2025 – CHW
First flowers out on Rhododendron ‘Michael’s Pride’.
And an Azalea ‘Blushing Belle’.
Late flowers on Camellia japonica ‘Golden Anniversary’.
To the greenhouse to select plant gifts for our trip this week.
Prickly new growth on Myricaria germanica (Tamarix germanica) from Europe and West Asia.
Lagerstroemia indica ‘Rhapsody in Pink’ with its new growth living up to the name.
Flowers on a young Crataegomespilus ‘Jules d’Asnières’ (Crataegus monogyna x Mespilus germanica).
Eleutherococcus giraldii (BWJ 8091) with prickles on the stem.
New growth on Quercus acerifolia.
And on Weinmannia trichosperma.
Deutzia crassifolia from Tom Hudson.
Comptonia peregrina now in full leaf. We saw the catkin flowers earlier.
Euonymus spraguei in flower.
A flower on a newly propagated Clematis forsteri.
Flowers on a young Viburnum harryanum.
2024 – CHW
Minimal rain but overcast and far from warm.
Aesculus pavia ‘Atrosanguinea’ seems likely to be the first Aesculus into flower this year.
Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’ outside the front door just opening.
Rhododendron oldhamii flowers sparsely but over a long period.
Syringa pinnatifolia now full out before the leaves appear properly. I first saw this at Altamont Garden in Ireland.
The next batch of rhododendrons to line out in Higher Quarry Nursery.
A young Rhododendron niveum which will be large enough to go out next year.
Rhododendron ‘Tibet’ (Rh. ‘Bismark’ x Rh. williamsianum).
Rhododendron ‘Bowjingles’ – another Rh. williamsianum hybrid.
An elderly and cut back clump of Rhododendron formosum in the Nursery Bed.
Good young plants of my father’s Rhododendron ‘High Sherrif’.
Rhododendron fuyuanense (JN2747) – I cannot trace this name in the reference books.
The emerging new growth on Lyonia ligustrina is attractive but some old leaves persist on the newer growth.
Photonia KK10131 – no name as yet. A gift from TH.
Viburnum harryanum nearly out. Very rounded leaves.
2023 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Olav Kallenberg’ nearly over. (M. ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’). Above Crinodendron Hedge.
Magnolia ‘Olav Kallenberg’ nearly over. (M. ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’). Above Crinodendron Hedge.
Sorbus matsumurana in bud but not yet out. Never seen here before.
A localised frost or cold wind has recently caught the new growth on a young Lithocarpus dealbatus.
Lithocarpus glabrata looking exceptionally well and about to come into new growth. It may well grow 2-3 feet taller this year but the deer have been nibbling so it still needs the wire netting surround.
Rhodoleia aff. parvipetala has dropped all its many flower buds. Perhaps cold but I am not sure. A huge crop of buds 3 weeks ago but now just the old brown remnant. So no great show this year.
First flowers out on Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’.
Rhododendron haemaleum var. atrorubum (perhaps?)
Magnolia floribunda still has plenty of flowers on its lower branches.
Nasty looking rot in the base of a Magnolia dealbata. It hasn’t got any worse at least.
Our largest Tilia endochrysea.
The very rare Rhododendron gingongshanicum is sadly on the way out. Drought or the pre-Christmas cold?
Magnolia compressa has recently shed most of its leaves but the new growth is coming so all fine.
What looks like tortrix moth has been eating these leaves of Rhododendron sinogrande.
A young and good Rhododendron orbiculare.
2022 – CHW
Every year I admire from afar a couple of huge poplars growing by the Dog Kennels and Kitchen Garden. There is another on the corner of the pond which fell over years ago and has regrown quickly to a similar size from the snapped base. The attraction at this time of the year is their coppery coloured new growth which stands out beautifully in the sun from afar but looks less impressive close up. So what are they? By a process of elimination (and without as yet the properly formed leaves or any visible catkins) I think they are Populus x canadensis ‘Robusta’. Certainly P. x canadensis anyway and P. x canadensis ‘Robusta’ if they are male trees which I suspect having never seen any seeds.
Prunus ‘Hally Jolivette’ flowering better than I have ever seen it in Kennel Close.
Berberis insignis var. insigne flowering decently for the first time right down its stems and with attractive colour on the old dropping leaves.
Camellia japonica ‘Golden Anniversary’ – spot the hint of gold? Neither do I!
2021 – CHW
Rhododendrons at their best but still no rain.The bronzy new growth on Nothofagus cunninghamii is superb.
Rhododendrons at their best but still no rain.The bronzy new growth on Nothofagus cunninghamii is superb.
Magnolia ‘Golden Goblet’ on the back path to Bramble Field beside the Magnolia (Michelia) martinii which has no flowers this year. This yellow magnolia has a growth habit like Magnolia ‘Butterflies’.
Rhododendron ‘Anne Teese’ at its absolute best – again stunning!
Attractive new growth and flowers on Daphniphyllum macropodum var. humile.
Rhododendron decorum nearly out and very early. Remember we saw late flowers on a Rh. decorum last September.
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ at its very best in the evening light.
Still a single flower on a pink lapageria by the front door. First flowers in October! Beat that?
3 thoughts on “21st April”
Comments are closed.
The Cyclamen shown under 21. April are C. repandum as they have longer petals and wavy leaf edges.
Halesia under 25. April is most probably monticola, as diptera has separate petals and is quite rare in cultivation.
The indian name for the Cedar tree is ‘Deo dar’ , therefore Cedrus deodara.
I wonder how the large leaved Magnolias (section Parakmeria & others) withstand the winter gales.
Sorry, you are correct re the cyclamen!
However, Halesia diptera has a very odd intertwining branch structure and totally different to H. monticola so unsure if your comment is correct?
Spelling of Cedrus deodara ‘Pendula’ amended, thank you.
The large leaved magnolias withstand the winter gales reasonably well if given plenty of shelter. The Michelias are quite able to withstand losing all their leaves in a cold east wind early spring with no ill effect.
to 21st April ’21
The leaves of the rare Fokienia or Chamaecyparis hodginsii as it is now classified are indeed similar to Calocedrus macrolepis and the very similar C. formosana, which last grows well at the slopes of blackwood f. , but not the Vietnam Cypress. The himalayan Oak species semecarpifolia is named for its similarity with the leaves of Semecarpus, the inkfruit-tree. It also grows well at the Rhine.
The Enkianthus ‘Hollandia’ is of a good red and worth trying here.