2024 – CHW
The large and elderly Rhododendron johnstoneanum cut down in March is not exactly reshooting well but there are a few positive signs. In this very wet year there ought to be more regrowth.
2023 – CHW
A trip to Thompson’s Garden Centre which also appeared to have had an excellent spring. Not much stock left at all.
Alcea ‘Celebrities Carmine Rose’ and two other double flowered holyhocks. Lizzie is keen for a purchase for her garden but the plants I saw were far too pot bound to be planted successfully now.
Good to see new shoots emerging only about eight weeks after Jaimie cut down the ancient and original Camellia saluenensis by the ladies loos.
Another solitary visit to Ventnor Botanics. There are bits of the garden getting so overgrown and full of echium, Verbascum and weed seedlings that a complete cleanout is needed to start again. The key spot to start would be the cistus collection which is long past its best with most of the plants overmature and near dead not to mention the bindweed infestation.I discover Ungnadia speciosa with an acer-like leaf. Not in any reference books that I have here.
Last week we visited Bonython garden. As usual the herbaceous borders were looking at their best.The four quarters of the blue garden.
Meconopsis cambrica (now renamed Meconopsis cambricum), Welsh poppy, has escaped the strimmer and the dry seed heads are scattering their seed in the wind.
In Tin Garden, where the soil was disturbed 18 months ago, quite a crop of wildflowers.Anthemis arvensis, corn camomile, is a common arable field weed which is an annual.
2019 – CHW
A visit to Northcourt Manor to view John and Christine Harrison’s wonderful garden. Most of the magnolias came from Burncoose but a 34 year old ‘Lanarth’ was clearly not true to name from its pictures and probably a Magnolia campbellii alba seedling. The garden is in a deep wooded valley near the village of Shorwell.
Salvia darcyi collected by their friend and Garden Society member, John D’Arcy, and named after him.
A trip to Thompson’s garden centre near Arreton. One of four in the chain but the only one in the Isle of Wight. They are growers as well as garden centres and also grow Christmas trees.The few new plants seen were:Achillea ‘Lilac Beauty’ – a gentle colour
A surprising late flowering red rhododendron on the Rookery path which needs layering to ensure its survival. A very different colour to the ‘Harrow Hybrids’ but the hairs on the leaf petioles would suggest that it too is a Rhododendron auriculatum hybrid. Well worth propagating and preserving.
Painters at work on the Rabbit Warren.
Off to Leslie Baker’s immaculate garden open day in St Austell to raise money for St Mewan Church. Many shooting friends present. Leslie is planning to turn some of the herbaceous borders into shrubberies to reduce maintenance in his dotage and we agree to swap clumps of herbaceous for shrubs in the autumn. Phlox ‘White Admiral’ is just coming out. Phlox seldom look as good as this in pots!
Rhodohypoxis is a lovely alpine plant but only really grow-able in Cornwall in a pot as here. Not one for our catalogue although very good.
Not sure which Penstemon variety this is?
Another Penstemon which Karol may be able to identify from our website? – ‘Alice Handley’
No entry
1927 – JCW
The Gravetye Gardener saw over 100 blooms on Mag parviflora open since the first week in May.
1922 – JCW
Only a few flowers open. No Auriculatums moving. American Pillars are good. No Buddleia.
1921 – JCW
Romneya coulteri at its best say 600 flowers?!
1920 – JCW
Fortunei are passing. Auriculatum and Decorum x Auriculatum coming on, these last promise to be green and just as late as the species. Plagianthus have been very fine. R ingersii over.
1917 – JCW
Fortunei have been very fine, are now fading. Brunonis at its best. No Buddleias. C Rambler is very good. One Auriculatum is starting. R mitricatum is opening also R mugorii.
1914 – JCW
R brunonis is over. Buddleia variabilis is open well. R magnifica is starting. One R fortunei is in flower in Beech Walk and the others over. C rambler fair. R auriculatum is just starting.
1913 – JCW
Just back from London and Scotland. R brunonis remains very good, R veitchii fair. Rhodo’s Ingersii, Maddeni, Cataubiense and Campylocarpum would give pollen (just a pinch on the Campylo and Cataubiense).
1912 – JCW
R brunonis has gone. A cyclamen or two show and so a Lapageria. Buddleia veitchii good. R magnifica starting. Wilson’s Hupei Fortunei’s just over owing to the heavy rains. R auriculatum is not moving.
1911 – JCW
C Rambler going back. Brunonis also. All daff seed sown a week ago, some of the two years old planted, most of the older bulbs moved. Buddleia at Hovel half open, the darkest form ten days off. A few cyclamen open.
1908 – JCW
C rambler at their best also Brunonis. Came from Scotland two days ago. All daff seed picked some [?] since. A long drought just broken, the rhodo’s seem to have set well for flowers as a result.
1901 – JCW
No Lapageria open, roses good yet. Planted most of the seed, well on with the moving of bulbs and seedlings and other.
1899 – JCW
Everlasting peas at their best, a few Lapagerias open.
The rare Ungnadia speciosa, Mexican buckeye, monotypic in Sapindaceae, is now in IDS online, with pictures, one from Strasbourg BG where it flowers and fruits every year, despite being planted below Emmenopterys and Choerospondias axillaris, the former often suffering from drought.
Albizzia julibrissin is the “winner” of drought, growing on an flowering unimpressed where others suffer heavily.
This colour variant of Correa lawrenciana is remarkable, one would like to have frost-hardy types of it for the yard.