2024 – CHW
Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ in a pot outside the Stable Flat.
Roy Lancaster sends me his pictures of three very rare plants flowering in his garden.
Lonicera calcarata.
2023 – CHW
No rain now for the best part of 3 weeks.
Malus x micromalus full out and a great spectacle today.
2022 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Banana Split’ still has a few flowers showing despite the heavy and welcome rainstorms of late which delivered an inch or two of rain.
Bank holiday morning at the nursery with Justin picking out 150 unusual plants to sell at the rare plant fair at Tregrehan next Sunday.A trip to locate some of the things still in flower to film with Rick Stein on Wednesday. The second objective was to photograph a few pittosporum species in flower.Ilex yunnanensis in full growth with flower buds showing.
2020 – CHW
The ongoing heatwave is taking its toll and young as well as very old plants are dying daily. A water bowser will be left in Kennel Close this week so that we can try to water those trees which are obviously struggling to survive. The recent warm but drying east wind has made it all worse.
A trip to look at Styrax species which are out and nearly over in the nursery. The position here is different. Those species which seeded profusely last year are having a year off and have little, if any, flowers – Styrax serrulatus, Styrax hemsleyanus, Styrax hookeri. The hot weather seems to have slowed the others down and while a few flowers are out here and there the main rush is a few days away yet and it is not going to be anything like as good as last year. The last dry summer (but wet at the end of it) saw a huge crop of seeds but this has drained the energy of the plants.
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’ is a case in point.
Just drizzle and the odd very brief shower but still no proper rain. Nevertheless a bit of wind which brought down a big leading branch from the elderly Magnolia delavayi on the Main Ride crushing part of the equally elderly clump of Azalea ‘Hinodegiri’. Never a dull moment in the garden with no ‘incidents’. Lots of new planting ‘deads’ already in the drought and Jaimie has been sorting watering of some of the most exposed (to sun) new plantings. A second summer of near drought looms? In the 1920s it was cold winters – now it is ‘climate change’ if you actually believe that after last year’s ‘Beast’?
Azalea indica ‘Macrantha’ (Rhododendron indicum ‘Macrantha’) in the Auklandii Garden.
2018 – CHW
A staggeringly wet day for a tour with a highly enthusiastic group of Belgian/Dutch members of the Dutch fern society.
One seldom sees fruits on podocarpus. The seed is inside the fleshy red yew-like berry. This is Podocarpus ‘Young Rusty’ and there were only about five podocarp fruits on the whole bush. Where I have found these fruits on other podocarpus varieties it has been much later in the season.
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ is again coming up trumps as the rest of the garden is very nearly over.
A few nice new things photographed for the 2017 catalogue at Burncoose. Yes, it is that time again and the next job on the agenda.Acer shirasawanum ‘Jordan’ – a very delicate yellow leaf and supposedly a hybrid with Acer palmatum.
2015 – CHW
The dogs set off for a short one and the plan is to look at just weigelia but of course it goes all wrong. I start with Weigelia ‘Florida Variegata’ but, on close inspection, the edges to the new growth are yellowish and not white until later. Probably still correct and planted below the bank on the lawn 40 plus years ago by me.
Beside it is a good plant of Jasminum humile ‘Revolutum’ which we need to propagate as always out of stock at Burncoose.
I need to take a closer look at the several ancient wisterias growing up through yew trees above the wall and on the Rookery . Not out yet although all those nearer the house are over.
A nice double flowering Azalea ‘Gena Mae’ which amusingly is not one of the thousands listed in Galle’s book.
The original plants (and possibly record sized) of Symplocus paniculata are covered in flower. Very large shrubs in a clump. Blue berries later. Supposedly a strong scent but not obvious.
Then back down through Hardy and Berts Nursery between the two ferneries. Who Hardy and Bert were I have no idea nor do I ever remember the nursery bed which is now full of Azalea ‘Hinomayo’ once sold as a cut flower to Covent Garden 40 years ago.
Below the azalea are five mature plants of – yes! – enkianthus. Four are over and look like single Enkianthus campanulatus but one still has a few flowers and is clearly the white Enkianthus perulatus. Nice to know we have this as an original plant too. Must check the autumn colour.
One azalea by the tower. Perhaps ‘Cecile’ planted 25 to 30 years ago. Just coming out.
Below the Rabbit Warren is the unusual shrubby honeysuckle (from Crug) Lonicera lanceolata. Not one to rush for but different and worth propagating.
Opposite it is another Weigelia ‘Florida Variegata’ with a slightly different coloured flower. This one is full out while the one on the lawn is nearly over. No yellow edges here so we clearly do have two different plants. Undecided which is the best but both a really good show.
1994 – FJW
Summer may have started – 3 days of SUN.
1993 – FJW
May has been very wet.
1953 – CW
Still perfect flowers on Michelias – a few Camellias Alba, Simplex and Kimberley. Auklandii over. Cornish Loderi at its best, also many Azaleas good. Cornus nearly out. Mag wilsoni etc at their best. Harrows Hybrid Rhodo good and some of the Fortunei series. Horse chestnut opposite yard which I put in flowered for first time. Primulas good.
1917 – JCW
Waterers on the wane. Occidentales in bud. Mrs J.C.W not open enough to post. Harrow hybrids just show colour. Some azaleas are very good. Hovel batch not yet at best. P.D brought some beautiful flowers to Truro whites and pinky whites.
1916 – JCW
About the best day of the azaleas. Several Harrow hybrids are out. Waterers about their best. Auklandii’s over. P helodoxa is very good and it finished in the rain.
1901 – JCW
Leave for London tomorrow, a little outside seed picked and all under glass. Pink Pearl going over. Iris germanica over, moving a good few bulbs. Granite soil came this day.
I remember back in middle school, we are
required to participate in a tree planting session. At first, I thought we are only doing it
for grades, but when we started doing it, I realized
the need to plant more trees and greens. Gardening helps up create a healthy
environment, from producing oxygen to creating some more greenery.
Not only that, flowers like azaleas and the bluebells are a sight to see.
It warms my heart to see such flowers flourish at Wakehurst place.
I shall visit the place soon.