14th April

black buds and ahead of the leaves. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ An elderly clump of Rhododendron loderi types which…

11th April

…than ‘Black Tulip’ as you would expect but with a rounded Black Tulip shape. Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x ‘Black Tulip’ Rhododendron irroratum ‘Polka Dot’…

5th May

…reticulatum perhaps? Surely a Rh. reticulatum subspecies would have some evergreen leaves? Rhododendron wadanum ‘Album’ Staphylea colchica ‘Black Beauty’ now into leaf. It will get darker yet. Staphylea colchica ‘Black

25th April

…inadequate feeding. climbing rose Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ in the Rockery is one of the later evergreen azaleas to flower. The best very dark red? Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ Azalea ‘Black Hawk’…

17th March

…woodland Edgeworthia chrysantha Edgeworthia chrysantha Sarcocca wallichii with huge black berries Sarcocca wallichii Sarcocca wallichii Nothofagus dombeyi trunk Nothofagus dombeyi Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Dacrycarpus…

28th March

…‘Atlas’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ – not as large a flower as expected but showing promise with its first 3 flowers. Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ First flowers out…

10th April

…Brilliant’ TELOPEA ‘Braidwood Brilliant’ speciosissima TELOPEA speciosissima Rhododendron ‘Lady Alice Fitzwilliam’ on the drive. Rhododendron ‘Lady Alice Fitzwilliam’ Rhododendron ‘Lady Alice Fitzwilliam’ Rhododendron ‘Lady Alice Fitzwilliam’ Rhododendron burmanicum equally good…

10th July

…Taiko’ has this startling blue-white bi-coloured red effect but the mopheads soon burn in the sun. Hydrangea ‘Lady Taiko’ Hydrangea ‘Lady Taiko’ Hydrangea ‘Lady Taiko’ Hydrangea ‘Geoffrey Chadbund’ – purplish…

4th March

…Planted 2013. Magnolia ‘Antje Zandee’ Magnolia ‘Antje Zandee’ Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ has small rounded flowers. Not sure how these will turn out. Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia…

18th April

…years and will be ready to go into the garden next spring. Rhododendron ‘Snow Lady’ Rhododendron ‘Snow Lady’ Rhododendron ‘Snow Lady’ Likewise some young Rhododendron burmanicum. Rhododendron burmanicum Rhododendron burmanicum…