6th December | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Strong westerly gales overnight.

The first daffodil bulbs I have seen above the ground – here above Red Linney.

Some autumn colour left on Parrotia persica but not much.

Cornus walteri holds its leaves well into winter.

Some good yellow leaves on Pterocarya fraxinifolia.

Plenty of buds to come on the 3 forms of Magnolia grandiflora below the lawn.

The potholes get larger but I am told the tarmac gang will finally get here next week – about 10 weeks late.

Karl’s magnolia labels for plants which we cannot locate. Presumably dead. We have now relabelled all 200 or so magnolias planted between 1997 and 2017 with Karol’s home made Chinese labels.

Styrax japonicus ‘Fragrant Fountain’ would have been better a day or two ago.

Polyspora longicarpa at its absolute best in the new Styrax area above the greenhouse. Flowers the size of side plates but I worry that the small tree will blow over in the wind. 2018 planted.

2023 – CHW

The one night of frost a week or so ago has cut back the new growth on the Buddleja colvilei smashed by a fir tree.

Over in Old Park the Camellia japonica flowers are untouched by frost as these were higher up the bank.

The largest Gingko biloba shed all its leaves overnight so no autumn show this year due to the frost. A large pile of yellowish leaves.

Camellia x vernalis ‘Dawn’ with its variegated leaves is listed as C. x vernalis ‘Ginryu’ in the new CSI book, ‘Splendid Sasanquas’. I am not sure if ‘Ginryu’ has variegated leaves but our 1897 planted ‘Dawn’ definitely does. Some signs of recent frost damage to older flowers.

2022 – CHW
We have just purchased plants from Holland of the newly registered and patented Magnolia ‘Meganolia’. A silly but clever name from a marketing point of view. Four (marketing) pictures are attached which we are now permitted to use after purchasing this plant.

It looks very much like Magnolia ‘Felix Jury’ to me. The ‘giant red cabbage’ as I have previously called it. I suspect this may be a bit of artistic Dutch rebranding but we will see after further investigation into the breeding and viewing the plants themselves.

All I can find online to date it that it has been bred and offered for sale initially by a German business – Heinje Baumschulen – who I do not know. The same pretty pictures with the German girl but no other details of the parentage.

Update 13th December – Emailed from Michael Schroeder

Getting answers appears to boil down to willingness to read German under a microscope. Quoting directly the (very small indeed) small print, which is in German even on the English language version of the website: (marked pdf attached, see directly over the Impressum at the very bottom of the webpage):
“Meganolia®: Diese Pflanze unterliegt dem Sortenschutz ( ‘JURmag2’).

Die Vermehrung und gewerbliche Weiterkultur ist verboten!”

…. which appears to confirm your guesses (JURmag2 patent information also attached).

Best regards Michael Schroeder (Weinheim)

2021 – CHW
First few battered flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘JC Williams’ outside the front gate.

Yellowish colour on the dwarf Acer palmatum ‘Murasaki kiyohime’.

Last of the autumn colour on Rehderodendron macrocarpum.

Gingko biloba just getting to its best yellow but tomorrow’s storms will prevent us seeing it at its best this year.

The unnamed record sized Camellia x williamsii is well out high up in the rain.

Plenty of green leaf still left on Magnolia dawsoniana.

Hydrangea aspera subsp. robusta still has good colour three months after it first came out.

2020 – CHW
The first frosty morning for the winter with ice on the edge of the lawn.

First and only flower so far on Camellia ‘Lady Clare’.

Aesculus wangii turning colour quickly now.

Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’ full out.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ coming out fast by Tin Garden.

The quince is covered in fruits. The dogs bring one home.

Just a little autumn colour on the Acer griseum.

Sunshine on the bark of Acer tegmentosum ‘Joe Witt’ at Donkey Shoe. This was named after Joseph Witt, former curator of Washington Park Arboretum in Oregon. A gift from John Anderson.

2019 – CHW
A further inspection of the new Beatrice Fleur Camellia sasanqua collection which we hope to ‘open’ after her christening in the spring. A few more of the 25 new plants are in flower (or over) and there are several here which are not in the Tregothnan sasanqua collection. Some are really rather good and a bit different. I must have photographed 50 to 60 different sasanquas in the last six weeks but have no intention of competing with Tregothnan.Camellia sasanqua ‘Elfin Sun’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yume’ (all fallen but still attractive)

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yoimachi’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink Goddess’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Versicolor’ (Tregothnan have this)

Camellia sasanqua ‘Hiryu’

Camellia sasanqua ‘Belinda’ (Tregothnan have this)

2018 – CHW
Lapageria ‘Flesh Pink’ still has flowers about two months since they first appeared. This is three years on from planting.

The first flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘JC Williams’ popped out last week again marginally after ‘St Ewe’ and ‘George Blandford’.

The Ginkgo biloba autumn colour which was so splendid in the sun last year has been blown away before delivery this year. Just a branch or two have a show.

First flowers on Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ in the same place as last year and more or less the same time. Slightly insipid and malformed flowers.

2017 – CHW
Still loads of ripe strawberries on the Cornus kousa chinensis by the Four in Hand. No squirrel attack this year but I see a tree rat pinch a hazel nut from a trap without getting caught further up the drive.

The Gingko biloba is turning yellow quickly after a little cold but is still in full leaf in December. I need to trawl back to last year to see the date on which it was at its best. Not yet as stunning as last year. Perhaps the best autumn colour in the garden overall this year – a poor year for colour here.

2016 – CHW
Camellia ‘Golden Spangles’ has regrown with patches of completely yellow new growth. This unstable x williamsii hybrid has yellow centres to its leaves and has here shown how the viral (?) cause of this variegation can become more pronounced after pruning.

If you are interested I spent my first ever pocket money in 1964 on air gun pellets!!

2015 – CHW

Flooding in Cumbria after 14’’ of rain in 24 hours! We get a drizzle for the day but nothing worse. The old Gingko biloba is turning nicely on its lower branches. What a colour even on a dull day! Green turns to yellow but this is December!

Beside it another large clump of good but unnamed Camellia x williamsii has sprung open in the wind. Just one branch at the top for now which hangs down as you can see.

This clump of Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ was cut back from the drive only eight weeks ago but, already, the new growth is readily apparent.

Beside it another few young plants of Rhododendron mucronulatum but this form has much paler and less impressive light pink mauve flowers.

A young Magnolia pseudokobus ‘Kubimishidori’ which has never yet flowered persists in full leaf.

Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’, on the lawn, has finally shed all its leaves to reveal plenty of buds for next spring. Many other magnolias in more sheltered spots (ie Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’) still have most of their leaves on although they will be out in around three months. No wonder magnolias grow so quickly!

1991 – FJW
George Williams strode into the house.

1981 – FJW
Picked flowers Oleifera, November Pink and Sulfureum.

1976 – FJW
Night stormy enough to move hedges at Rescassa.

1973 – FJW
First good flower on George Blandford.

1964 – FJW
Charles had first pocket money – the bargain of 1/- per week. Temperatures oscillating.

1961 – FJW
Delia found first flower on Noblissima by front door.

1960 – FJW
First frost of winter – rain since August.

1934 – JCW
Saw two blooms of Camellia on separate plants, very heavy , moors have taken a lot of water.

1932 – JCW
No Camellia japonica open but the double white. Cold S.E wind has started and is severe around the house but hardly moves much in the New Planting.

1927 – JCW
Rather earlier than 1924, not much cold so far. Camellia speciosa and sasanqua show colour. Erica hybrida and Cotoneaster salicifolia are the best thing. I saw a flower on Mag delavayi three days ago in the wood.

1924 – JCW
Much as the above. I suppose Berberis polyantha and the Stransvaesia fruit are the best things. Erica hybrida is far the best flower and is on Jan 17th too.

1923 – JCW
‘Polling Day’. Some lapagerias have come through the frost but not many. Cotoneaster salicifolia is by far the best thing we have, the Hamamelis mollis just show colour. The Erica hybrida not yet open. Roses (a few) in the Tin Garden.

1915 – JCW
The lapagerias are yet nice. Cam sasanqua gives a few more flowers. Erica hybrida begin to open.

1901 – JCW
Returned after some absence, daffs moving all round a bit, should make my first cross tomorrow or the next day. Several coums open. Lapagerias look well yet, could pick several nice roses yet.

1897 – JCW
Iris stylosa in flower.