2026 – CHW
Some photographs from my son John and granddaughter Isla’s IDS visit to Westonbirt.
Acer griseum.
Quercus rubra.
Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ with spectacular autumn colours which we never see here.
Acer palmatum ‘Westonbirt Red’.
Acer palmatum.
Sorbus pseudohupehensis.
Acer pentaphyllum.
Euonymus oxyphyllus.
John & Isla in the tour group.
2025 – CHW
A few secondary flowers on a Rhododendron crassum in Rookery Nursery.
The Eleagnus x ebbingei windbreak in Rookery Nursery in full flower. Now renamed as E. x submacrophylla.
The Eurya japonica which fell over and was uprighted is starting to reshoot. Tied in place with a blue rope.
Good layers to now move on Rhododendron suoilenhense.
Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’.
Sorbus hupehensis (now S. pseudohupehearis) with a few clusters of berries.
Sorbus gonggashanica with plenty of fruits.
Sorbus prattii (now S. munda) – a small shrub.
2024 – CHW
Decent autumn colour still on Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red Star’ despite Storm Ashley.
Decent autumn colour still on Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red Star’ despite Storm Ashley.
The very last fallen flowers under a huge and somewhat hidden clump of Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’.
The larger of the two Camellia taliensis only has the odd flower. I keep mentally confusing this with Camellia oleifera and named it incorrectly a week or so ago.
Magnolia yuyuanensis (ex. Raf Lenaerts in 2020) is now 6 feet tall and doing well. It replaces one of flowering size which snapped off at the base in a gale.
Carya ovata (I believe) with a ripe fruit and good autumn colour.
Syringa emodi ‘Aureovariegata’ has suddenly died and needs digging out to make more room for good things around it.
One of these is Schima argentea. We still await Susyn Andrews investigations into our supposed 4 different species of Schima. Unlike S. khasiana this plant has single flowers rather than flower clusters.
2023 – CHW
Pam Hayward found an amusing exchange between JC Williams, my great grandfather, and Captain Collingwood Ingram (‘Cherry’ Ingram) when the latter sought advice as to what to next when pensioned from serving in the British Indian Army at a young age. (This was mentioned in Conifer Quarterly in 2005).
JCW’s reply was “You should start crossing rhododendrons. It is the greatest fun – you have 10,15 or 20 years of joyful anticipation and only one day of disappointment – the day they open their first flowers!”
2022 – CHW
A compilation of Autumn seeds collected from the garden this week. Most will go onto the RMC Group seed distribution list for group members.
A large wasps nest on one of the islands on the lake which drove the gardeners back into the boat when starting to trim the grass. The entrance larger than a gum boot as you can see here.
Crataegus x Lavalleei ‘Carrierei’ with its first crop of (at present) still orange fruits. Planted a year ago.
Cotoneaster thimphuensis still with plenty of ripe berries.
Cotoneaster Hillieri now fully ripe and dropping fast.
Jaimie has found four ripe and fully developed acorns below the original Lithocarpus cleistocarpa. We have found seed clusters on the younger (cutting grown) plant from the older plant in recent years but I can never remember finding properly developed seeds on the 1901 Wilson introduction. Hopefully they will germinate.
2021 – CHW
A fine flower on Magnolia grandiflora ‘Russet’.
The fallen Quercus ilex branch close up.
Decent colours on Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’.
Variations in autumn colour on Rhododendron schlippenbachii.
Colour coming on Acer palmatum ‘Ozakazuki’.
Evening light on Hydrangea paniculata ‘White Lace’.
Young Acer campestre showing autumnal yellow.
Hydrangea ‘Fireworks Blue’ turning to reddish purple.
First yellowing on Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Aureomarginata’.
