2025 – CHW
The smartest (Belgian) trousers which we have seen on a garden tour this year. 20 members of the Belgian IDS.
Very long catkins (as you would expect) on Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’ – even as a small plant.
Rhododendron ‘Countess of Haddington’ and Magnolia doltsopa.
Pieris japonica ‘Charles Williams’ (named after my great uncle).
Amelanchier bartramiana is really getting going in the Isla Rose. A multi-stemmed shrub (so far) with a very columnar habit. The Mountain juneberry from NE North America.
FJW’s Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ just out.
Then to the Kitchen Garden for a review of the first Malus to show.
Malus ‘Braendkjaer’.
Malus ‘Gorgeous’.
Malus x floribunda.
Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’.
Malus ‘Professor Sprenger’.
Malus ‘Louisa’.
Malus ‘Evereste’.
Malus ‘Dr. Campbells’.
2024 – CHW
The leaves on the trees are rushing out with some sunshine but it is far from warm with a N.E. wind. Today a trip around Area 27, the end bit of Kennel Close.Abies fraseri with male catkins and perhaps the start of some female cones or just the new growth shoots showing? Time will tell.
The leaves on the trees are rushing out with some sunshine but it is far from warm with a N.E. wind. Today a trip around Area 27, the end bit of Kennel Close.Abies fraseri with male catkins and perhaps the start of some female cones or just the new growth shoots showing? Time will tell.
Betula utilis ‘Forest Blush’ with well-developed catkins.
Salix magnifica with a full display of male catkins and female flowers.
Abies homolepis also with male flowers, emerging new cones, and old cones still standing.
Good splitting bark on Quercus frainetto planted in 2010.
Smooth bark on a similarly aged Quercus palustris.
A young Athrotaxis laxifolia.
Nearby an equally young Athrotaxis selaginoides.
Aesculus glabra ‘April Wine’ just starting to perform.
Crataegus induta is the first species to flower in our collection of Crataegus.
A young Acer sterculiaceum subsp. sterculiaceum (NJM 13017) with its usual attractive new growth. I still all this Acer franchetii as it was always known here and an original plant proves the point.
Betula utilis var jacquemontii ‘Inverleith’ – bark and catkins.
Aesculus sylvatica coming into leaf and flower.
Aesculus sylvatica coming into leaf and flower.
The cold N.E. wind has blown older yellow shedding laurel leaves all over the path below Slip Rail.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Ruby Glow’ below Slip Rail looking superb today. This is a very good variety indeed.
Liverwort spreading up a beech tree by Tin Garden.
Rhododendrons ‘Saffron Queen’ and ‘Michael’s Pride’ just starting to open. Also a month early.
Our younger Quercus lamellosa by Donkey Show has lost virtually all its leaves already as the new buds swell up. The old plant is still fully leafed up in more shelter.
Rhododendron desquamatum just opening fully with the odd flower left on Magnolia ‘Wada’s Memory’ behind it. Some years both perform at once.
2023 – CHW
The gales have gone and we seem to be in a settled warm period of weather which may prematurely finish off some of the proposed magnolia entries for the Rosemoor Show next weekend.Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’ now in full leaf.
The gales have gone and we seem to be in a settled warm period of weather which may prematurely finish off some of the proposed magnolia entries for the Rosemoor Show next weekend.Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’ now in full leaf.
Berberis insignis var. insignis flowering better than ever before.
Then a trip to photograph the 24 (mainly) Matsumae cherries planted last year below White Styles Field on the way to Old Park.
2022 – CHW
The ‘smellies’ are starting to scent the garden alongside the second wave of Michelias now that the M. doltsopa are nearly over. A pleasant Easter Day in the sun.
Rhododendron edgeworthii just out here and there.
Rhododendron ‘Elsie Frye’ is virtually over.
Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’ is still a few days away from being out at all.
Azalea (or Rhododendron if you prefer) stenopetalum ‘Linearifolium’ at its best.
Michelia x foggii ‘Jack Fogg’ still in tight bud as is M. ‘Allspice’ nearby.
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’ and Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’. If only they were out together! Soon they may well be if we wait a few days.
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’ now showing properly – we now have three plants of different ages all doing well in the garden.
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ about to drop its petals with the leaf showing. The colour has faded but the flowers have lasted at least five weeks this year.
Still a few flowers on Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’ which we saw showing colour in the first week of March (or was it late February?).
Rhododendron morii just out high up. Our new plantings of this species have not been a great success.
The slugs have devoured the tepals on a ‘snapped off’ flower of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ (probably broken off by a child but no worries).
An odd and previously unnoticed clump of narcissus on Hovel Cart Road. Perhaps Narcissus x intermedius?
Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ – blue and yellow work well together here.
Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’.
Prunus ‘Gyoiko’ with its greenish-white semi-double flowers streaked green below the Tower.
The rather dull Prunus mahaleb, the St Lucie cherry from central and southern Europe. Planted in far too prominent a position.
2021 – CHW
The yellowish Magnolia ‘Sundance’ against a blue sky.
The yellowish Magnolia ‘Sundance’ against a blue sky.
Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ just coming out.
Paulownia tomentosa ‘Lilacina’ just opening.
Magnolia ‘Tropicana’ now full out.
Magnolia ‘Gold Star’
Rhododendron niveum
Rhododendron ‘Blue Tit’
Magnolia denudata, Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ and Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’.
Wonderful new growth on Mahonia x savilleana.
The first time we have flowered Magnolia ‘Flamingo’ here (M. acuminata ‘Fertile Myrtle’ x M. sprengeri diva). Only two flowers but some obvious yellow flashing on the bud. In the ‘Peachy’, ‘Daybreak’, ‘Tropicana’ mixed colour category I am expecting on its parentage.
Our Magnolia ‘Honey Tulip’ is improving with age but still well behind the Burncoose one.
I thought this was Sorbus megalocarpa on the plan, but I am very wrong. Attractive bronzy new growth and flower buds showing. Need to explore further.
These late flowering poeticus group daffodils on Hovel Cart Road are still in bud.
