2023 – CHW
The very ancient dark red Azalea indica outside the front door.
Grass cutting starts in Penvergate with two machines. There are two plants of Aesculus wilsonii here and one has done especially well.
2021 – CHW
Hydrangea seemanii will shortly be out.
Hovel Cart Road has been cut first this year so a trip to investigate. There are four well developed Cornus here (one over) and several younger plants with, as yet, no flower.Cornus kousa ‘Summer Stars’ is laden with bracts just turning pink. A spreading pendulous habit.
Tilia amurensis from Cholipo.
2019 – CHW
Time to investigate our Manglietias in flower. I have always known we had three ancient trees and been led to believe that two were M. insignis and one M. hookeri. In the event today I have actually found four veteran trees which I have tried to photograph but they are so huge and tall or enclosed by other things that I have not done this very well. Frankly I am still very puzzled as to which is which and need guidance. More excitingly, I have found three more species of Manglietia with their first flower buds here following last summer’s heat I assume.
Manglietia moto (now Magnolia kwangtungensis) with its first ever flower buds – about 10. Tom Hudson collector’s number TH 2777. Planted 2008. Orange indumentum covers the buds as well as the earlier new growth.
Yesterday a garden tour with a family whose mother works at KPK.
To West Sussex for a 60th birthday party. A good mixed garden with many Burncoose plants. Dry but on green sand so generally water not far down into the soil.Clerodendron trochotomum ‘Carnival’ as a large shrub. We have had this in the catalogue but not recently. Clearly not tender here.
2016 – CHWLiberation Day!
Having spent another four hours yesterday working out how to fill in the new European woodland grant applications I now do not have to bother. So no more nonsense about climate change, priority species etc and hopefully back to basics in a new UK scheme based on timber production and landscape value. How long will that take I wonder?
2015 – CHW
Probably the best thing in the garden today and a must for propagation. Further up Burns Bank is a large mature plant of Stewartia sinensis which is still in tight bud. The way that the bark flakes is entirely consistent with this species.
2003 – FJW
Catalpa duclouxii in flower from suckers (sign of hot summer?). Quercus oxyodon in flower (first time?).1998 – FJW
Picked flower of Sinocalyanthus – first time it has flowered here. Young Lithocarpus pachyphyllus by Charlie Michaels Nursery setting seed. Two Mag rostrata still some.1965 – FJW
A sad day, Laurence Trudgeon left after 16 years in the garden. he worked as hard on his last day as he did on his first.1962 – FJW
This has been a very late year. The drive Azaleas were at their best between June 5-15th. Falconeri is still out. Camellias in main piece and up the drive are still out. It is now hot and the first field of hay bailed.