2023 – CHW
Camellia reticulata ‘Lovely Lady’ still with decent flowers.
Tom Hudson tipped me off that the RHS Fellows and Jim Gardiner tour gift earlier this spring was flowering well for him. A near double form of Magnolia sieboldii. However when I rush to the greenhouse ours has no flowers.Malus coronaria ‘Elk River’ is now properly out. Last week just in bud.
More young trees just into leaf or flower.Tilia chingiana has a very unusual and interesting unfurling of its leaves.
2020 – CHW
Lord Sumption sums up, very succinctly, the whole problem with the COVID disaster. Health before everything with the politicians being blinded by political risk and the initial false scientific advice of Professor Ferguson. Would that Boris had listened to wiser council and advice!Here is what Lord Sumption said. He says it so much better than I have been trying to over the last six weeks of misery. When will the penny finally drop? We will see what Boris has to say later today.
Microcachrys tetragona looks a bit like Microbiota decussata. The latter comes from Russian mountains and the former is from the Tasmanian mountains.
2019 – CHW
After our trip to the High Weald gardens one suddenly realises how far ahead we are this year in the garden and how close the garden season is to being over. The Enkianthus are superb today and most Styrax and Stewartia still to come but the rhodos are well past their best and the ‘smellies’ have gone over quickly as the hot weather returns. Cutting stuff for Chelsea next week will be problematic as the weather is set fine and fair.
Deutzia calycosa ‘Dali’ is full out already and the first Deutzia to show here on the drive.
Every year we bite our nails over which plants in the garden here and at Burncoose will be in tight enough bud to cut in a week’s time for Chelsea and which will remain looking decent for the week of the show itself.It has been a very late spring but the warm weather in the last 10 days has made everything rush out into flower rather more quickly than I had hoped.So it is time to review the ‘usual suspects’ which are normally fit to cut for the show. Many are the same as most years but there are problems!Magnolia sieboldii is in tight bud still and should be perfect.
2017 – CHW
A good picture of Echium fastuosum sent to us by a friend whose garden adjoins the sea in Seaview on the Isle of Wight. The best display of this I have ever seen.
A tour with Mike and Annabelle Lloyd from Hillersdon House in Devon and seven dogs.Berberis insignis var insignis is performing increasingly well below Slip Rail – a clump of three. I detest the ‘municipality’ of most berberis but this is different.
A final pre-Chelsea quest for yellow(ish) magnolias which I had not seen yet or which were new to us.Magnolia ‘Hot Flash’ is a now 15 years old and not a bad yellow alongside ‘Sundance’ which has been over for a fortnight. I guess it is normally out in Chelsea week and hence why I have not seen it before.
‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’ – only a couple of flowers last year but now something good (unlike its neighbour of similar parentage). Almost blue in bud opening as you see.
Magnolia unknown – a chubby triangular habit to this first time flowerer but the label has vanished. Just 3 buds which are an odd shape and quite small opening with a tinge of pink.
Update on 15th May, this one has been identified as Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’
Michelia yunnanense ‘Summer Snowflake’ – a nice clone flowering for the first time which is now properly Magnolia laevifolia. Flowers are larger and open flatter with whitish insides than pure laevifolia. Nice but not that special really.
Magnolia Genie still has buds and flowers weeks after it first came out. Although there are now leaves as well this is another major attribute.
Magnolia ‘Daphne’ – one of three plants now full out. Absolutely the best yellow so far without question.
1932 – JCW
The hybrid Magnolias are at their best. Sargentiana has passed. Cherries are going but were excellent, Rhodo’s are late compared to 1928.1928 – JCW
Martin and I agreed that we never saw so many Auklandii in bloom here as two nights ago. Zealanicum hybrids, haematodes, chasmanthum, and chartophyllums are all very good. M parviflora shows but several. The Wilsonii are in flower, some very nice Azaleas about. Kingsbridge hybrids good. Things belonging to rhodo’s are on the wane.
1926 – JCW
Auklandii and Arboreum hybrids are all over. Decorum are and have been good. I cleared two nice pink ones today, one of Wilsons and one of Forrest’s enkianthus at their best – Zealanicum hybrids good, no Harrow hybrids yet but some Cornish Loderi.
1925 – JCW
Cherries over. Auklandii very few flowers, one of Davidsonianum good. The rubiginosum hybrid Auklandii x Campylocarpum are very nice. Zealanicum x Auklandii just starting. Helodoxa primulas V.G.
1924 – JCW
Cherries over. Auklandii at their best. Davidsonianum’s good. No Insigne. Recurvas all open.
1917 – JCW
Cherries nearly at their best. Fortunei x Arboreum good, white hybrid Auklandii’s very good. Davidsonianums started to wane, Auklandii fair but frosted, the first Rosa hugonis shows. Some yellow trumpets remain and the May 11th pheasant eye is opening. A mad year as regards the mixing of seasons.
1915 – JCW
Tubergen Iris, c reticulata, all early rhodo’s have gone over. Rockery Augustinii at their best, the outside ones are over. Orbiculare going back, Sappho hybrids open, and Devonshire Recurvas good. Standishii, C montana rubra good, also Auklandii above frost line and some white Broughtonii x’s.
1908 – JCW
The Tubergen Iris have been splendid, 50 or more blooms. Daffs have started the rot, nothing much left. 90 late Poets look well in the hall, recurvas nearly at their best, going over incomps the last time. C reticulata over, Auklandii hit by frost of April 24th, since few opening.
1907 – JCW
The last and latest Recurvas opened, we have had very heavy rain. I. pavonia is open, a few.
Hi,
Love your blog as I’m a rhodo nut. I saw griffithianum in the wild in Arunachal Pradesh in 2005. You mention “They are the true Rhododendron griffithianum which was one of the parents of all the Gill hybrids of old. These magnificent trees with creamy or red flowers still grace the top of the garden here but many were lost in the 1990 hurricane. ” Were you referring to the Gill hybrids being creamy or red as opposed to griff. which is white? Asking because there are several red hybrids such as Jean Marie de Montague which list griff as an ancestor. More interesting than the color but possibly related is that there are more than a few polyploids in that family tree. J.M. produces unreduced gametes.
Dear Mr Rabideau
Thank you for your comment and apologies for the late reply!
Yes, I was referring to the Gill hybrids being red as opposed to white.
I will try and get some pictures to you or into the diary.
Best wishes
Charles Williams