Cutting Podocarpus today for the Podocarpaceae Plant Heritage exhibit at Hampton Court. About 60 vases of different Podocarpus species, hybrids and related species.
Jaimie found a late birds’ nest in one. In another in the Rockery a snake had used the trunk and branches to assist it with shedding its skin.
birds’ nest
snakesnake
Then off to Tregrehan to collect more for the exhibit from Tom Hudson.
Tom had cut some flowers of Manglietia chingii (also called M. conifera) and now renamed Magnolia conifera. They last only a couple of days and even less in this strong warm east wind. The three outer sepals recurve as, it would seem, in all Manglietia.
Manglietia chingiiManglietia chingii
The shrubby Styrax limprichtii full out. A rare species which we have yet to add to our collection. Shrubby and suckering like Styrax wilsonii.
Squirrels have taken a liking to Tom’s Rehderodendron macrocarpum and done untold damage much earlier in the year than you would expect ‘tree rat’ attacks like this.
Manglietia yuyuanensis at about 30ft with flowers at the top.
Manglietia yuyuanensisManglietia yuyuanensis
Manglietia yuyuanensisManglietia yuyuanensis
Manglietia duclouxii (Magnolia duclouxii) with white flowers turning yellow. Another new one to us with three outer recurving sepals or are these tepals?
Manglietia duclouxiiManglietia duclouxii
Manglietia duclouxiiManglietia duclouxii
Tom cutting Halocarpus kirkii (Dacrydium kirkii) for the Podocarpus exhibit.
Halocarpus kirkiiHalocarpus kirkii
Parakmeria lotungensis (a magnolia relative or a true magnolia species similar to M. nitida?) in flower. This has died on us. ‘Magnolias of China’ lists both M. nitida and M. lotungensis as species of Parakmeria which only adds to the confusion!
Parakmeria lotungensisParakmeria lotungensis
Derrecks (cattle) shed is a prominent landscape feature especially when viewed from the sea. Natural England want it maintained but a recent storm has done for the roof and a new one is going on. The walls are out of line and have moved after buffeting by the wind so a steel ring beam now has to go all round the top before we start on the roof.
Derrecks (cattle) shed
2018 – CHW
The Cornish hedgerows are looking so wonderful that I stopped on the way to Burncoose to pick out a few things that we may well grow in our gardens but which are actually wild or native hedgerow plants originally.Lonicera periclymenum (common honeysuckle) has white to yellow flowers flushed red on occasion. Very fragrant and variable in form as you see here. Every garden centre sells this!
Lonicera periclymenumLonicera periclymenum
A blue fescue of some sort. I photographed this last year in the Isle of Wight but nothing like the 5ft tall it is here.
blue fescue
Rosa canina, the dog rose, is full out everywhere. Here a pink form.
Rosa caninaRosa canina
The more common form (here at least) of R. canina is white. The forms I see in Durham hedgerows have larger flowers than these.
Rosa caninaRosa canina
What a joy it is to see the hedgerows uncut until (now) August by law. The tourists grumble about scratches to their cars in narrow lanes but the plants are winning, seeding and adding to ‘diversity’. A popular word amongst liberal thinkers on the left but in a hedgerow context it actually means something.
2017 – CHW
Compare Tropaeolum ciliatum to Tropaeolum speciosum seen recently. This plant has been flowering since March and never died down over winter unlike speciosum. Wonderful value and one which Asia needs to propagate from seeds or cuttings soon. A welcome addition to the Burncoose catalogue. I wonder if we can obtain any other hardy tropaeolum varieties?
Tropaeolum ciliatumTropaeolum ciliatum
The old fashioned alstromeria which has grown, seeded and suckered itself in several borders.
alstromeriaalstromeria
Fuchsia exorticatica still has an odd flower left but the seed pods are swelling. People often ask us at shows ‘how long a plant flower for’? They are often disappointed in the reality of three weeks or less in hot weather. This plant has been in flower for at least five months since well before the leaves first emerged. Good value!
Fuchsia exorticatica
2016 – CHW
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Overton’ has a huge flower on the top wall.
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Overton’
Styrax wilsonii is just going over in the greenhouse. These are replacement plants for this species which died out some years ago outside the back yard.
Styrax wilsonii
Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’ has wonderful dark foliage and large flowers with just a hint of pink. This is the first time I have seen this new variety in flower although only one flower left.
Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ is well worth its place and much earlier into flower than the commoner white form.
Styrax japonicus ‘Snowcap’ was only planted this year but is already performing well. The flowers protrude out and are far more visible than on a normal S japonicus.
A maddenia rhododendron with huge white flowers which I have never seen before above Orchid House Nursery.
maddenia rhododendron with huge white flowersmaddenia rhododendron with huge white flowers
Echinops battanicus has survived in this border for at least 50 years.
Echinops battanicusEchinops battanicus
2015 – CHW
Rhododendrons dying
A little rain yesterday after a very dry month. The first rhododendrons are responding to it being dry by dying but it may just be honeyfungus which strikes at this time of the year.
Magnolia seed podsMagnolia seed pods
The only goodish news is that several magnolias are, as a result of the dry spell, shedding their seed pods and will not be wasting energy producing huge seeds this autumn. Soon we hope to see next year’s buds appearing instead.
There is much talk about second flowerings of magnolias in September but I can find several very late stunted flowers on a Magnolia dawsoniana seedling beyond the Rockery. This was full out in late April. The stunted flowers are a much darker colour and right on the extremities of the branches.
Magnolia dawsonianaMagnolia dawsoniana
1992 – FJW
First gossamer of rain since June 3rd. It has not been so hot as 1976 but the signs do not look good – bad weather has been hitting north north Scotland and the Mediterranean – newly planted stuff suffering.1989 – FJW
With Philip near recently dead Rho loderi, saw tree magnolias coming up in the wild.
1932 – JCW
Just as in 1928. Some goodish azaleas, a goodish double pink of Antony is extra good. The big Mag parviflora is extraordinary and many hundreds of flowers are open.
1928 – JCW
Moyesi set of roses nearly over. Maddeni is good and so Arborescens, Styrax, roses in the 3 beds and American Pillar.
1912 – JCW
First crop of roses is over, Arums nice, Escallonia langleyense and the late Wilson Fortunei’s are the best things open. Some Azaleas in the Beech Walk are well out. Has been a wet month.
