17th January | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2026 – CHW (images to follow)

Flower tassels show up clearly on Stachyurus lancifolius by Tin Garden.

Still berries on Sorbus parvifructa – Clone 2. The berries are not that small really?

Viburnum sambucinum (HWJ 838) is firmly evergreen in Kennel Close.

Sadly Himalayacalamus falconeri appear to be about to flower and die. Leaves dropping but flowers still in bud.

Quercus humboldtii from Columbia appears to be semi-evergreen but the new growth is already visible.

Enkianthus cernuus rubens, like Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Victoria’ has odd out of season flowers as well. I do not however think this is the true E. cernuus rubens even if it has red flowers. Still very odd and never seen before.

Eucalyptus crenulata has lost several branches in the hurricane.

Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’ used to be popular in the nursery trade but now is not widely grown. Here it is a dazzling colour in January.

Sorbus hupehensis still retains its berries.

2025 – CHW

A visit to the Rockery which does catch what little frost we have had this year.

Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ is always the last of the bholua to come into flower.

Frost damage to the new growth on an azalea cut back last summer.

Unfrosted new growth on other rhododendrons and azaleas cut back at the same time.

Rhododendron campylocarpum has finally died after 20 years. Short lived.

Excellent regeneration on another Azalea ‘Tebotan’.

The dwarf growing Pittosporum michiei is not looking well. Presumably very tender.

Rhododendron davidsonianum has turned up its toes after being cut back.

2024 – CHW

No real frost here although the rest of the country has had a very cold week.

No apologies for again showing you Rhododendron nobleanum just going over. In an early year this is a late flowering for this species. Still a great show today and unfrosted.

Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ at its very best and about on time.

Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ hardly showing on the drive as we have seen elsewhere.

Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ still quite excellent near Top Lodge.

Camellia japonica ‘Desire’ now properly open but you only really see the pink petals from the side.

Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’ sprouting lighter and darker flowers here and there.

The very first flower this year on Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’. Perhaps my favourite x williamsii variety?

2023 – CHW
Cold North wind but no frost yet.Fatsia polycarpa now out. Too big a plant now to photograph easily.

Another Schefflera rhododendrifolia (CWJ 9075) which I had forgotten about has a very different habit to the others. 8 feet tall with a truss of leaves only at the top. Bare single stem.

Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ covered in flowers but dropping.

Rehderodendron kwangtungense still retains some leaves – nearly evergreen hare n a mild winter.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ now full out with many fallen flowers on the path as a results of the strong winds.

2022 – CHW
First solitary flower on Camellia ‘Sundae’. None of the other newer varieties on Sinogrande Walk are showing as yet.

Acer pectinatum ‘Mozart’ glowing in the sun on Sinogrande Walk.

A paler form of Rhododendron mucronulatum below the fernery.

Leaf shoots emerging already on Rhododendron mucronulatum.

The larger fernery in the sun – apologies for the poor picture.

Acer davidii ‘Karmen’ and Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ – an interesting contrast.

Plenty of buds showing on a Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’.

The first bedraggled flower on the Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ on the wall beyond the front door.

2021 – CHW
The elderly Camellia ‘Imbricata’ on the top wall just starting.

A small self-sown Camellia saluenensis seedling near a huge clump of Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’ (above Rogers Quarry) is clearly an interesting little cross. It has grown up through a holly tree. I have seen a Trewithen named variety very similar to this but cannot remember its name [I remembered: it is Camellia saluenensis ‘Isadora’]. A great find! Good colour and quite bold and dramatic in the sun. Just one flower out so far.

Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ shows the flower shape clearly.

Deer have nibbled the leaves on our best Quercus insignis.

First flowering of a cutting raised Camellia lapidea (ex Tregrehan 01/10/18) in the greenhouse.

View 17th January 1897 – 2020