2026 – CHW
First single flower on Camellia japonica ‘Noblissima’ by the front door.
White and red lapageria together.
The pure white lapageria.
Ripe seed heads on Hedychium ‘Assam Orange’.
Azalea ?? out early.
Autumn colour on Acer henryi.
Ross pushing over one of the last upright trees above drive pen.
A huge stack of wood from the Goretti disaster after clearing the mess.
2025 – CHW
A few flowers and many seed heads on Escallonia bifida.
Autumn colours on Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’.
Euonymus huangi with ripe seeds.
Ilex kingiana loaded with ripening berries. Some years these only go red in the early spring.
Euonymus hamiltonianus ‘Koi Boy’ looking superb.
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’ still in full flower.
The best thing in the garden today is Calliandra surinamensis. Scarcely hardy but a fine show after a hot summer.
Still flowers on Escallonia resinosa.
2024 – CHW
To Burncoose for some pre-filming with the RHS for our Master Grower exhibit at Hampton Court next year which Cressy and Phil Knuckey are staging.Camellia ‘Yuletide’ greets me in the car park.
To Burncoose for some pre-filming with the RHS for our Master Grower exhibit at Hampton Court next year which Cressy and Phil Knuckey are staging.Camellia ‘Yuletide’ greets me in the car park.
A large delivery in from France with no hassle despite all the new customers arrangements for plant inspections at the border crossings.
Azalea ‘Koster’s Brilliant Red’ and Azalea viscosum make a superb combination with their autumn colour.
Skimmia japonica ‘Veitchii’ and Azalea ‘Koster’s Brilliant Red’ not bad either.
Malus ‘Red Sentinel’ with even bigger fruits than usual.
Euonymus moupinensis has incredibly yellow leaves at this time of the year.
Euonymus hamiltonianus ‘Indian Summer’ with good autumn colour and pink seed capsules.
All the grasses moved from their normal location and raised up on trays to prevent them getting waterlogged in this already very wet autumn.
2023 – CHW
The October heatwave continues and we start out on our autumn planting.Berberis xanthoclada (NJM 11007) covered in juicy black fruits in the Isla Rose.
The October heatwave continues and we start out on our autumn planting.Berberis xanthoclada (NJM 11007) covered in juicy black fruits in the Isla Rose.
Berberis subacuminata (FMWJ 1329) with fruits also just turning black.
Callicarpa dichotoma just coming into flower in the Isla Rose.
Callicarpa psilocalyx with bud, flower and berry. Only 1 survives from the 5 planted in 2017 but this shrub is now 6ft x 6ft and looking well even if it probably is tenderish. Another plant doing well in Tin Garden.
The start of the new planting in the Rookery.
Meliosma parviflora was a gift from the Botanic Garden in Nantes. A new species to us and it looks to be two former root suckers in the pot. Some yellowing of the leaves.
Plenty of seed on Photinia davidiana.
2022 – CHW
Leslie Baker told me he had his first flower on his Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’ so I visited our original tree (as it now is) today in the Main Quarry. Nothing doing here yet and no hint of colour.
Sapium sebiferum hated last winter and looked sickly in the spring but has enjoyed the heat and recovered well.
Melicytus crassifolius with white fruits which have black markings. Despite its scruffy and leafless appearance this has doubled in size in 3 years. More fruits than ever before.
A young Quercus greggii with its dangerous autumn new growth. Multi stemmed habit.
2021 – CHW
New growth on Carpinus caroliniana.
New growth on Carpinus caroliniana.
Flowers and fruits on Fuchsia hatschbachii.
Cladastris kentuckea now fully autumnal.
Seeds still not ripe on Magnolia globosa.
A well nibbled and fallen magnolia seedpod from the Queen Mother’s tree.
Teddy adds more nibbling but does not like the taste which is just as well.
