2020 – CHW
Lillium superbum just out.

To complete our review of Taxodium distichum varieties from the day before yesterday here is ‘Falling Waters’ growing beside a camellia. A trailing leader and trailing branches.
The joys of rain at last at the weekend! Hopefully the drought of 2018 is over just in time to save the big leaved rhododendrons and the new plantings in the garden.This bank outside the front door was brown only 48 hours ago.
A garden centre trip with heavy rain threatening. I just get to Arreton in time to beat it. First up is the rather impressive, well laid out and well tended Thompsons GC. They are rather keen on helenium and rudbeckia but I wonder how many of the ones here are really hardy? Clare will know. Here is my ‘new’ plant offering anyway.Pride of place at the entrance went to Rudbeckia lac. ‘Goldquelle’.
Now a series of roses! None were the ones we wanted for new plants for next year but some may be better than we have or we may sell them one day.Rosa ‘Birthday Girl’
Then to Simpson GC which is slightly less tatty than last year but no customers at all. Their signboard said ‘roses on flower now’ but most were, of course, over.Rosa ‘The New Dawn’
At last a really decent rose on the front of Backstay. Mrs Williams appears to be claiming the credit but this one has been here for decades!
2015 – CHW
Our best pure Magnolia virginiana is full out in New Planting. As noted before its clonal forms and hybrids have bigger and showier flowers. These are rather sparse but a nice ‘lightbulb’ shape. My memory of the original Magnolia virgiana smashed in the 1990 hurricane was that it was rather better in flower. Variable species!




What I think is Acer cappadocicum has very unusual seed pods which I have never noticed before. Beside Cornus bretschneidei. Quite possibly a record tree but not measured recently. [Update 2020: this is actually a Liquidambar from Asia – see comments at bottom of page!]









2002 – FJW
Delia had trip in new car and approved of it and the hydrangeas on the drive. Good weather, very very wet in central England.
1949 – CW
Rho – Auriculatum, Rabdotum, several white and pink Auriculatum hybrids, Eucryphia pinnatifolia very good, one lapageria and a few cyclamen. Been very dry. Hydrangeas very small.
1921 – JCW
No Auriculatum bud on the place. Fog and heavy air with half hearted rain after heat and drought for over three months. We go to Scotland on the fourth. Hydrangeas good colour but small.
1918 – JCW
Buddleias late ones are nice. Bulbs not yet shifted, no labour. No Auriculatums yet.
1916 – JCW
The Romneya at its top best say 200 flowers.
1907 – JCW
Buddleia variabilis good, everlasting peas coming, roses nice, nothing much else.
Hi Sir I believe that the Acer Cappadocium is actually a Liquidamber from Asia.
Kr
You are correct and I was wrong!