1st July

…Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ nicely out by the drawing room window. It shows up well against the Pentewan granite. Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ The Magnolia delavayi…

18th March

…just out and particularly fine. Magnolia ‘Genie’ Magnolia ‘Genie’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ (again) as a contrast. ‘Genie’ wins again in my opinion. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Camellia ‘Alpen…

25th September

…fruit as usual. Acanthopanax aff. sessiliflorus Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ with yet more secondary flowers. Two crops of these in reality. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Rhus chinensis just out in flower –…

31st July

…flower colours. Sambucus niger ‘Black Lace’ Sambucus niger ‘Black Lace’ Sorbus vilmorinii fruiting away on the drought to capacity. Sorbus vilmorinii Sorbus vilmorinii A very near black agapanthus which might…

31st March

…cylindrica x M. ‘Darjeeing’. Magnolia cylindrica x M. ‘Darjeeing’ Eucalyptus gregsoniana from Roundabarrow with interesting foliage. Eucalyptus gregsoniana Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Serene’. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. ‘Serene’…

27th June

…Not much ‘black’ about it really. Dutch trying to sell on a silly but marketable name again. Hydrangea ‘Black Diamonds’ Hydrangea ‘Black Diamonds’ Agapanthus ‘Golden Drop’ – in flower at…

28th November

…tree on a bank. The pheasants have already eaten the few black berries there were this year. Cornus walteri Cornus walteri Cornus walteri Cornus walteri Cotoneaster franchetii still covered in…

20th August

…Tilia henryana ‘Arnold Select’ had been looking sickly but now doing well. Tilia henryana ‘Arnold Select’ Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’. Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ and Hydrangea…

9th March

…First flowers (and very early) on Azalea ‘Black Hawk’. Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ The view from Rookery across to the Drimys winteri and the Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling with a Rhododendron…

18th April

…a totally new genus/species flowering for the first time here! Ucodendron whatonii Ucodendron whatonii Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ in bud and flower. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x…