Big excitement! The first flower buds on Parastyrax species nova.

Magnolia ernestii now full out.

Camellia reticulata ‘Miss Tulare’.

Camellia reticulata ‘Holly Bright’.

A bonfire with 3 of the grandchildren.

A Magnolia ‘Honey Belle’.

Lindera angustifolia in full flower against a blue sky – about 30 feet in height.

Zara with an Easter egg.

The end of the Easter egg hunt.

Bee with her new Camellia collection plaque.

Zara with the new Amelanchier collection plaque.

A young Rhododendron lepidostylum on the drive with its tiny flowers.

The first flowers on the large clump of Azalea indica with several colours in the clump.

2024 – CHW

Good tour around with Philippa Crawshay’s gardeners from Llanfair Court.

My father would have approved of this small clump of Rhododendron davidsonianum behind the Tin Garden shed.

The two clumps of Camassia leichtlinii Caerulea Group are performing well and the pheasants appear to have left the flowers alone. The leaves do however look pecked.

Calocedrus macrolepis var. formosana is getting away.

Picea morrisonicola with many male flowers and just a few female cones at the very top of the small tree.

Magnolia ‘Green Bee’ is better than ‘Olivia’ I think this year.

A new one to me in full flower is Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ x M. ‘Gold Cup’. A bit of yellow at the base and pink veining. Not bad for late April!

Malus ‘Jelly King’ has light pink buds opening pure white as you see here.

Flowers on a young Rhododendron williamsianum planted last year.

Keteleeria davidiana with its startling yellowish new growth.

Prunus incisa had flowers in late February but, for some odd reason, there are still some decent ones left today on the very lowest branches.

Leaves just emerging on Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’. We must remember to pollard this tree in the autumn.

Very good deep yellow flowers on Berberis wilsoniae.

Then another rather special moment to rival seeing the first flowers on Maddenia wilsonii a few days ago. This is Sycopsis tutcheri with its very dark red hamamelis-like flowers which I have never seen like this before on either of our plants. Hilliers says that this is the Chinese form of Distylium racemosum which I have seen in flower in the nursery and which does have similar flowers. However that’s about all I would say that they have in common so I am far from convinced that this is right. Only a couple of branches which are in the fullest sun at the top of this 2014 planted evergreen shrub or small tree have flowers.

Magnolia ‘Susan’ a bit rain battered but still with some decent flowers by Tin Garden.

A good young clump of Rhododendron ‘Alison Johnstone’.

2023 – CHW
An evening visit to Porthpean House which has a well known camellia garden now run by Martin Petherick but actually the creation of his two uncles and, then, parents – Christopher and Charlotte. Situated just on the (low) cliff above Porthpean Beach and facing east it is an extraordinary oasis of shelter and a unique microclimate where camellias thrive touching the sea.Camellia x williamsii ‘Charlotte Petherick’.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Porthpean’ nearly over. ‘Lady Clare’ in the parentage?

Camellia japonica ‘Dona Herzilia de Freitas Magalhaes’ perhaps? Not quite sure.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Duchess of Cornwall’ with flowers of variable size. Which Duchess? Certainly not a recent one.

Camellia x reticulata ‘Ethel Hillier’ (named, like the magnolia, after the wife of Sir Harold Hillier).

Camellia x reticulata ‘Christopher Petherick’ (c. reticulata ‘Royalty’ as one parent). Very serrated leaf edges.

Camellia japonica ‘Comte de Gomer’.

Camellia japonica ‘Matt Rubb’ – a late season performer and perhaps the best bush in flower today at Porthpean.

An aerial layer on Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’.