘Belle de Loire’ Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume White’. Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume White’ Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume White’ Cosmos atrosanguineus ‘Cherry Chocolate’…

16th October

…in flower – no prickles on the leaves! Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’ Toona sinensis ‘Flamingo’ with nice yellow colouring starting to show. Toona sinensis ‘Flamingo’ Albizia ‘Summer Chocolate’ Albizia ‘Summer…

10th April

…‘Kusious’. Magnolia ‘Kusious’ Magnolia ‘Kusious’ Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ (M. x brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’ x M. ‘Elizabeth’). Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ Magnolia ‘String of Pearls’. Magnolia ‘String of Pearls’ Magnolia…

2nd April

…Pants’ rather than Hot Lips] Magnolia ‘Hot Lips’ Magnolia ‘Hot Lips’ Magnolia ‘Hot Lips’ Magnolia ‘Hot Lips’ We have older plants of Magnolia ‘Joe McDaniel’ but it is good to…

20th February

…Hydrangea chinensis – from Taiwan Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’ Deutzia purpurascens – variable – ours purple Deutzia longifolia – pink or white flowers Indigofera pendula ‘Shangri La’ – AGM –…