A memorial to a hurricane pilot killed aged 20 in 1940 in the middle of a hedgerow between fields of sweetcorn above the hectares of tomato glasshouses in the centre of the island.

The town hall in Newport.

The Victorian statue in the town square.

The Isle of Wight Club in the town square. Only just over a hundred members who all have a key. The main club income is from renting out the shops below it. A miniature Whites or Brooks perfectly hidden away with artwork to match. Reflects the former glory of Newport which is now not exactly thriving. Its first mosque has just opened.

The view from the club over the town square.

The front door of the club.

2025 – CHW

A trip to Ventnor Botanic Gardens and a chance meeting with the curator. I knew there were some Photinia species but too late for an elderly P. serratifolia which had died. No pictures then for my new completed article on Photinia species.

A plant I had never heard of for sale – Curcuma alismatifolia.

Crinodendron patagua – a huge tree in full flower but too high up to do it justice.

A young Tetradium daniellii with its first flower.

Hypericum henryi subsp. hancockii just about over.

Diospyros cathayensis in maturity. I now think that at least one of our young plants is correctly named.

Celtis caucasica – Caucasian Nettle Tree – took some finding but a fine tree. One we need for our Celtis collection.

An arched canopy of Campsis radicans ‘Flamenco’.

Amazing bark on Arbutus xalapensis but too tender for us to risk.

The Australian Paraserianthus lophantha covered in seed heads.

Melaleuca alternifolia full out as it has been on my visits for the last few years. Flowers like cotton.

2024 – CHW
A visit to Appley Tower restoration project with the High Sherrif of the IoW. The tower was built in 1875 as a watchtower over the Solent; basically a glorious folly to the then huge Hutt family house and estate which has long gone. A £349K restoration project nearing completion although the builders are nowhere near finishing by 1st August as they are contracted to do. The official opening may have to be delayed. The funding has largely come from the National Lottery. The builders are Stoneham Construction and the tower is owned by Ryde Council.

Beside the tower is a memorial to HMS Sirius which sailed to Australia in 1788 and never came back.

The tiny ground floor room in lined or decorated with ammonite fossils which are currently being painted over. An odd way of preserving them one might think. This tiny room is available for rent. It has no natural light.

The middle floor is to be an art gallery. A new (ugly) steel staircase runs around the wall to allow access to the roof. Still with no handrails. Its all so tiny that it will need careful policing to avoid overcrowding.

Access to the upper floors and roof is only via an exterior staircase.

The viewing balcony and quite a bit of friable stonework still visible for which there was not enough funding to replace.

It is a most peculiar building – apparently the third most photographed building on the island. Ryde Council have given the project 4 nearby beach huts to hire out (£35/ day) which should pay the rent for the art company, Monkton Arts, who will be the new tenants when the builders finally move out.

These mature trees below the Tower car park, toilets and main sewage pumping station have recently been cut down and, as you can see here, the stumps poisoned. I assume the trees were cut down to create a view over the Solent? With true Council hypocrisy they have now planted new trees to avoid the obvious criticism. A fair few have been vandalised already.

2023 – CHW
The buds on Magnolia kwangtungensis are close to opening.

Very late in the year flowers on the elderly Lithocarpus cleistocarpus.

This clump of Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ already nearly over by George’s Hut.

Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ covered in secondary flowers.

Another scented Rhododendron dies. The rain came too late.

Hydrangea sargentiana ‘Gold Rush’ putting on a good show.

See how different this flower is on our Desfontainea spinosa than the one a week ago at Osborne House in the Isle of Wight.

Our best blue hydrangea clump is nearly over but looking rather heathier than a year ago.

2022 – CHW

Some light rain overnight but not enough.

I cannot get over the growth of Acacia baileyana in just two years in this hot spot above the greenhouses. I fear it will blow over despite the large stake.

Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ covered in flowers again! What a performer this small tree is!

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Glaucum’ finally getting away after a slow start from 14 years ago.

Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ – the red bark has just peeled off the lower part of the trunk. In this it is very similar to ‘Bowling Green’ and ‘Chinese Garden’ at this youngish age.

Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’ with a few tail end flowers after I would have expected it to be over.

Hydrangea ‘Leanath’ making a fine show in the shade back from the Green Gate.

2021 – CHW
The strong warm northerly gales preceding the end of the heatwave have split the Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Aureomarginata’ more or less in half.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ now full out but no pink tints yet.

Ehretia macrophylla growing away quickly.

Sizygium smithii still has attractive new growth.

Juglans major (Juglans elaeopyren now) is getting away nicely.

Lithocarpus dealbatus not so well.

Pseudopanax ‘Moa’s Toes’ has survived the roe deer nibbling and is now going ahead.

The (original) Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ which was hit by the tree surgeons two years ago is reshooting vigorously and needs a bit more judicious pruning to tidy it up.

Viburnum parvifolium (BSWJ 6768) planted this spring is making good headway.