…avenue avenue The largest sweet chestnut I have seen other than at Belvoir. sweet chestnut The new circle in the centre of what was the site of the original house….

…Nearby the first enkianthus are rushing into leaf far too early for Chelsea unfortunately. So we now have oak, sycamore and enkianthus (with bluebells) all in leaf absurdly early in…

…this afternoon as the leaf on the trees fills out.Karol’s picture of the leaf stipules (scars on the leaf petioles) on our three ‘different’ ancient michelias are looking good. On…

…Park A bit of tidying, trunk clearance and laurel removal elsewhere along the top path in Old Park. elsewhere along the top path in Old Park A sweet chestnut trunk…

…the WWII evacuees carved their names split in half. What’s left is dangerous and will have to be felled. beech tree Further down the drive a sweet chestnut has made…

…2018 – CHW Tree fern seedlings developing in the moss at the base of an elderly sweet chestnut tree. Tree fern seedlings The sweet chestnut is dying of old age…

…out. rhododendron stumps Staphylea holocarpa ‘Innocence’. Staphylea holocarpa ‘Innocence’ Neolitsea sericea ‘Silver Leaf’ with its new growth. Neolitsea sericea ‘Silver Leaf’ Pittosporum glabratum is flowering well and growing quickly. Pittosporum…

…then, eventually, all that remains are leaf skeletons. Flower arrangers and those who enjoy dried flowers for Christmas (and sometimes spray paint them) often collect the skeletons in the autumn….

…leaf form in the old Orchid House Nursery bed. Rhododendron makinoi Rhododendron wallichii (EX 20583) which I do not remember flowering before. Rhododendron wallichii (EX 20583) Rhododendron wallichii (EX 20583)…

…see what other species it could be. The reference books say up to 19 pair of leaflets on each leaf stalk. There seem to be 13-17 leaflets here. Elderly Mahonia…