…year. Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’ Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’ New this year is Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’ with a sensational leaf/flower contrast. Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’ Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’ Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’…

…‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia liliiflora ‘Holland Red’ with its first flower. Interesting and certainly has the liliiflora shape. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia liliiflora ‘Holland Red’ A wren has built…

…the blackberries were sparse, undeveloped and with tiny fruits. blackberries blackberries The elders mainly had very few seed heads and these too were sparse and underdeveloped for the time of…

…January whereas Caerhays did not 5. The hybridisation work of Philppe de Spoelberg in crossing ‘Black Tulip’ and ‘Pickards Ruby’ with Caerhays bred hybrids (JCW, FJW) and the New Zealanders…

…styrax. Magnolia ‘Lennei’ x ‘Daybreak’ Magnolia ‘Lennei’ x ‘Daybreak’ Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’ is full out. Two plants by the Orchid House Nursery which I had forgotten. Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’ Camellia…

…Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ Schefflera pauciflora (WWJ 11999) with nearly ripe seeds. Schefflera pauciflora Schefflera pauciflora Not quite ripe seeds on Illicium…

…grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ with a multitude of seed pods which will colour up more. The undersides of the leaves are already a tremendous colour. Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ Euonymus grandiflorus…

…‘A.E. Bold’ Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ now properly out in flower. Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ Salix hookeriana looking good and now in a vase for visitors…

…very dark red? Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ This is Rhododendron reticulatum which is nearly (but not quite) deciduous. It is in a very sheltered spot in the Rockery….

…Liz’ Rhododendron ‘Lemon Meringue’ just out. Rhododendron ‘Lemon Meringue’ Rhododendron ‘Ruby Hart’ – a wonderful dark red. Rhododendron ‘Ruby Hart’ A nice dark form of Rhododendron reticulatum. Very different from…

…Pteris umbrosa Pteris umbrosa Dryopteris sieboldii Dryopteris sieboldii Pellaea rotundifolia Pellaea rotundifolia Blechnum brasiliense ‘Volcano’ Blechnum brasiliense ‘Volcano’ Doodia aspera ‘Rough Ruby’ Doodia aspera ‘Rough Ruby’ Polysticichum munitum Polysticichum munitum…

…Hillier’ showing a little more pink than usual. Magnolia campbellii ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ – excellent! Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’…

…morii New growth on Pseudotaxus chienii. Pseudotaxus chienii Wisteria ‘Black Dragon’ is never a very spectacular show here. Few flowers and rather hidden by the new growth. Wisteria ‘Black Dragon’…

…carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ Erica x darleyensis ‘Eva Gold’ – a new one in our catalogue this year. The golden foliage of autumn has faded. Erica x…

…unnamed young magnolia hybrid is performing. This is Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’. My vote so far is 6/10. Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’ Magnolia ‘Pickard’s…

…Forty Niner’ Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Glaucum’ finally getting away after a slow start from 14 years ago. Sequoiadendron giganteum Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ – the red bark has just…

…Griotte’ in perfect flower by the till. Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Planet Griotte’ Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’ almost out in flower! Peculiar! Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’ Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’…

…autumn leaves. Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ 2017 – CHW The very rare and equally tender Quercus fleuryii looked nearly dead since it was planted in 2011…

…the drive where the ash tree fell recently and where we ripped out some poor Camellia reticulata seedlings in the spring. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Ruby Glow’ Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Ruby…

…Ruby’ (from Slieve Donard). Rhododendron ‘Bagshot Ruby’ Rhododendron ‘Bagshot Ruby’ Labelled Embothrium coccineum longifolium – redder flowers with longer trumpets than I have ever seen anywhere else on this trip….