28th March

…‘Atlas’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ – not as large a flower as expected but showing promise with its first 3 flowers. Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ First flowers out…

1st May

…and black as it opens. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Another new one to us flowering for the first time; Magnolia ‘Ossie’s Yellow’, as yet…

14th April

black buds and ahead of the leaves. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ An elderly clump of Rhododendron loderi types which…

25th April

…inadequate feeding. climbing rose Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ in the Rockery is one of the later evergreen azaleas to flower. The best very dark red? Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ Azalea ‘Black Hawk’…

9th April

…‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ beside it. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Camellia ‘Althaeiflora Gigantea’, as we have always called it, still…

3rd March

…as Magnolia ‘Genie’ from a day ago. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ is now full out too. What an impressive…

12th March

…‘Sir Harold Hillier’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’ with a single flower. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’ Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’ and some of the…

13th March

…williamsii ‘Les Jury’ Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’ Then on the Isla Rose Plantation. Another plant of Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ in the Isla Rose. Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’…

5th April

…Purple Dream’ M. ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Deep Purple Dream’ d) Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Deep Purple Dream’ has its first three dark flowers. Never seen Dark Purple Dream…

7th April

…x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ – they really are black. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Enormous flower clusters on an elderly Illicum anisatum in full shade. The old plant may well…