A trip to Hook Norton to view the newly acquired pub in the town of Benson and then to the brewery for the Hooky Awards with 38 publicans and their wives present. The Carpinus betulus in the brewery car park was looking particularly fine with the seed heads showing a hint of pink.
Hook Norton village has always had wonderful gardens. Here a fine display of Japanese anemones.
The Hook Norton dray horses attended the party and were rewarded with pints of beer which they consumed very quickly indeed.
2018 – CHW
Stewartia rostrata already showing autumn colours at its extremities but remaining green elsewhere. This really is a remarkable tree and the seed pods are nearly ripe too. I hope more people will grow this in full sun and enjoy it through the seasons as much as we do.
The sunshine encourages a trip to the Georges Hut area to see what is new here.
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’ is full out from top to bottom. None of the other hoheria varieties (including Hoheria angustifolia) have any flower at all. Hoheria sextylosa is late this year.
The new clump of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ by the fernery and in the shade have grown well and flower late in the season. The ‘ice cream’ colours are only just starting to show on some lower flower heads.
2015 – CHW
Magnolia ‘March till Frost’ is one of two in the garden living up to its name. These flowers seem larger than those in the spring and are, as expected, darker in colour. The slugs have hugely enjoyed the tepals in the recent wet weather but this second flowering is far better and more prominent than on the much vaunted Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ autumn showing.
Nearby is the wonderful Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’, easily the best cornus in flower here amongst the many photographed in July. There are a few orange strawberries showing up but not that many.
