2020 – CHW
Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’ now has a few flowers that are fully open, as you can see against this overcast sky.

Some newly planted camellias are performing beyond the Playhouse:Camellia japonica ‘Oo La La’ with a nice frill.
2018 – CHW
The new plant sales area outside the new shop is starting to take shape.
A sunny day and mild to start with. The Rhododendron mucronulatums are nearly over but the new season’s growth is already evident. A very quick turnaround despite the recent cold.
Echium pinnifolium outside the drawing room window has gone black after the minor frost (one night only) about a week ago. It will probably survive and go on to flower if we get no more cold but this shows just how tender this beautiful biennial really is. The others by the front door are still fine.
2000 – FJW
Dry January – light frost for 10 nights. Camellias good, no sign of Magnolias.1994 – FJW
Four flowers on – Mollicomata/ Robusta hybrid near back yard.1967 – FJW
Very early and impossibly mild. David picked two daffs. Saw a member of the Swallow family looking fit and well.1961 – FJW
Rain has been incessant since August.1959 – FJW
Garden behind – one or two poor Sutchuenense hyb’s. Mucronulatum in drive very good, scabrifolium coming. Weather mild after cold wet spell.
1934 – JCW
R mucronulatum bed is by far our best shrub in flower. Erica hybrida is opening on the Terrace. R moupinense is very good and so is R Ririei.
1928 – JCW
Very late year and very poor examples of any of the above plants and for the most part very few of them open.
1918 – JCW
Moupinense is open as to one third, bits of lutescens, scabrifolium, sutchuenense, Blood red hybrid and a fair bit of Nobleanum with a little mucronulatum. Erica hybrids very fine indeed. I saw the first lambs tails in flower.
1916 – JCW
Johnstone here and called off to Egypt before we got out. Prunus cerasus conradinae now is the best thing open. P pissardi has one third of the flowers out. R praecox very good, Erica hybrid excellent, R moupinense very nice. A few daffs are about, R nobleanum has every flower open and perfect. A very mild winter up to this.
1914 – JCW
Quite a late year so far from 1914. No sign of a trumpet daff here. C coum is nice, Aconite open but scarce. All the heaths coming to be nice.
1902 – JCW
I picked two seedling trumpets in the Kitchen Garden, cold and fine.