Nearby wonderful peeling bark on Betula utilis var. jacquemontii.

As ever a few flowers on a young Rhododendron keysii.

Enormous prickles on the stem of Aralia foliosa.

2019 – CHW
A general post Christmas holidays tidy up of fallen branches from various storms on the main path by Georges Hut.

The new automatic squirrel traps are starting to work. Spreading the same bait as is in the traps onto the bark of the tree below the trap is working. The squirrels are gnawing at the bark with the bait on.

The trick is to stick whole maize onto the tree trunks near the trap within the bait itself. The traps have automatic counters on them which go up to 18. So far two on this trap.

2018 – CHW
Lindera tonkinensis (FMWJ 13123) two years on from planting is clearly thriving and fully evergreen. Large lindera-like leaves.

First primroses creeping out all over the garden.

Last summer’s ripe seed pods and those from the year before (black) still hang on Stewartia pteropetiolata.

I know that the old original plant of Stewartia pteropetiolata had lost 20ft of its crown in 1990 and thereafter produced side shoots from the base which are now mature. What I had not realised until looking properly was that the old trunk had rotted and died completely between the new shoots. You can now see daylight through the old trunk at the base.

Note too how the bark structure has changed from the immature shoots to the more mature ones. A fissured bark but, unlike other species, not a peeling, flaking or exfoliating bark structure.
I have just written a new article on stewartia species at Caerhays so these pictures will be helpful.

A good young Magnolia nitida getting away well for once. We have failed with several in recent years all from seedlings grown here.

Evergreen Viburnum awabuki is new to us and only a year from planting out. Hillier’s say it is a form of Viburnum odoratissimum and this had occurred to me as well. I will photograph the true V. odoratissimum shortly.

This Rhododendron singogrande is too exposed to the wind. This has limited its leaf size greatly and wind damage is obvious on the leaves. However there is no reduction in the size of the many flower buds for this spring!

2016 – CHW
Another magnolia is out, this time in the main clearing in Forty Acres wood. Magnolia ‘Ethel Hillier’ is a seedling of Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ collected from wild collected seed and named after Sir Harold Hillier’s mother. This is often confused with Magnolia ‘Sir Harol Hillier’, another near white ‘Alba’ seedling and named by Nigel Holman of Chyverton.

Camellia ‘Mary Jobson’ has one tit damaged flower by the side door. This x williamsii hybrid has some scent which makes it unusual. Mary Jobson was my father’s niece.