17th June | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2023 – CHW

To the remarkable 60 acre Arboretum at Batsford which is a jewel! In marked contrast to my views on Ventnor Botanics last summer which stirred up a public furore this arboretum is extremely well cared for, full of new planting and perfectly labelled throughout. All the things which the National Trust now regards as irrelevant in so many of its once great gardens. Educating the public to the wonders of trees is exactly what the Batsford Trustees are all about. A remarkably good Souvenir Garden Guide as well. Cannot wait to revisit in a different season. With a pH of 7-7.5 they cannot grow many Rhododendrons but Magnolias are thriving. The best collection of mature Carpinus species I have ever seen all in full flower tassel mode. A visit to Batsfords National Collection of cherries is certainly on my list for next spring.

Here are a few general photographs of the Arboretum and Batsford House (private).

From the 240 plant pictures taken today here are just a few gems:-

Cytisus nigricans ‘Cyni’.

Philadelphus palmeri

Rhododendron ferrugineum.

Picrasma quassioides in full flower.

Quercus pontica with acorns forming.

Quercus glauca – our tree at Caerhays is nearly dead.

Ilex hookeri which once grew at Caerhays but never seen before by me.

Cistus salviifolius ‘Prostratus’.

2022 – CHW

Exciting news from Asia and seed germination this spring. Magnolia sapaensis had one seedpod last year (and has eight flower buds today) but loads of good looking seedlings now.

Rhododendron nuttallii has not germinated that well but perhaps a second germination to come?

A colourful display of dianthus at Burncoose this morning.

Acanthus sennii is a new addition to the catalogue now.

Nice plants of the very rare Camptotheca acuminata that was added to the website in the spring. Our tree at Caerhays is now 15ft tall after 11 years but can have minor dieback in cold winters.

Excellent young stock of Juglans mandshurica.

Two new low growing compact and very late flowering evergreen azaleas now in the catalogue – Azalea ‘Blue Moon’ and Azalea ‘White Moon’.

A fine batch of Agapanthus ‘Streamline’ ready for sale at Hampton Court flower show.

2021 – CHW
The Crown Inn at Benson which Hook Norton Brewery acquired over a year ago. It has traded only for eight weeks since renovation was completed last September. About an hour from Hook Norton itself in a large well heeled village near RAF Benson. A gastro pub but with plenty of outside space for rather cheaper food offering from a secondary kitchen. A good investment which has yet to get going after COVID and the 47 diners nearly all sat outside last night in the heatwave conditions.

A clipped Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ hedge of about 5ft in height in the pub garden just coming into flower.

2020 – CHW
A quick trip to the greenhouse to find some plants for Trelawny & Olivia Williams for their new garden near Port Isaac in North Cornwall.Platycrater arguta is now out in flower and these pictures will nearly fill the missing website slots. What a peculiar little hydrangea-like thing it is with what looks like separate male and female flowers. Looks tenderish and a greenhouse thing but I may be wrong.

Salvia discolor is what is on the label of Asia’s propagation and this is a Peruvian species which the reference books say is indigo-black in flower. Rather bluer here and a rather nice thing which is supposed to be a late season flowerer. [I now, subsequently, think this is in fact Salvia pratensis.]

Cornus kousa ‘Rasen’ just flecking with pink before going redder. Quite a sight today. Planted 2001 in the x veitchii clearing then.

Acer cissifolium also planted in 2001 is now a decent tree with quite easily definable leaves and attractive new growth.

Pleasingly less time for the diary now as we awake from our hibernation and start to get cracking and catch up on many other projects.

2019 – CHW
A visit to Bonython last Friday for a Great Gardens meeting and quick tour of the garden which was looking splendid 20 years on from the Nathan’s acquiring the estate. How it has developed and progressed! A spring and summer garden now with much to interest all types of gardener and including many South African herbaceous plants.Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ in full flower in the sun in a corner of the walled garden.

The former swimming pool has now been changed into a water feature in the walled garden. Most effective as it flows over the sides.

Lupinus chamissonis scrambling beautifully through a clipped hedge of Lonicera nitida. A very nice Lupin species which we ought to stock.
Here freestanding at the edge of a border and creeping onto the path. You can see why it needs a host plant to climb over.

Huge artichokes just ripe for picking and eating. Some had been!

The circle of white Betulas around a central sculpture has grown out of all recognition. Three separate birch circles in fact. Sue Nathan now needs a bigger central sculpture.

The view over the top lake.

The view from the bottom of the lower lake. This was originally Proteas and other South African natives. Not that much has survived but what has is now most impressive.

Cornus ‘Venus’ (Cornus kousa var. chinensis x Cornus nuttallii Goldspot x Cornus kousa) was in full sun and the pure white flowers were nearly over and developing pinkish spots then more pink all over. The flower bracts are enormous.

The yew ‘chapel’ has grown from nothing (our plants originally) into a novel feature. Ivy as the pews and a trained blue juniper as the cross. Not my cup of tea but impressive for the visitors.

2018 – CHW
Azalea indicum has many coloured forms from mauve-purple to red and dark red. The clumps on the drive, in the Auklandii Garden and outside the front gate are full out now and flowering more copiously than I can remember before. The flowers are single or in pairs. This marks the very end of the azalea flowering season for another year. Asia ought to have a go at propagating some of these rather neglected plants which may be a bit dull until June but are a pleasure then.

I even found a clump of white flowered ones although the leaves suggest an indicum hybrid. These are at the end of Rookery Path.

2017 – CHW
You can always find something absolutely new in the garden flowering away for the first time ever if you take the trouble to look properly – even when the season is ‘over’!Fuchsia ‘Lady Bacon’ which I bought last year in the Isle of Wight is out beside the greenhouse. I rather like it and it looks tough.

Another less trailing Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’ is nearly out above the greenhouse. Nothing like as good a shape as the one seen last week but its flowers will be more visible.

A moderately mature Styrax japonicus near it. Also not quite out and not photographed before in recent days. On our tour today Asia and I find two additional new named Styrax japonicus varieties but neither have any flowers yet.

The ancient dead Styrax hookeri has fallen over but one shoot from the base remains alive and vigorous. This is a major surprise. When we cut up the dead trunk this winter we must be careful to protect the one shoot.

Another disaster from the recent wind. Half the Record Tree Manglietia insignis above the greenhouse has split out. There are plenty of buds on the fallen branches and some are even out with pink outer tepals creamy inside. The closest I have ever got to photograph the flowers (sadly now drooping). Silvery undersides to the leaves too as you can see.

More pictures of Styrax formosanus full out.

Likewise Styrax wuyuanensis also full out.

Euonymus morrisonensis just about to flower. Entirely new to us. I thought it was a styrax at first.

First three flowers ever on Illicium griffithii. Yet to open but clearly red. One of several new species of illicium introduced to the garden from Tregrehan and Crug Farm in recent years.

Then on to look at a few late flowering or summer magnolias to confirm that the garden is ‘over’!
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x virginiana now full out after its wind battering last week.

Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’ is still full out – five weeks from first showing.

Magnolia globosa nearly out and as late as last year.

A young Magnolia dealbata with its very first flower. The older plant was out 10 days ago.

My first photographs I think of Idesia polycarpa (a tree) in full flower. I had thought this tree was Poliothyrsis sinensis which is similar (and we may well have both) but this is definitely Idesia.

Cotoneaster hualiensis situated in full sun setting fruits already.

Wonderful bronze new growth on a young Magnolia nitida tucked away in a sheltered spot by the Main Ride.

Another elderly clump of recently cut back Rhododendron viscosum by the entrance to the garden are just starting to flower again. I had forgotten these too.

Trying out the new camera today. Hard to focus!The deciduous but rare Rhododendron weyrichii has popped open in a couple of fine hot days. More flower this year than usual. How many deciduous species from China and the US have we shown in the last fortnight – six?

It is the time of the year for discovering dead plants. Here Polylepsis australis which is one of Asia’s favourites presumably because she has been the first to propagate this weird thing. The big plant on the drive is fine. This has been growing happily here for four or five years. The drought in March/April to blame?

Cornus kousa ‘WCBCRI’ (on the label) – whatever that means. No clues in the cornus books but a nice thing. The bracts are still white lower down where they do not catch the sun. As of today’s date very similar to ‘Wisley Queen’?

Nyssa aquatica is very late into leaf. The leaves are oblong and light green at first. Odd bark too as you can see here.

I locate another of the newly planted Styrax wilsonii. It has been too dry and the leaves have yet to develop properly. Fifty fifty for its survival but the flower is nice and the yellow base and anthers stand out on the tiny flowers.

Magnolia virginiana ‘Moonglow’ is just coming out. It will be a good show soon. Nothing out yet on the other M virginiana hybrids (and no buds that I can see yet) nor on the species itself.

The oldest Magnolia dealbata has a couple of flowers at the very top of the plant – say 25-30ft. With my new zoom lens I am supposed to be able to catch it but I end of with fuzzy background – mainly. I need a lesson from Karol I fear.

Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ is now full out.

So is Rhododendron auriculatum.

The Record Tree of Cornus walteri (formerly Cornus wilsonii) is out in full flower by the Fernery. Here the zoom lens appears to work better on the distant flowers at the top of this huge clump.

Preparations for tomorrow’s charity fete are well underway. Grass all cut (even the water-meadows), sponsors boards up and three tents in place.

2016 – CHW
A Great Gardens of Cornwall meeting at Tregrehan. Plans for the 25th anniversary book are well in hand and it appears to be costing the members very little.The meeting ends in complete hilarity when, for some bizarre reason, Jonathan Jones from Tregothnan suggests we must pay more attention to ‘naked gardening’. Apparently this was prompted by London’s new restaurant where you get your kit off to eat (waitresses included presumably). Jonathan muttered something about ‘naked magnolias’ which may or may not have been a phallic time warp or perhaps the meeting was dull enough for his mind to wander dangerously into unchartered territory.

2015 – CHW

A Rhododendron royalii hybrid (‘Royal Flush’? Yellow or apricot) has survived powdery mildew and a clump is flowering sparsely. This one is yellow and pink and nowhere near as good as the pinks and yellows now long dead.

A very late evergreen azalea (unnamed) has the merit of lateness but not much else.

Deutzia subulata is just going over. A Roy Lancaster introduction.

Deutzia pulchra is nearly out. A much more vigorous Lancaster introduction and gift to us.

Several late azaleas above and below Bond Street

Azalea ‘Jock Brydon’

Azalea ‘June Fire’ – still in tight bud in shade. The season for deciduous azaleas does go on longer than you might think and although visitor numbers are now sparse there is still quite a bit to see if you look.

A frog has made it into the dog kennels and two buzzards are eyeing up the chickens on the Lawn. Bad year for moles and little joy with the traps on the Lawn.

2002 – FJW
A very misty week – sea seldom seen – very dreary and gloomy.

1928 – JCW
I came from Scotland, some trees and shrubs are doing very well, the Eriogynums and Griersonianums are good, the late Maddeni hybrids and the late Maddeni species of Forrest. Some Mag parviflora are open, some hypoleuca. M delavayi is not open yet but a lot of buds.

1924 – JCW
Came from London, much rain in the last three weeks and the best growth I ever saw in a short three weeks. Griersonianum and the Harrow hybrids are very good. Eriogynum is open. Cornish Loderi is just over. Mc is very good indeed for size of flowers in the NP8.

3 thoughts on “17th June”

Georg Ruf says:

1st July 2022 at 10:00 pm

This is clearly not Salvia discolor, neither leaves not – especially – flowers are alike. Flowercolour is very dark in discolour, not blue at all.
1. Georg Ruf says:
  
  15th July 2022 at 3:29 pm
  
  I guess it is Salvia pratensis, common along roads in upper Rhine-valley, along streets in the city of Bale. It reflowers after mowing and self-sows; likes chalky, somewhat gravely soils (Swiss Jura) .
2. Charles Williams says:
  
  26th July 2022 at 10:12 am
  
  I now, subsequently, think this is in fact Salvia pratensis.

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