Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (yellow form) at its best.

Rookery Path laurel all pruned and tidied.

First flower on Rhododendron arboreum subsp. cinnamomeum.

A week on and Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ is progressing well with no frost damage.

Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ now at its best a month too late.

Early garlic shooting in the Auklandii Garden.

Plenty of early and scattered individual flowers as usual on Azalea ‘Hinomayo’.

2021 – CHW
Underneath a few elderly and moss covered oak trees something is pecking off chunks of moss and leaving a carpet under the tree. It is happening and being added to daily. Even after a night of rain there are fresh bits on the ground. Is this pigeons looking for grubs in the moss, jackdaws looking for early nesting materials or squirrels doing either or both of these?

Still prominent seed heads on Stewartia pteropetiolata.

A good set of well rooted layers of Rhododendron falconeri soon to be moved to a new location nearby to grow on.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Aurea’ is a wonderful windbreak and attractive with the sun catching the top of this bulging multi stemmed ‘feathery’ small tree.

Three snakebark maple stems in the late January sun. All planted in 2007.

Acer rufinerve?

Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’

Acer tegmentosum has an ominous black fungal circle near its base and will shortly be another casualty to go with several others. Enjoy the bark while you can.

Then to the 1950s clumps of my father’s Camellia x williamsii hybrids. His near white one is not out yet. I am not sure of a name for this but it is between ‘Donation’ and ‘Caerhays’ in flower form. Tucked away out of sight but most floriferous and impressive today. Worth naming or has it already been? To research. Similar to ‘Gwarvas’ perhaps?

The next one has leaves which suggest a cross with a small leaved species (sasanqua?). Nothing that special but a large flower which is light pink.

Amid a hailstorm a brief glimpse of Rhododendron arboreum subsp. delavayi.

2020 – CHW
Over the course of the last four months I have regularly photographed the seed heads on Magnolia rostrata which was planted in 1999. In previous years the seed heads looked to be developing but turned out to be sterile with no actual seeds in them when they fell. This year is rather different as you can see. Probably the result of two dry summers and now a multitude of seeds emerging from each seed head. The seeds are a dull orange in colour and very tightly packed; quite different to the colour of ripe Magnolia campbellii or Magnolia mollicomata seeds. They are also thin and flattened, not rounded like most other magnolia seeds. Something for Asia to have a go at now.

2019 – CHW
More trees down into the road by Battery Walk after a strong northerly gale and a bit of a rush to clear them so the school bus can get past.

2018 – CHW
First colour on Magnolia ‘Todds Fortyniner’ above the greenhouse. Not quite the first out this year unlike the last two years.

Camellia ‘California Sunset’ flowering for the first time with us. Planted two years ago and imported from France. An odd name for a camellia flowering in January but quite a nice large flower. Huge central stamens.

2016 – CHW
Frost has caught what I thought from a distance was another Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ which was full out. According to the 2008 planting plan it is an FJW hybrid between decorum and ‘Winter Intruder’ which seems improbable. Only one of the three in the clump is out and I do not think we have ever seen this one in flower before. Nothing to write home about anyway.