…plenty of clusters of berries which are turning blue-black. Cornus hemsleyi Cornus hemsleyi Conversely, the equally shrubby Cornus torreyi has just finished flowering. Cornus torreyi A few flowers high up…

…funeral in 1965 I remember Dad standing to attention in front of a black and white TV in the Red Room for hours. I also remember running and catching a…

…place. Rhododendron ponticum Trevor Green’s columnar oak tree, planted in 2018 to commemorate 100 years at The Cottage, continues to grow well. Trevor Green’s columnar oak tree Plenty of Lesser…

…smaller growing, more dwarf, and have larger flowers. Buddleia ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Empire Blue’ have been superseded by ‘Buzz Indigo’ / ‘African Queen’ as good purples and by ‘Blue Horizon’…

…is speeding its final demise. Aesculus wilsonii This young (grafted) Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ tried to flower last November and the buds turned to black mush. Despite the few setting seeds…

…field trial (Labradors) competitors field trial (Labradors) competitors field trial (Labradors) competitors field trial (Labradors) competitors 2016 – CHW Echium pinnifolium outside the drawing room window has gone black after…

…progressively over a long period. We have just the damp place in the Rockery for this next spring. Lysionotus aff. kuangensis Lysionotus aff. kuangensis Lysionotus aff. kuangensis Ziziphus jujuba struggles…

…just below the node. This is brownish-black with a hint of red at present. An attractive foliage effect too and planted in a good place for visitors to see and…

…piss’ but we have never had a cat! Ehretia dicksonii Ehretia dicksonii Seed forming in Symplocos dryophylla which will eventually turn blue-black and Asia needs to try growing it as…

…Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’ Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’ Acer tegmentosum has an ominous black fungal circle near its base and will shortly be another casualty to go with several others. Enjoy the…