Magnolia ‘Pastel Sunrise’ x M. ‘Genie’ – not specifically named. First flowering.

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Mag’s Pirouette’ – takes a bit of beating as a x loebneri variety.

Magnolia ‘Frank Gladney’ – a Gresham hybrid.

Then to Burncoose.

Grevillea johnsonii flowering. I have seen and admired this many times at Ventnor where it grows outside.

Hydrangea scandens subsp. chinensis full of flower.

Young plants of the tender Brassaiopsis mitis here just arrived from France.

Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ flowering its heart out in the show tunnel. Sadly too early for Cheslea. ‘Sonoma’ will flower in a pot whereas Davidias will normally take 15-20 years to produce their first flowers.

Paulownia tomentosa also flowering in a pot in the show tunnel. Far too early for Cheslea also.

2024 – CHW
Apparently the weather is finally going to improve.Prunus mahaleb is not a particularly interesting species but the pigeons have been enjoying the opening buds for the last few days.

Prunus ‘Gyoiko’ just coming out. It really is green in bud.

Frankie has sorted out the collapsed bank on the drive when the sweet chestnut fell in.

Frankie has now dug up the sacrifice camellias in the Styrax collection area. After we had cut them back they have come up with plenty of roots and, later today, they will all be replanted below White Styles.

With the remaining trees all up lifted the whole area now looks much more accessible and open to view all the plants properly.

Staphylea bolanderi is now out.

Magnolia ‘Fairy Lime’ is now rather more visible.

More rhododendron stumps get dug out.

Staphylea holocarpa ‘Innocence’.

Neolitsea sericea ‘Silver Leaf’ with its new growth.

Pittosporum glabratum is flowering well and growing quickly.

More laurel to come out to extend the planting area above the greenhouse.

New growth on Fraxinus baroniana.

More clearance in the rhododendron planting area.

2023 – CHW
A tour of Old Park with 2 of the 4 grandchildren; Isla and Bea.Malus ‘Royal Beauty’ – another one out in the Kitchen Garden.

The Gunnera beds in Old Park are taking off. Some of these leaves have grown at least a foot in the last 4 days.

Magnolia ‘Tikitere’ just coming out. One of the last of the New Zealanders to do so.

RJW and Isla inspect Magnolia ‘Fairy White’.

Betula utilis jacquemontii ‘Pink Champagne’ has shed its old bark and now has a pinkish trunk.

Impressive catkins now on Salix hookeriana.

Magnolia ‘Strawberry Shake’ in the Isla Rose isn’t that exciting.

Magnolia ‘Sunset Swirl’ certainly is although only one flower.

Magnolia ‘Dark Bird’ is excellent too although the name is not in any reference book and has not been registered. Difficult to say what size the flowers are as the seem very variable.