2016 – CHW
Rather late in the day Crug Farm have delivered their February 2016 order. Many of the plants are extremely rare wild collected new introductions but they are mainly rather on the large side and will need a great deal of staking. The plants were delivered by Tuckermarsh nurseries from Tavistock (Mark Fillan) who I enjoyed taking around. He brought our order of Lithocarpus glabrata and three Styrax wilsonii as well. The latter died of old age outside the back yard recently although I cannot believe we have not planted out a few seedlings. Bond Street perhaps?

Rhododendron ‘Kabaret’ is not far from Rhododendron ponticum really but quite acceptable as a bit of colour in this cold spot.

Rhododendron serpyllifolium – the Caerhays form is even more of a dwarf or mini azalea like than the Windsor one seen last week. Our flowers are smaller and paler than those in the species collection. I have never seen this anywhere else but the original Caerhays plant is at least 6ft x 6ft (2ft x 3ft at Windsor).

Rhododendron vanoyseyi – the Caerhays plant on the drive is a worthy rival for the one seen last week at the Isabella Plantation at Richmond. We now actually have three plants dotted about only one of which is more than 30 years old.

Azalea viscosum hybrids – these 30 to 40 year old plants on the drive appear identical to some viscosum hybrids seen in the Wisley garden centre originating from a French nursery. Very nice in the shade.

The azalea which flowered at Christmas is now the only one in this clump of five fairly ordinary orange azaleas to be bereft of flowers. A strange oddity caused by I know not what. Just the same in a group at Burncoose.

The US origin Rhododendron prunifolium by the Four in Hand has a large flower with a hint of orange unlike the ones at the top of the garden. Hillier’s says it is pink but we have always known it as red and a new purchase from Glendoick is red too.

An unknown cherry by Four in Hand came as a batch of new cherries from Hillier’s when they still did mail order. It is quite nice with a much smaller flower than the matsumae forms at Windsor seen last week.

The Rhododendron kiusianum hybrid is very fine and a huge plant well worth propagating. We saw pink and white forms at Windsor but none quite as pretty as this one with a star like centre. This species is the parent of many of the Wilson 50 Kurume azaleas and grows at high altitudes on Kyushu.

2015 – CHW
Yes I have cheated and written this yesterday.  Currently en route to London so normal service will be resumed in a week or so.

Two puzzles for anyone who has managed to read this far:

No one has ever known the name of this large ancient clump of cotoneaster at the start of Hovel Cart Road.  A bit like Cotoneaster microphyllus from a distance but not close up.  Bearing in mind its location and age it may well be an original wild collected Chinaman.  Every time you pose a question like this you suspect that you could find the answer in the planting records or archive but there simply is not the time to begin to try.

What is this 12 to 15 year old enkianthus?  Its shape and habit would suggest Enkianthus cernuus.  However it is not pure white and the location of the anthers and stamens in relation to the bell flower is incorrect.

The unknown magnolia from a few days ago has been tracked down in the planting record  as ‘Coral Pink’.   No idea of its parentage though.  Different but not exciting.