1st March | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2025 – CHW

A second day of sun and the completion of this spring’s tree and shrub planting programme.

Around 120 plants have gone out with perhaps 30 large rhododendrons still to do in a week or two when the ground has dried up a bit.

A poor coloured seedling from the batch of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ full out above the Old Dog Kennels. Happily the two best seedlings are in the main garden.

In the centre of Old Park the first flower is out on Magnolia ‘Blood Moon’, a named clone of Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta. One might have expected a darker colour as I have commented before.

Full out in Old Park is an elderly Magnolia campbellii var. mollicomata. A seedling originally but true to name.

Surprising to see Azalea ‘Palestrina’ out so early.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Francis Hanger’ is still the best single white x williamsii variety.

The first full out flower on a young Rhododendron grande.

The second ancient Magnolia campbellii which we often forget about below Rookery Path.

Lindera praecox absolutely spot on today.

Surprising also to see the first wonderful earlyflowers on Melliodendron xylocarpum.

Camellia japonica ‘Christmas Beauty’ only planted 2 years ago and the first flowers I have seen. New to us but not exactly on schedule.

Narcissus ‘Mr Julian’ which was bred by Roy Scamp.

First close up this year of a bud and flower on Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’.

2024 – CHW
The magnolia season is absolutely at its peak as we hit 1st March. Showery but not too bad.

Rhododendron ‘Golden Oriole’ outside the front gate.

First flowers on Magnolia dawsoniana creeping out a month early.

Jaimie’s Magnolia x veitchii seedling below the drive on Bond Street is turning into something very nice. A better colour and more flowers each year.

Lambing started 3 or 4 days ago.

Huge fodder beet which the cattle relish over winter. A drought resistant root crop which enjoyed the August rain.

First early flower on Rhododendron ‘Emma Williams’.

Rhododendron moupinense at its absolute best.

Last late flower on Rhodendron nobleanum.

The best Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling on the drive now full out in the gloom.

The same plant with a Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling behind it.

First undamaged flowers out on Magnolia denudata ‘Forrest’s Pink’.

2023 – CHW
The Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ seedling on Bond Street is good today in the sun.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’ on the drive has rather fewer flowers this year. Drought I assume. It is, I think, a better colour than campbellii ‘Sidbury’ but that is a personal choice.

Fallen flowers on the drive under a row of Camellia saluenensis at the top of the drive.

Two of the large azalea ‘Hinomayo’ by the Top Lodge are still dormant but the third is approaching its best.

The view through the arch is improving day by day.

On a visit with Jaimie to decide which rhododendrons to plant out where from the Rockery Nursery we find a large forgotten (but our only decent sized and half mature) Melliodendron xylocarpum with its first few flowers out. A triumph after several other failures with poor plants or rootstocks overtaking their grafted hosts.

Beside it is a much younger Illicium philippinense (CWJ 12466) just in flower. Rather good but not that different to other species which flower early in the season. Illicium species flower in spring, summer and autumn.

2022 – CHW
Asia has been busy with our magnolia grafting and air layering. Click here to see what she has grafted onto what.There will be mistakes and successes but this is the name of the game.

Also here camellia cleft grafting.

Another (as yet) unnamed young magnolia hybrid is performing. This is Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’. My vote so far is 6/10.

We had all missed a very big Pinus insignis branch down at the Pound in Storm Eunice. This may well need a tree surgeon to get down safely to the ground.