16th May | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2025 – CHW

Chelsea looms – departure in 2 days but the garden looks well and has enjoyed the heavy rain last Sunday.

Magnolia fraseri var. pyramidata flowers over a lengthy period and not all flowers appear at once.

First flowers showing on Rhododendron ‘Lem’s Monarch’.

Magnolia ‘Golden Goblet’ at the end of Bramble Field path next to Magnolia martinii which was flowerless this year.

Again tremendous red new foliage growth on Camellia yunnanensis.

Rhododendron lindleyi just coming out and traces of pink still visible.

Rhododendron ‘Bobolink’.

Rhododendron ‘Lemon Meringue’.

At last good new growth on the big leaf rhodos after the rain.

Rhododendron griffithianum planted out 2 years ago.

Rhododendron ‘Taurus’.

Magnolia ‘Jersey Belle’ (Magnolia sinensis x M. sieboldii) as good as I have ever seen it.

2024 – CHW
Cressy and Molly arrive at Chelsea and are rather taken aback by the size of the Burncoose stand this year. The RHS have raised up one side of the stand for us as planned. A good start! (The stand is 10m x 10m).

Cornus x rutgersensis ‘Stellar Pink’ was planted above the Lower Rockery in 2011. Today it has made a good small tree with plenty of flower. The bracts overlap each other and are already a decent pink. They will become pinker over the next few days if we get the sun back again. Half an inch of rain yesterday.

Camellia japonica ‘Kramer’s Beauty’ still with good flower at the sales point.

The Caerhays bred Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’ – yellow.

Rhododendron vaseyi and Rhododendron arizelum.

Rhododendron decorum out earlier than expected by Tin Garden.

Azalea ‘Coccinea Grandiflora’.

The Caerhays bred and paler coloured form of Rhododendron ‘Moonstone’.

Rhododendron ‘Mi Amor’ at its fantastic best.

Rhododendron ‘Lem’s Monarch’ just opening.

Rhododendron yakushimanum below Donkey Shoe. Pink in bud opening white.

The very last flower on Camellia japonica ‘Bokuhan’ by the Playhouse.

2023 – CHW
My granddaughter Lamorna goes collecting pheasant eggs (aged 2).

The rainstorms brought down a conifer on Laundry Hill.

Weigela florida ‘Variegata’ full out but with a few branches reverting to green.

Below 4-in-Hand this clump of rhododendrons came from Trewarthenick are were, I am told, bred there. No name!

A good crop of flowers on Rehderodendron macrocarpum.

Magnolia ‘Coral Lake’ is not quite as dull as I had thought when I look closely.

Paulownia kawakamii just coming out in Kennel Close. It will be the best thing in the garden in a week or so. Paulownia tomentosa ‘Lilacina’ is also out but nowhere near as good as this.

The first time this young Embothrium has flowered on the top of the bank above Roger’s Quarry. A ghastly dry site with very poor stoney soil. Just what they like!

Lashings of rain have spoilt Rhododendron crassum (and many others).

Magnolia sieboldii ‘Michiko Renge’ nicely out.

Magnolia sieboldii sinensis also out beside it.

Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ bashed up by wind and rain but some flower buds still fine.

At last a true to name Staphylea bumalda (BSWJ 11053)

Another poor form of this species. Rhododendron orbiculare. Small flowers and smallish leaves.

2022 – CHW

A rush to see things in flower before the distraction of the Chelsea publicity work. The lorry has been loaded over the last two days for the off to London tomorrow, a week before the show actually opens. The team this year for the smaller wall stand are Christine, Molly and Justin.

A nice group of Rhododendron floccigerum on from the front gate.

Four species of Carpinus well into leaf on Sinogrande Walk.

Carpinus henryana ‘Simplicidentata’ (a gift from Bluebell Nursery) – now that the huge suckers from the graft have been removed we can see the real thing.

Carpinus laxiflora has quickly made a large tree. Planted 2009.

Carpinus x schuschaenensis – also a large tree. Planted 2009.

Carpinus nimopli – name may be a misspelling as I cannot find it. A very dwarf growing species anyway.

Acer campestre ‘Postelense’ with its reddish seedpods already fully developed. If it had yellowish leaves initially these have long since faded.

Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’ is another striking five year old plant in the Isla Rose already performing well. I first saw this variety trained against a wall at Llanover House.

The rhododendron species flowering in the recently planted former Orchid House Nursery bed:

Rhododendron degronianum ssp. heptamerum ‘Oki Koki’

Rhododendron smirinowii flowering for the second year. Flowers hidden in the foliage.

Rhododendron neriiflorum ssp. phaedropum with multiple flowers this year.

Magnolia ‘March till Frost’ still covered in flowers albeit faded in colour.

2021 – CHW
As so often a trip to inspect new plants in the greenhouse on Sunday.This is a bought in Ilex colchica in flower. Susyn Andrews needs to confirm its identity next weekend. Another new species of holly to try here.

First flowers, and impressive ones, on Crataegus crassicarpa.

Vallea stipularis just into flower. Forgot to plant these out this year.

Ilex fargesii subsp. fargesii var. fargesii (what a daft name!). It does not look like a holly so naming to confirm by Susyn here also.

This Metrosideros robusta has been grown on under cover for several years but has now been planted outside exactly where its huge predecessor once grew and flowered well.

Prostanthera calycinca – the limestone mint bush – with its first flowers here. Not sure where this came from but clearly a greenhouse plant.

Hemiptelea davidii with viscous spines (Zelkova davidii). Introduced to the UK in 1908 but native also to Korea.

Chorizema cordatum now nicely out. I bought this a few weeks ago.

Corylopsis spicata ‘Golden Spring’ with its new leaves as wonderful as ever. A difficult plant to get properly established in the garden as I have found to my cost.

Morus cathayana with catkin flowers. Entirely new here as far as I know but a Wilson 1907 introduction.

View 16th May 1897 – 2020