2020 – CHW
Still one clump of seed pods attached to the old Lithocarpus pachyphyllus. This one is the last to fall.
At last, after a fortnight of shooting hell and the funeral, time to see properly how ridiculously far ahead the magnolias are in this still mild January.To my horror I spot a few flowers on the magnolia through the arch from the front door. This was the first campbellii x mollicomata seedling out last year and in the years since we have lived here. Never quite as early as this though.
2018 – CHW
A start to the new plant sales area beside the new shop. Still a month to go until the gardens open so plenty still to do.
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Muskoka’. Muskoka is a township in northern Canada where my grandmother’s family lived. Definitely rather late this year. My grandmother was the seventh of seven children and married my grandfather at the age of 16 I think.
Two rows of camellias below the Meliosma veitchiorum have been ‘hat standed’ to reshoot. Some are probably not now worth their place and can be dug out. The third row can stay for a bit as a windbreak but there is another big clump of Camellia saluensis / williamsii types nearby (unnamed) which are for the chop shortly and can then be dug out. More change and ongoing rejuvenation.
1991 – FJW
Frogs cavorting and spawning in Philips pond. MILD – snowdrops open.1977 – FJW
Aunt Mary died.1968 – FJW
David picked first daffodil.
1931 – JCW
The first small bit of moupinense open.
(Handwritten note taped in Garden Book):
I put about 15-20 cuttings under a bell glass in no 4 Tin Garden, they were off Forrest evergreen Oak just north of the big Lindera.
1926 – JCW
R mucronulatum now at its best, some moupinense open later far than 1920, R lutescens has had bits open since Oct.
1920 – JCW
H mollis is going over, R moupinense has been very good, the Blood red hybrids coming to be good, and the irroratums with hairs show flowers for the first time. The first cyclamineus open.
1919 – JCW
Hamamelis mollis very good indeed and so since Christmas. E darleyense very nice, nobleanum fair. One very nice moupinense. I picked some Blood Red hybrids and some Sutchuenense, Lutescens and Barbatum a fair bit out.
1917 – JCW
A fortnights cold and frost nothing moving. Hamamelis mollis has been good for a month and in all the frost and snow.
1910 – JCW
All far behind the above, Snowdrops open by the Dining Room, others show colour. N calathinus one or two, a few Aconites, a nice lot of coums, a few of the Ericas.
1906 – JCW
Yellow crocus open some time, six or seven minimus and cyclamineus seedlings open, Camellia Japonica open, Ericas good, ½ daffs well above ground. P megasoefolia, very good.
1905 – JCW
Cyclamineus and minimus have been open two or three days only one flower, C coum at its best, P megasoefolia is good. Crocus imperati, Snowdrops and Aconite well out.
1901 – JCW
Cyclamineus open.
1899 – JCW
One third of the snowdrops open, several wild primroses, Seedling Maximus open, Golden Bell well through the ground,many crocus open; nearly all Engelhard’s poeticus through; many Minimus open, two year old seedlings in the open frame just coming up; Sir Watkin hardly up, Princep Mary ¼ of them up. Four sorts of Polyanthus open.
1896 – JCW
I saw one flower of Rhodoⁿ Praecox out.