Meconopsis betonicifolia and Kalmia latifolia.

Styrax japonicus ‘Purple Dress’ and Embothrium lanceolatum ‘Ñorquinco’.

Anchusa ‘Loddon Royalist’ and Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’.

Calycanthus ‘Venus’ and Stewartia rostrata.

Lily martagon ‘Sunny Morning’ and Embothrium lanceolatum ‘Ñorquinco’.

Beschorneria septentrionalis with its extraordinary flower.

Across the stand.

The Chelsea team 2025.

Aesculus hippocastanum ‘Baumannii’ full out well before most of the other species of Aesculus which are now on the way.

Quercus rugosa with new growth appearing. The old leaves are wind battered.

Magnolia (Michelia) ‘White Caviar’ is another in the series of these extraordinary (M. figo x M. doltsopa) New Zealand hybrids. The flowers on M. ‘Port Wine’ may well not be that different to M. figo itself (as we saw recently) but ‘White Caviar’ is getting better and better. Unlike M. figo the flowers open out flat and have gorgeous dark pink centres as you can see here. Looking in the Eisenhut reference book I see that there are even more named varieties of similar parentage. There are all very desirable garden plants which will grow in popularity in the next decade when people get to see them growing away properly.

Pseudopanax ‘Moas Toes’ romping skywards above Crinodendron Hedge. Tree like!

A good new clump of (deciduous) Azalea ‘Silver Slipper’ nearby. The contrast between new growth and flower is attractive.

All the new planting above Crinodendron Hedge is shaping up well with many new things to enjoy over the seasons. Need to cut back to reshoot both the Escallonia species here despite them only being in the ground for 3 or 4 years.

2022 – CHW

Despite some welcome light rain the woodland garden flowering of rhododendrons, camellias and (most) magnolias is now fast approaching the end of the season. Everything has been two to three weeks earlier than usual right through the spring even though the deciduous azaleas are only half out today and the styrax and stewartia have yet to start properly. The prunus are well over and the malus (mostly) nearing the end of their equally early season. Some aesculus are out but plenty of species to come. Chelsea departure on Saturday although the team have been on the showground since Tuesday.

Magnolia sieboldii ‘Pride of Norway’ – not much different, as I see it, to M. sieboldii ‘Michiko Renge’ apart from being a week or so later into full flower. I confess to not looking in the reference books for the differences.

Squirrel damage on another Magnolia sieboldii growing very nearby. Think how much worse this problem would be without ‘tree rat’ control?

Paulownia tomentosa ‘Lilacina’ in the distance with Rhododendron crassum in the foreground. Strangely the other paulownia species have yet to flower.

Another named Magnolia sieboldii but only the tail end of the label survives and it is not in the planting plan. I did not photograph today two older M. sieboldii (unnamed) on the main path as they are not out yet and there are a few more to photograph around and about and in Old Park. However I have to conclude that they are all much the same apart, perhaps, from flower size and the timing of the flowering. Our old M. sieboldii subsp. sinensis has much better and larger flowers (and differently positioned on the branches – i.e. pendulous rather than at right angles). I say again that I agree with the upcoming International Dendrology Society (IDS) review of magnolias which will probably make M. sinensis a species in its own right. Karol has now sent 5-600 magnolia pictures of ours to the IDS for use in the new and extensive magnolia section of their online website which can be viewed by anyone. It may take many years to perform similar erudite taxonomy and descriptive work with photographs (unlike Bean/Hillier’s) for all the other genera which we enjoy growing!

Most of the Enkianthus species/hybrid collection above Hovel Cart Road are prematurely over except for Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Hollandia’ which is outstanding!

Enkianthus hirtinervus is always the last species to flower but it is having a year off from flowering and very few, as yet not really open, flower clusters. You can see why this is when you look at the hanging seedheads from last year which have used up all its energy for this season in a dry spring.

A picture from Chelsea shows the stand taking shape.

2021 – CHW
A present from the Rev Michael Warner of Thuja plicata ‘Whipcord’. A most peculiar plant which will never get very large and is suitable for a rockery or upraised bed.

Cutting back laurel and rhododendron above Hovel Cart Road.

A clump of six Enkianthus chinensis on Hovel Cart Road.

Staphylea colchica ‘Black Beauty’ is a welcome addition to the Staphylea collection.

Sorbus helenae (ex Mt Omei) just into leaf and flower.

A very good show on a somewhat hidden away Michelia foggii ‘Jack Fogg’ above Crinodendron Hedge.

New leaves on Fagus sylvatica ‘Prince George of Crete’.

Podocarpus lawrencei ‘Purple King’ purchased at Hampton Court in 2019.

Rhododendron ‘Graziella’ can be a shy flowerer but not this year.

A 2017 planted Sorbus hedlundii (GWJ 9363) just into leaf. Spectacular foliage!

Picrasma quassiodes is a new rarity leafing up in its second year after planting.

Another clump of Enkianthus cernuus recurvus rather darker in colour.

Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Showy Lantern’ a wonderful bright red in colour. Silly name perhaps but spectacular against other red forms.

Carpinus nimpoli which seems to be a dwarf species with tiny leaves. I find this species impossible to trace in the reference books, but it came from Bulk or Roundabarrow.