3rd September 1897 – 2020 | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2020 – CHW
Fat rounded seeds on Styrax hookeri. Not many flowers this year but more seed than I expected.

Laburnocytisus adamii fell over last winter but was cut and stood up again. Some recent side shoots which I had nearly given up on.

A final flower on Magnolia virginiana ‘Satellite’. I have said that before!

The smooth grey-white bark on the original Magnolia salicifolia stands out in the early evening light. One branch is rotting on the inside and woodpeckers have been busy.

Another week on and more orange now on Acer palmatum ‘Sango kaku’.

The south facing Podocarpus salignus is quite a sight with its drooping branches.

2019 – CHW
To the new plantings in Tin Garden.An unnamed Styrax species collected by Nick Macer (NJM 11.013) is covered in pendulous seeds in its first year of planting. Worth Asia collecting.

Regrowth after decades of shade under trees sees a fine crop of Verbascum olympicum flowering away. How the seed got here in the first place is anyone’s guess.

Two Paulownia fortunei grown from seed by Asia have grown 4ft in the first year. One had two side shoots which have folded down to ground level and could be layered. Huge leaves!

Quercus hypoxyantha has pinkish secondary new growth and is starting to settle in. Odd shaped crinkly leaves but some are still small after a dry summer.

Salix udensis ‘Golden Sunshine’ one year on from planting and 4ft already. This will be a new entry for the 2020 Burncoose website.

2018 – CHW
The first flush of autumn colour on Cladastris kentuckea.

The Beast damaged Rhododendron stenaulum is shooting away nicely at all levels after its hard pruning and despite the drought which has brown tipped the new leaves. The dunging has clearly helped.

A young Zanthoxylum coreanum with its first fruits which are still green. This is another new Zanthoxylum species to us even if the spelling is incorrect. Cannot find anywhere to check it in the reference books.

I pruned out the three branches on Populus deltoides ‘Purple Tower’ which had reverted to green.

Betula albosinensis ‘China Rose’ had some serious regrowth from below the graft which I also cut out today and you can see piled beside the young tree.

Cedrus brevifolia is making serious new growth after the drought has now ended.

2017 – CHW
Astonishingly good blue new growth on Rhododendron cinnabarinum concatenans Group.

Lindera sericea had appeared to be a rounded bush but suddenly four new growth stems have shot up tall. A new species of lindera to us.

Neolitsea polycarpa is making good growth. The leaf form resembles the lindera below Donkey Shoe. It is certainly hugely different from Neolitsea sericea.

Rehderodendron kwatungense is now growing well. Nice bark too.

Polyspora longicarpa is full of bud for late autumn or early in the New Year. This plant was windblown and nearly dead four or five years ago but has now settled in.

Yet another good Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’.

Secondary, and very dark, flowers on Magnolia ‘Genie’.

Sadly the last old clump of Rhododendron ‘Charles Michael’ is now dead.

2016 – CHW
A visit by Harry Watkins who is writing a PhD paper on magnolias. A very wet afternoon so the pictures are dreadful. Harry is not fazed by the rain. Copious fruit on Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’. Very good indeed.

Lomatia ferruginea is just going over.

Gevuina avellana, the Chilean nut tree, is just coming out and we discover a few green turning black nuts close to the base of this year’s flowers. They do not look that significant.

Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’ is now coming out properly a week on from the last inspection.

Eucryphia cordifolia is just starting to shed its flowers. Two to three weeks later this year than usual this year.

2015 – CHW
Hoheria sextylosa is at last out. Very late and later than other hoheria species but Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’ is still in tight bud which is most unusual. In the nursery they had flower in early August.

1995 – FJW
It looks as if the drought is now over – the worst since 1976 and probably the worst I have seen.

1971 – FJW
All corn in – and nearly all straw – yield good.

1962 – FJW
Pinnatifolia past best, Nymansensis at its best – no lapageria. The season has been 3 weeks late all through the year.

1914 – JCW
Cyclamen, solanum, cassia, hydrangeas, roses are very good. The lapagerias coming on. R flavidum has some nice flowers open and also R decorum, Wilson’s best Intricatum is good.