23rd February

…A red flowered sport on Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’. Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’ Carpinus kawakamii untouched by the east wind this time around. Still fully evergreen with us. Carpinus kawakamii…

18th February

…stocked and looking good for spring sales. Pittosporum and Ceanothus beds Pittosporum and Ceanothus beds Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ still with good red tints. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ Nandina domestica ‘Woods Dwarf’…

17th February

…campbellii above Crinodendron Hedge Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ racing out by the lawn. Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ 2023 – CHW Cold north wind to hold the magnolias back again – no harm…

11th February

…Pieris ‘Dorothy Wykoff’ First flowers full out on the American Oemleria cerasiformis. Oemleria cerasiformis The Camellia ‘Adelina Patti’ on the Main Ride has a few pure red flowers but, as…

4th February

…white fungi we saw earlier on the trunk of a dead scots pine have now matured and turned grey-brown. fungi First flowers this year on Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’. Rhododendron ‘Red

2nd January

…is a good large flowered single near-red. Camellia sasanqua ‘Sekiyo’ Persia thunbergii with more errant pink new growth. Seasonal muddle! Persia thunbergii Camellia x williamsii ‘Brushfield’s Yellow’ just out. Camellia…

14th October

…Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Koreana Group’ with remarkable colouring. Much better than S. pseudocamellia. Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Koreana Group’ Seed catkin clusters on Carpinus betulus ‘Purpurea’. Carpinus betulus ‘Purpurea’ Sorbus hupehensis covered in…

5th June

…may or may not be feasible.This large tree fern has lived in a pot in the back yard for at least 10 years and is looking rather tired and pot…

6th February

…daffodils now full out on the bank at the Four in Hand. ‘Wild’ daffodils A rather battered seedling of the normally creamy yellowish flowered Rhododendron grande here with excellent pink…

11th June

…Lake Patrick have been cleared of trees islands on Lake Patrick have been cleared of trees islands on Lake Patrick have been cleared of trees The first plants of the…

1st September

…Sharon’ (Hypericum calycinum). A strangely absurd comparison between a white flowered tree and a yellow flowered groundcover plant currently very prone to dying of rust. Tut tut Mr Hillier! Eucryphia…

16th June

…buggered!You can see I got bored with the photography! Paparer orientale ‘Royal Wedding’ 2015 – CHW The tiny frogs are still on the march to wherever but have now spread…

30th September

…appearing on Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’. I have not seen this variety do this before. Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’ 2021 – CHW Beautiful secondary new growth on a newly planted Podocarpus wangii….

6th October

…He also took some better pictures of the dark pink one. So 3 of the 5 ancient sasanquas have flowered in September and the fourth in the first days of…

19th September

…is we will end up paying a retired vicar to take our services and reduce our contributions to the MMF accordingly in the future. Others are clearly thinking on similar…

17th September

…hederifolium) have suddenly appeared in profusion. Pink and white forms. A timely cut. Cyclamen hederifolium Cyclamen hederifolium Hedychium greenii has not flowered this year. Hedychium greenii Entelia arborescens, the New…

10th September

…wet one. Better with the dead twigs now removed. Disanthus cercidifolius just starting its autumn colour. Disanthus cercidifolius This elderly Illicium anisatum was pictured in this diary as dead at…

25th September

…The trouble with Liquidambars is that they are constantly splitting out. trouble with Liquidambars Nevertheless not bad early colour high up on Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red Star’ nonetheless. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red

31st August

…already but covered in fruit. Sorbus gonggashanica Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Pickard’s Ruby’. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ Sorbus wardii with not many berries this year and…

21st June

…the leaves and purplish red new growth. Populus purdomii Populus purdomii Populus purdomii Trachycarpus wagnerianus has finished flowering and is setting seed. Trachycarpus wagnerianus Trachycarpus wagnerianus Styrax wilsonii absolutely covered