24th November

CONTRIBUTORS:
FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955

2018 – CHW

Another record tree bites the dust from old age and falling over. Magnolia macrophylla toppled over in October and this whole area needs a good prune and tidy. The Magnolia sieboldii sinensis next door is also on its last legs.

Magnolia macrophyll
Magnolia macrophyll
Pruning the lower branches of the adjacent English oaks planted in 1996 to create a new shade canopy for this area once all the old beech trees fall or die.
English oaks
English oaks
A new Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’ which looks like a Camellia sasanqua cross and merits further investigation of its parentage.
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
Polyspora longicarpa with its first flowers out. This plant suffered from cold winds when first planted out but has now prospered and also has its first seed pods.
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa

2017 – CHW
Another forsythia out in flower in November. This is the second to show.

Another forsythia
Another forsythia
Another forsythia
Another forsythia
This Mexican dahlia species was only planted in the spring. It is already a huge 6ft tall multibranched plant with a woody stem lower down and attractive black spotting on the stems of younger growth. We knew it was supposed to flower in November/December and it is not trying hard. Tiny dahlia flowers on such a huge plant. I need to look up the name again – it is Dahlia tenuicaulis?
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species
Mexican dahlia species

2016 – CHW
A surprise Camellia japonica with a few flowers on above the big veitchii. Not named but planted originally as a windbreak set of seedlings.

Camellia japonica
Camellia japonica
Camellia japonica
Camellia japonica

Amazingly the Paulownia elongata, planted in 2007, which had such large buds a few weeks ago is now well out. It is clearly not a secondary flush of flower but just ‘early’! This tree grows so amazingly fast that it has got its seasons rather muddled.

Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Paulownia elongata
Clearance completed above the paulownia ready for some laurel stumps to be dug out. An old beech stump of a tree which fell 10 years ago is burning nicely.
Clearance completed
Clearance completed
Clearance completed
Clearance completed
Another original Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ (pure) in Rogers Quarry. I have never seen this flowering before or even knew it was here. The joys of gardening!
Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ (pure)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ (pure)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ (pure)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ (pure)
2015 – CHW
First primroses out outside the front door. None yet on the bank above.

First primroses out outside the front door
First primroses out outside the front door

1924 – JCW
On Nov 23rd we had the longest spell of good colour on all kinds of shrubs here that I can remember.

1901 – JCW
Came home for three days, frost cut dahlias and hydrangeas, not roses of which there are several. Iris stylosa nice, Iris alata very good. Camellia sasanqua quite fine. Many daff seedlings of all ages show up in the pans etc, most of them have cyclamineus, maximus, polyanthus or clusii blood in the cross.