2022 – CHW

A newly planted Neolitsea sericea ‘Silver Leaf’. Both our old established N. sericea have died in the last year. Wonderful, but hardly silvery, new growth here. The silver is on the undersides of the leaves as on all N. sericea but especially pronounced in this named form.

Magnolia ‘Genie’ still full out. The flowers last far longer than so many other magnolias. Another scoring point against M. ‘Black Tulip’ which is already nearly over here and faded long since.

Pomaderis elliptica flowering for the second time here. A New Zealand / Tasmanian shrub with large panicles (as here) of yellow flowers. Acquired from Nick Lock. Needs full sun and shelter as nearly a conservatory plant.

Above Higher Quarry Nursery I find another Rhodoleia which was planted only a year ago. Forgetful! This is Rhodoleia parvipetala (FMWJ 13422) rather than R. aff. parvipetala as we have been looking at recently. So the true species with pink flowers? We will have to wait and see. Jaimie needs to put a plastic tube around the trunk as roedeer damage already evident. A plant 10-12ft tall without, as yet, much foliage. So a big plant when it arrived from Crûg Farm and clearly not yet a big seller for them. I suspect this diary may have helped improve demand for this peculiar and spectacular new genus.

Auklandii Garden camellias beside the main path – a review to help cutting taking in the autumn.

Camellia fraterna (species with a low growing and drooping habit and fleshy leaves – top plant but not on plan so planted later I guess).

Camellia ‘Tiny Princess’ (next one down).

Camellia japonica ‘Clark Hubbs’ (bottom corner – incorrectly shown on plan as ‘Marinka’ – these two reds have been swoped on the map – both are present and correct but ‘Marinka’ too high up to photograph).

Camellia x williamsii ‘Elsie Jury’

‘Christmas Daffodil’ is correct on the map but ‘Daintiness’ seems to have gone/died although I fear ‘Tiny Princess’ and/or ‘Daintiness’/fraterna may have been muddled up looking at the original plans in previous cutting collecting?

2021 – CHW
Still near frost overnight. 0°C in the car at 6.45am.Prunus ‘Hally Jolivette’ not flowering as well as last year.

Prunus incisa just coming out properly.

This is the first time Magnolia ‘Apricot Brandy’ has flowered properly here. Another curious mix of colours which not everyone will like but certainly ‘different’.

Magnolia ‘Sentinel’ is a Gresham hybrid. Not a great colour but shaping up into a decent tree.

Flowers on Magnolia ‘Lemon Star’ just beginning to emerge. Gorgeous yellow.

Flowers just starting to open on Rhododendron ‘Countess of Haddington’.

Amomyrtus luma (formerly Myrtus lechleriana) absolutely full out and hugely scented.

This emerging bamboo shoot should enable me to identify the species conclusively. Last year I photographed it, but the reference books were at Burncoose. After much reading and viewing ‘A Complete Compendium of Chinese Bamboo’ I am not much the wiser. I had always thought this was Phyllostachys flexuosa but it does not seem to marry up with the pictures of the young shoots or the text. This one has large purple hairs which none of the other features Phyllostachys species shoots seem to have. Anyone know the answer please?

This is Jaimie’s hybrid between Rhododendron ‘Titness Park’ (a calophytum cross or form I was given by Windsor) and Rhododendron ‘Rebecca’ (a Caerhays bred hybrid) growing and prospering below Slip Rail. Well worth growing but perhaps not quite worthy of naming.