2023 – CHW
A day collecting some seeds from rarer new things, many of which are fruiting for the first time.
Sorbus aff. ligustrifolia.
First fruits we have ever seen on x Crataemespilus grandiflora. Arching branches.
A female plant of Cephalotaxus fortunei is covered in seeds.
Sorbus japonica covered in fruits.
Ripe seeds on Tilia maximowicziana.
Carpinus caroliniana ‘Red Fall’ just starting to change leaf colour and with seed tassels.
First black fruits ever on Crataegus chlorosarca.
Crataegus tanacetifolia covered in yellowish fruits.
Crataegus heldreichii looks fairly ordinary by comparison.
Malus x purpurea ‘Crimson Cascade’ with a few fruits.
Secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Genie’.
Quercus chapensis with secondary autumn new growth. Very different from its mature evergreen leaves.
Cornus drummondii ‘Sunshiny Drops’ with ripening fruits. One day this is going to be spectacular.
Sorbus dunnii with, as yet, unripe fruit.
Ilex dimorphophylla with another great show of berries. What an interesting holly this is.
Malus x micromalus with ripe yellow fruits.
Lithocarpus lepidocarpus with new growth and flower in October?
2022 – CHW
Podocarpus nubigenus ‘Pendula’ was a gift from Wakehurst. Here one with the lower weeping branches removed and one still intact and drooping everywhere.
Podocarpus nubigenus ‘Pendula’ was a gift from Wakehurst. Here one with the lower weeping branches removed and one still intact and drooping everywhere.
A tail end flower on Rhododendron ‘Tally Ho’ low down. Drought had held it back no doubt.
A good flowering on Rhus chinensis especially low down this year. White flower plumes.
Tilia tuan var. chenmoui has made good growth this year and interesting bark developing on the trunk. Not like other species of Lime.
Quercus ‘Belle d’Aquitaine’ still growing well on and recovering from the drought. No sign of any colour yet on any of the deciduous oaks in Kennel Close which will be good later.
2021 – CHW
A look around to see if any Camellia sasanqua were out here. A week too early!A huge but still not quite ripe seedpod on Magnolia sargentiana robusta.
A look around to see if any Camellia sasanqua were out here. A week too early!A huge but still not quite ripe seedpod on Magnolia sargentiana robusta.
The wind has brought down a branch on the Magnolia campbellii alba seedling nearby.
The roedeer are now eating the aucuba!
And, as at Tregrehan, the young new shoots on rhododendrons.
New growth again on Quercus insignis.
Mallotus japonicus has grown on well this year. A few flower heads.
Another picture of the pruned Gevuina avellana.
A low limb on an elderly Scots pine needs removing by Georges Hut.
This Stewartia rostrata, growing in shade, has none of the marvelous autumn colour which we see on the one on the drive.
Merrillipanax alpinus is developing a woody stem and has also grown well this year.
A bud on the old Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’ on the castle wall.
2020 – CHW
The investigation into malus continues and continues to reveal my ignorance of this genus.Malus yunnanensis var. veitchii has no crab apples this year but we have seen some fruit previously.Cotoneaster franchetii looks amazing already.
The investigation into malus continues and continues to reveal my ignorance of this genus.Malus yunnanensis var. veitchii has no crab apples this year but we have seen some fruit previously.Cotoneaster franchetii looks amazing already.
Annoyingly an unlabelled and unlisted Sorbus is standing proud with its berries and no leaves. Quite a sight.
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’ covered in secondary flowers – STILL!
Tom thought this was Malus x rockii but, in ‘New Trees’, it is listed as Malus rockii. If the crab apples eventually turn redder than this then he appears to be correct. By the Slip Rails.
Another trio of (what I assume are) unlabelled shrubby malus below Slip Rail which I think did come from Westonbirt in one of their surplus distributions. I am assuming they are malus based on leaf shape, flower and fruits? Arching branches, red fruits and multi stemmed plants. Adequate in flower but quite a show now. Malus prunifolia perhaps or Malus hupehensis? I need more time to research. Could they be a Photinia species? [I now subsequently think that these plants and the one below are not malus at all but possibly Sorbus or even Photinia. Certainly they are not Malus prunifolia or Malus hupehensis.]
This is another (probable) malus of no great size which I spotted in the corner and being swamped by bamboos below the Engine House. Just two fruits which are currently orange.
Suddenly a Rhododendron ‘Alison Johnstone’ (or similar) in full (secondary flower) near this malus. Is not that the fun of wandering about the garden to come across hidden treasures.
I have no idea what this plant by the original Magnolia dawsoniana actually is or even which genus? I guess Lonicera? Needs watching for the next year to see what it actually might be. The second plant in two days not on any planting plans for us to enjoy. The other was a spreading prickly shrub down Bond Street yesterday which may not be a Zanthoxylum. I will picture it soon.
Vitex agnus castus just out in flower.
2019 – CHW
Hydrangea pariscoleta ‘Kyushu’ now a gentle pink as it fades.
Hydrangea pariscoleta ‘Kyushu’ now a gentle pink as it fades.
Cornus kousa ‘Wendle Weeping’ has dark red fruits which are now falling off in the wind.
Cornus kousa var. chinensis laden with smaller red fruits which are also falling.
This was planted as Sorbus sargentiana in 1991 but seems similar to our younger Sorbus wilsoniana. I wonder if it is actually Sorbus splendens? (IDS yearbook 2019 Pages 62-67). I will need to try out the leaf alongside the article and collect leaves from all the 3 or 4 trees here.
2018 – CHW
A fungus special.The oldest Magnolia sieboldii did not die of drought as I had thought earlier. The honey fungus growths from its roots are now abundantly obvious.
A fungus special.The oldest Magnolia sieboldii did not die of drought as I had thought earlier. The honey fungus growths from its roots are now abundantly obvious.
Attractive fungal growths from the base of an oak tree nearby. I photographed this earlier in the year or last autumn where the fungi were a very different colour. This is a secondary fungal infection I guess. Wish I knew more!
2017 – CHW Our Dutch friends come to stay and bring a Medinella ‘J’adore’ from the Philippines. The flowers will last 12 to 18 weeks indoors with little light as we know from their last gift which was much admired by house visitors in the spring. This is a different form with longer flowers.
2016 – CHW
I am writing a website feature on ‘how to grow seeds’. This will need a lot of work from Karol and Asia to flesh it all out with photographs now and then in the spring. However I have made a start in the pictorial bit about when seeds are actually ripe and ready to collect. Magnolia grandiflora – an unripe pod which will never set seed in our climate.
I am writing a website feature on ‘how to grow seeds’. This will need a lot of work from Karol and Asia to flesh it all out with photographs now and then in the spring. However I have made a start in the pictorial bit about when seeds are actually ripe and ready to collect. Magnolia grandiflora – an unripe pod which will never set seed in our climate.
Unripe seeds on Styrax japonica ‘Pink Chimes’.
A fairly nearly ripe Stewartia rostrata but still too soon to pick.
A very unripe Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’.
Ripe and, as yet green and unripe, strawberry fruits on Cornus kousa.
Very ripe and pickable fruits on Crataegus x grignonensis with most of the leaves already fallen.
Pickably ripe Sorbus reducta fruits. Sadly the photographs I took were out of focus.
Unripe and green seed heads on Rhododendron crassum.
Unripe seed clusters on Enkianthus campanulatus.
Unripe seeds on Styrax formosanus. Sadly these photographs were out of focus too!
Very ripe and shedding seeds pods from Magnolia sargentiana robusta.
Still very unripe Magnolia (Michelia) doltsopa seeds.
Last year’s ripe and this year’s unripe seed heads on Rhododendron ‘Nancor’.
Still green and unripe Acer griseum seed.
Unripe Acer palmatum ‘Scolopendriifolium’ seed.
Rhododendron ‘Unique’ with long unripe seed heads
2015 – CHW
Some new ‘oaks’ in the clearing are coming through after several years of struggling. Castanopsis chinensis looks like an oak and you can well see why Wilson and Forrest initially mistook them as oaks.
Some new ‘oaks’ in the clearing are coming through after several years of struggling. Castanopsis chinensis looks like an oak and you can well see why Wilson and Forrest initially mistook them as oaks.
Lithocarpus lepidocarpus has new growth which is obviously lithocarpus but is perhaps in too exposed a position. Another new species for the collection which has grown in the last 10 years as fast as in the 1920s.
1997 – FJW
Jamie picked flower on the Camellia Jap Noblissima by Georges Hut – 3 Noblissima plants had flowers!
1993 – FJW
A wet September and a wet start to October. One nasty storm Sept 13.
1960 – FJW
We have had roughly 5 inches of rain in 10 days – Tree heather coming out as are the Sasanquas by Billiard Room. Royal Flush second flowering has been excellent. 5 sizeable seeds picked from Q cleistocarpa, 4 from Stellata, Alba superba and Liliiflora yet to be picked.
1923 – JCW
The wild clematis (Old Mans Beard) on the silver firs is our best thing now. It has been very very dry from May to August.
1909 – JCW
Just home, a very bad season for rhodo’s. R decorum in full flower and very beautiful. Cyclamen very nice. Clematis paniculata very good. Lapagerias moderate. Cassias good. Solanum fair. No sweet peas.
1905 – JCW
Came from Scotland. Clematis paniculata good and full of promise. Cyclamen, roses, sweet peas, woodwardias are all good. No sign of iris moving.
1903 – JCW
Not been to Scotland. The first Iris Stylosa open some days ago, first Camellia sasanqua today. Mikado, Ingoa, Cassia good and so cyclamen. Some Iris alata open.