2026 – CHW
A visit to the fabulous 12 acres of Glenwhan Gardens created from a stony moorland bog only 45 years ago by Tessa (and latterly Ian) Knott Sinclair. 8-10,000 visitors a year. Entry for adults £10.00.
Pittosporum bicolor in full flower with attractive bark and growing here as a multi-stemmed tree which our young plants at home do not seem to do.
The view from Glenwhan House out over the garden.
An unusual Pittosporum (or perhaps Olearia) species which I need to look up. It’s P. ralphii which self-seeds.
Rhododendron rubiginosum – a paler colour then any of ours.
The multi-stemmed Betula prattii was very splendid with huge catkins. I need to check if this has been renamed recently. Perhaps I misheard the name as it does not exist! Was it B. potaninii? See on.
Rhododendron searsiae (Wilson 1346 R503).
The view of the top pond.
Olearia x oleifolia ‘Waikariensis’.
Rhododendron ‘Rubicon’ – need to research the parentage but an excellent red.
An even better pale coloured Rhododendron rubiginosum obviously at its best.
Rhododendron caloxanthum – never seen before.
The view from the top of the garden.
The old reservoir for the original Glenwhan House on the open moorland above the garden which Tessa had enlarged.
Below the dam on the moor.
Rhododendron ‘Teddy Bear’, a yakushimanum hybrid I assume (Rh. bureavii x Rh. yakushimanum).
The views back towards the house and the Isle of Man from the top of the garden.
Guarded by a wolf!
The multi-stemmed Betula potaninii at the top of the garden.
Rhododendron ochraceum.
Rhododendron sherriffii which I have not seen for decades. It has almost finished flowering but the undersides of the leaves are an extraordinary brown colour.
Rhododendron augustinii – yet another colour range which is different to ours and very attractive.
The views across the lowest of the 3 lakes.
Betula costata as a mutli-stemmed tree.
Silky Bantams in the shrubbery by the house – this one was called Russel Brand for obvious (sexual) reasons!
2025 – CHW
A visit to two small garden near Beaulieu.
A visit to two small garden near Beaulieu.
Furzey Gardens where we were shown around by the former head gardener – Peter White. Around 8 acres and started in the 1930’s with Kingdom Ward introductions. Today allied to a charity for people with learning difficulties.
Zelkova serrata in flower.
Enkianthus perulatus – a very dense growing shrub.
Carpinus x schuschaensis (perhaps) with just red male flowers and no sign of any female catkins.
A huge and well layered Rhododendron macabeanum.
Malus toringo or Malus sargentii planted in 1952. An impressive display. The two are very similar.
Nyssa sinensis in flower. Ours seldom produce this sort of show. In fact I seldom remember seeing any flowers.
Water hawthorn – Aponogeton distachyos in the pond. An attractive water plant.
Rhododendron triflorum var. triflorum – Mahogani Group almost seemed frosted.
Lamium orvala – a very fine herbaceous plant.
Michelia maudiae was the best thing at Furzey today. (Labelled M. doltsopa).
Rhododendron triflorum – white form.
Rhododendron triflorum – the more conventional colour.
Pseudolarix amabilis with male and female flowers which I had not seen before.
Furzey Gardens.
Then to Spinners Garden which had once been a nursery. The ground cover plants were a revelation here. We were shown around by the owners Andrew and Vicky Roberts. No longer regularly open to the public.
Disporum ‘Night Heron’.
The best thing in the garden by far was a Cypripedium formosanum, Lady’s Slipper Orchid, and naturalising itself willingly.
Shortia soldanelloides which looked like a Bergenia.
Magnolia lotungensis should not be alive in Hampshire – extraordinary bark. Formally called Parakmeria.
A Rhododendron spinuliferum cross.
Rhododendron primuliflorum which I have not seen for years.
Cardamine bulbicodum – another shade loving groundcover plant.
Paris polyphylla – spreading widely.
Magnolia ‘Nimbus’ just coming out.
A very impressive form of Paeonia lutea with frilly edges.
2024 – CHW
Straight from Belfast City Airport to Hillsborough.Terence had given Hillsborough Castle Gardens a bad introductory write up. Talking about the herbaceous borders which the King had wanted and it being ‘not a rhododendron garden’. It is actually a very lovely 98 acre woodland garden with a huge newly restored walled garden attracting 100,000 visitors a year. Lots of new planting and vigour from the Head Gardener, Claire Woods MBE. The Castle Gardens were not open today.The Courthouse by the castle gates.
Straight from Belfast City Airport to Hillsborough.Terence had given Hillsborough Castle Gardens a bad introductory write up. Talking about the herbaceous borders which the King had wanted and it being ‘not a rhododendron garden’. It is actually a very lovely 98 acre woodland garden with a huge newly restored walled garden attracting 100,000 visitors a year. Lots of new planting and vigour from the Head Gardener, Claire Woods MBE. The Castle Gardens were not open today.The Courthouse by the castle gates.
And the pub by the courthouse!
Then to the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel. Amusingly the lift requires you to press 1 for the second floor. Pressing 2 for the second floor takes you to the third. Don’t take hot or cold for granted on the taps either but a very good meal despite the canned music.
2023 – CHW
Symplocos aff dumicola in full flower.
Eriobotrya deflexa in flower and with fallen red leaves on the ground as the red new growth emerges.
First flowering of Paulownia fortunei above Tin Garden shed. Two seedlings grown by Asia from a Sandeman Seeds purchase. One much better than the other. We have had a P. fortunei in Penvergate for some years with whiter flowers than this and with more yellow centres in the lip of the trumpets. Now nearly dead after 25 years.
Magnolia ‘Tranquillity’ better than I remember.
Magnolia ‘Banana Split’ a bit wind battered.
Seamus O’Brien and his Irish friends below Rhododendron ‘Mrs. Butler’.
Rhododendron ‘Duke of Cornwall’.
First flowers on the wisteria.
2022 – CHW
A slightly unsatisfactory show at Rosemoor in that Jaimie and Michael had to do a last minute garden tour / lunch on Saturday rather than attending the prize giving and enjoying the show.
Here are Jaimie’s pictures of our entries.
2021 – CHW
Prunus mahaleb, the St Lucie cherry, with masses of tiny white blackthorn-like flowers. A day later the wind had blown most away.
Prunus mahaleb, the St Lucie cherry, with masses of tiny white blackthorn-like flowers. A day later the wind had blown most away.
Magnolia ‘Stellar Acclaim’ is a mixture of colours and not that exciting below Slip Rail.
The newly planted Rhododendron ‘Taurus’ has produced stunning flowers.
The tall growing form of Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ 1987 planted.
Magnolia ‘Honey Liz’ just out. I have seen it much better elsewhere, but this is only its second flowering.
Staphylea colchica has come into flower suddenly. The first of the Staphylea species to show this year.
A good young plant of Rhododendron orbiculare but the flowers and leaves are much smaller than on our now deceased original plant from above the Main Quarry.
The clump of three Rhododendron xiaoxidongese (12329) looked frail for a while after planting but are now doing well. Well worth propagating this very rare species whose identity may need confirming.
The old plants of Rhododendron ‘Veryan Bay’ nearing their last ‘hurrah’.
First flowering here of Magnolia ‘Purple Prince’ which I first saw in the Valley Gardens at Windsor doing so well.
Magnolia ‘Tikitere’ still putting on a good show on the drive.
Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ out early as usual. I have never really noticed the individual flowers before at the centre of the bracts.
A smaller and more conventionally sized Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ on Bond Street.
