A most unusual red ring in the bark of the dead Daphniphyllum macropodum on the drive which was cut down last week.

Tassel flowers on Acer negundo ‘Kelly’s Gold’. Not as long or good as Acer negundo var. violaceum.

Some species rhodos for the Aucklandii Garden.

The view from the Rookery towards the Magnolia × veitchii ‘Peter Veitch’.

The now empty nursery bed.

New growth on Photinia KR 10131 (ex-Tregrehan 2020) – not named.

Camellia trichocarpa finally out. It has been in bud for weeks.

The cut and grab machine has now nearly completed the laurel towards Bramble Field.

Magnolia ‘Lili Diva’ now full out.

Magnolia kobus ‘White Elegance’.

Magnolia ‘Amethyst’.

Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Serene’.

The label has been lost on this large cherry tree.

Flowers on the quick growing Lindera angustifolia.

Rhododendron ‘Turnstone’.

Rhododendron racemosum – white form.

2024 – CHW
Severe hail storms persist and the Spring Show will not be one of our best. If Easter weekend was not more of the same we might have a chance but the forecast remains dire.

A day too where I discover disasters in the garden.

Paulownia fortunei nicely out in Tin Garden.

Magnolia stellata ‘Jane Platt’.

This is labelled Pittosporum anomalum ‘Raven’ but it looks more like a Melicytus species with its tiny white flowers? I need to ask the donor. I do not know P. anomalum.

The Styrax area uplifting has been carried out very expertly by Jaimie & Michael.

Stachyurus macrocarpus (BSWJ 14678) is now rather splendid.

Our largest Magnolia nitida appears to have died. An iconic Record Tree from an original Forrest collection. Jaimie said it was defoliating a month ago but now virtually leafless with just two flowers. The odd green shoot from the stem so it might yet put on new growth again. Michelia do drop their old leaves after flowering but I have not seen M. nitida do this before. What is the cause? Old age – perhaps? Dry summers – more likely perhaps? A very cold east wind caught other evergreens about this time last spring and this may be a delayed reaction? We have one other decent big plant and a couple of youngsters which are now getting going. Jaimie says he did once see a total defoliation like this.

You wait years for these young Rhododendron sinogrande to actually flower and, as here, they disappoint.

Stachyurus chinensis on the Main Ride is also 80% dead but this was expected. The plant is 40 years old, has over-flowered and over-seeded for decades, and has now run its term.

2023 – CHW
A tour with Geraint Richards, Richard Trant and Barcham Nurseries who gave us an Aesculus indica.Magnolia ‘Genie’ just out.

Then a torrential downpour of biblical proportions so photography had to wait.

First Spanish bluebells out in flower. I spotted a few violets just out beside them.

Magnolia ‘Apollo’ on the drive a bit battered by the heavy rain.

Beside it a young Magnolia ‘ Cleopatra’ with slightly darker colours than the one in Kennel Close.

Camellia reticulata ‘Fee de L’Aulne’.

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’ a bit bedraggled now after the rain.

Camellia ‘Optima’ by the side door with just small flecks of pink.

2022 – CHW

On a visit to the nursery it was good to see that we are now only selling peat free compost.

Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Schmetterling’ in the nursery.

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’ has a little pink to it when first out in the tunnels.

Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’ was new to the catalogue last year.

New this year is Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’ with a sensational leaf/flower contrast.

Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’ in flower.

Magnolia ‘Sentinel’ making a decent tree.

Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’

The first flowering of Magnolia ‘Toro’.

2021 – CHW
I have been trying to name the seven ancient Camellia japonicas growing on the walls outside the back yard and along under the Stable Flat referring back to what is listed in the James Veitch & Sons 1892 catalogue of camellias. These plants have been pruned many times over the last century and probably arrived here in 1902 from Reuthes nursery as part of a large batch. Sadly, no individual names were recorded.The first has been called (by Philip Tregunna) Camellia ‘Mathotiana’ (syn. Mathotiana Rubra). It is a late season flowerer as it should be. The flowers are variable in shape which is also true of what I am looking at here. It is in the 1892 catalogue and ties in with modern reference books (nearest rubbish bins).

The second might well be Camellia ‘Mathotiana Rosea’ which was bred by the Veitch nursery in 1874 (touching the right of the arch facing in).

The third one is a semi double white with crimson flecking which might be the one on the Veitch lists called Camellia ‘Duchess d’Orleans’ (today known as ‘Bella Romana’). That is only a guess and there are few flowers left today. Pretty close to ‘Tricolor’ in reality and clearly sports a lot! ‘Tricolor’ is on the 1892 lists.

The fourth one is very probably Camellia ‘Mathotiana Alba’, a Ghent raised sport from ‘Mathotiana Rosea’ in 1858. This too is in the Veitch catalogue.

The fifth one is a deep red which holds itself half open for a long time in bud and opens as here. It might well be Camellia ‘Imbricata’ which is described as carmine-rose or a fine deep rose which I guess this is. The reference book photographs agree.

The sixth has no flowers at all at present.

The seventh is reputed (again by Philip Tregunna) to be Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’. As we have seen earlier in the year the plant exhibits pink paeony flowers and sports to much paler but similarly shaped flowers at the top of the bush. I have to say that I agree although ‘Preston’s Rose’ is not in the Veitch 1892 listings (nearest the round tower of the Stable Flat). When you google it, you prove the point, so we all seem to agree Philip was correct.

Asia might now put nametags on the five varieties we are fairly sure of while they still have flowers as plenty of future cuttings here. Mystery nearly solved. I attach three pages of the Veitch catalogue.
Veitch catalogue