2024 – CHW
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ just starting to drop its flowers. No frost damage at all. It has been out for at least 5 or 6 weeks already.
Frosted new growth on Rhododendron maddenii.
A new laurel shelterbelt on Bond Street.
Camellia japonica ‘Bokuhan’ just out by the Playhouse. Only a single flower as yet.
Here is a good tip when having a bonfire near other plants. Shield them from the heat with large cut laurel
stems.
Michael and Tim have been burning up windblown leylandii in Kennel Close. A whole row of leylandii were planted as a temporary shelter belt behind a laurel hedge. The leylandii are beginning to stunt the growth of the laurel lower down and frankly it is time for this whole lot to be removed, although only 12 years have passed since they were first planted.
2018 – CHW
Schefflera aff. myriocarpa now has huge racemes of ripe seeds about 10ft up the plant. Difficult to photograph on a windy overcast day. It was flowering in October/November.
Now we see why the camellias and magnolias are later than last year despite the very mild winter (as in 2015)! A surging cold east wind arrives to chill and plunder. It will last for the next three days and bring down the odd branch. I doubt we will see Magnolia campbellii out now until early March. Nevertheless in the camellia shelter belt below Burns Bank I notice the first flowers on: Camellia ‘Mary Costa’
Camellia ‘Debbie’
Here we have Spanish bluebells a good six inches out of the ground and plenty of native bluebells showing nearby. Normally these are out in April so what is the betting now on a flower in late February? A prize for the first person to find a bluebell flower?
1990 – FJW
TERRIBLE STORM – very bad for garden.(Handwritten note added to page of Garden Book)
Storm of January 25th 1990
Blew out (all record sized trees)
1 Nothofagus obliqua
2 Nothofagus menzeseii
2 Nothofagus procera
1 Nothofagus solandrii
1 Nothofagus antarctica
½ Nothofagus cliffortioidesBig group Eucryphia cordifolia
Eucryphia nymansensis
Magnolia salicifolia
Abies nordmanniiAcer henryi Knocked out of shape
Tetracentron sinensis “ “Acer franchettii
Magnolia highdownensis
Sasafras
Magnolia hypoleuca
Acer cappadocicum
Etc, etc
1933 – JCW
Cold now, no real ice on the pond, Camellia speciosa faces the cold wall, blooms are very late as regards Azaleas, fuschias had all their flower buds cut lately i.e Jan 23 1933.
1921 – JCW
About 14 species of Rhodo’s in flower, one Caerhays daff, some Aconites, Snowdrops are going back. P.D’s pink Azalea is v.g, Erica darleyense also.
1920 – JCW
(Sunday afternoon) I was in the Beech Walk, a wonderful afternoon, the blood red scarlets were lovely and 3 big plants of Prunus conradinae in full flower, a remarkable Jan’y afternoon in any year. A good Sutchuenense in the 40 acres. About 20 species of Rhodo’s show flower.
1918 – JCW
Much as in 1914 after a spell of harsh cold, Erica darlyense and Hamamelis mollis are an easy best.
1914 – JCW
Mild again after the frost, a flower or two on C. Lady Clare, C coums good, bits of R yunnanense, R lutescens, R nobleanum, R dahuricum and R racemosum are open.
1902 – JCW
Far behind the above, snowdrops coming on, a Camellia or two, it has been very mild up to this, but it is a late season now. No Maximus anywhere near out but a stray seedling trumpet in the Kitchen Garden show colour and Minimus is at its best.
1899 – JCW
Clianthus open, several stray roses, snowdrops at their best about, a good many Camellia open, Cyclamineus just open, S.E wind has just started.
1898 – JCW
Picked the first Cernuus at the lodge, Clianthus and Habrothummus have been in flower for weeks, seedling gunnera on the move.
1897 – JCW
Anenome blanda out, frost left.