A long eared bat safely evicted from a bedroom. Open windows at night in this extreme heat have their own drawbacks.

The RHS Woody Plant Committee has awarded Camellia x williamsii ‘Delia Williams’ a First Class Certificate (FCC). We exhibited this at Rosemoor in March 2024 as I recollect. These things take time but my mother would be very happy at the end result. Bred at Trewithen I think and given to my mother by Miss Johnstone.

Magnolia tamaulipana has several flowers and has grown enormously.

Bladders on Staphylea trifolia.

And on Staphylea colchica.

Styrax serrulatus in full flower long after the others are over.

Rhododendron ‘Harrow Hybrids’ on Hovel Cart Road just starting.

Fat young wrens in a circular nest.

2024 – CHW
During our visit to Devon yesterday time to take in a new and interesting garden.Cornus kousa can be very effective as a feature plant.

Lilium regale with (perhaps) Rosa ‘Felicia’.

I think this is Clematis alpina ‘Frances Rivis’.

A leaky hose watering system.

Trachelospermum jasminoides and Rosa ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’.

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Clematis ‘Ascotiensis’.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropurpurea’ and Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’.

Jet black hollyhocks which I have only seen before in Seaview.

Hydrangea quercifolia and Actinidia pilosula.

Deutzia setchuenensis var. corymbiflora ‘Kiftsgate’ making a fine show.

2023 – CHW
Carpinus omeiensis omiense with its oddly distinct and droopy leaf formation.

Stewartia monadelpha with late and drought struck small flowers which are hardly opening in the heat.

A young Stewartia pseudocamellia in much the same state.

Carpinus orientalis ‘Perdika’ has a very dense leaf structure and habit.

Catalpa speciosa ‘Frederik’ flowering well for the first time and enjoying the dry conditions. Similar flowers to Catalpa bignonioides but larger and with fewer flowers in each cluster. Perhaps the best thing out in the garden today (or new thing anyway).

Quercus belle ‘D’aquitaine’ with reddish secondary new growth all of a sudden. Seems also to like hot conditions.

2022 – CHW

So what is out in flower in the garden still after my absence on the Isle of Wight?

Silver gilt medal for Burncoose at Hampton Court. Drama because we had to remove several banned plants from the stand (oaks!) but sales good. Dodoneas and hydrangeas particularly.

Hydrangea seemannii now full out and splendid.

Store cattle have grazed off the castle front in only a week and little grass left. Clearly a lot of cow shit on the drive but I am told someone else’s escapees.

Fuchsia ‘Lady Bacon’ properly out by the tower.

Cornus kousa ‘China Doll’ nearly over.

Hydrangea ‘Fireworks-Blue’ and Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’.

Hydrangea ‘Fireworks-Blue’ just full out.

Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’ (pale pink form) nearly over.

Still flowers on Magnolia globosa.

2021 – CHW
First visit today to Ventnor Botanic Garden. They had stayed open throughout COVID but gardeners on furlough had not done a lot for the masses of bindweed everywhere. They too had a dry spring and everything was a bit further behind than I had expected.This year Puya chilensis and Puya berteroniana were both flowering as huge clumps. Most spectacular.

Podanthus ovalifolius not quite out.

Schinus lentiscifolius is another rare but dull species of Schinus to go with the others we have looked at, at home, earlier this year.

Rhaphithamnus spinosus as a tree with a huge trunk. I had always assumed it was just a shrub!

Chordospartium stevensonii is a 15-20ft multi stemmed shrub here. In full flower today.

No idea of the name of this attractive climber.

The Nare hotel may have flowered an Agave americana in 2019 but there are around 10 in flower here or putting up their huge flowering stems before they die.

Agapanthus ‘Whitney’ was a standout white form which they had for sale in their tiny and not very exciting sales area.

Echium fastuosum as a branched shrub and spectacular in flower today.

I could find no label for this small evergreen tree. I was told it was a Melicytus which it clearly is not!