25th March

…more Star Wars than purple in its first flowering. Magnolia ‘Purple Dream’ x ‘Star Wars’ Magnolia ‘Purple Dream’ x ‘Star Wars’ Magnolia ‘Early Rose’ – I saw this first at…

11th November

…Phymosia umbellata Phymosia umbellata x Sycoparrotia ‘Purple Haze’ unbelievably good with several colour changes before we get to the final dark red. x Sycoparrotia ‘Purple Haze’ x Sycoparrotia ‘Purple Haze’…

8th March 1897 – 2020

…Zandee’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Purple Dream’ – first flowering here Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Purple Dream’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Purple Dream’ Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’ – first flowering…

15th May

…Slipper’ Azalea ‘Silver Slipper’ Azalea ‘Silver Slipper’ Podocarpus lawrencei ‘Purple King’ may have very dark old leaves but the new growth is delightful. Podocarpus lawrencei ‘Purple King’ Podocarpus lawrencei ‘Purple

18th October

…has extended its main stem by all of 3in this year and looks happier than usual. One colder winter will surely kill it off. Firmiana simplex The flower heads on…

2nd November

…to branches splitting off. It now looks as though the main trunk has had some damage at about 10-12ft in height. Almost a constriction in the stem as might have…

16th November

…we pruned back to a single stem on planting this year has shot vigorously from the base and only a little at the top. Watch it for a bit then…

6th January 1897- 2020

…elegans in full flower with plenty of bud on a large multi-stemmed bush in full leaf. There is always confusion with C. elegans and Cestrum fasciculatum / C. fasciculatum ‘Newellii’….

9th July

…bud The main stem was cut back in 2017 and we thought the plant was dead but it reshot vigorously from lower down as you see here. stem About 7-8ft…

27th May

stem. Styrax japonica ‘Jippei-Kawamure’ Styrax japonica ‘Jippei-Kawamure’ Styrax formosanus var. hayataianus is multi-stemmed and not quite out with much smaller flowers. Styrax formosanus var. hayataianus Styrax formosanus var. hayataianus Cornus…

3rd March

…lobbii – likewise! Hydrangea lobbii Magnolia ‘Royal Purple’ Magnolia ‘Royal Purple’ Rhododendron calophytum just coming out by the garden entrance. Rhododendron calophytum Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ on the drive. Magnolia campbellii…

25th October

…two ago. Here is a female with ripe berries. Ilex cornuta Ilex cornuta Strangely shaped new growth and hairy stems on Callicarpa pilosissima (NMWJ 1450). No flowers or berries yet…

2nd August

…flowers had a purple dash in the centre of the tepals and the flowers were much smaller. Viburnum fansiparense with fruit. Viburnum fansiparense Viburnum hoanglienense with flower and very distinctive…

10th September

…dark purple hues. Soon it will be purple all over. Nyssa sinensis Nyssa sinensis Some newly peeled bark on Prunus serrula tibetica glows red in the sun. Wonderful! Prunus serrula…

8th April

…a (still small) Magnolia ‘Anne Rosse’ x Magnolia ‘Purple Breeze’. First bud showing colour on the new Magnolia (Michelia) ‘Fairy Lime’. Magnolia (Michelia) ‘Fairy Lime’ Another of Alan Clarke’s introductions…

19th July

…Hovel Cart Road. Rhododendron ‘Harrow Hybrids’ Rhododendron ‘Harrow Hybrids’ Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’ looking very fine. Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’ A young Stewartia pseudocamellia starting to flower in Kennel Close….

6th July

…Blue’ Salvia ‘Purple Rain’ was spectacular. Salvia ‘Purple Rain’ Then on the Dalverton Garden Centre which was heaving with people and had doubled the size of its car park during…

15th July

Next Day >< Previous Day CONTRIBUTORS: FJW 1955-2007 CHW 2015- JCW 1897-1939 CW 1940-1955 2024 – CHW The very ancient Euonymus tingens still has a few flowers with purple markings….

20th February

…utilis ‘Chris Lane’: Black – big white calcocils Betula utilis dark form: Black – small white calcocils Betula utilis ‘Melony Sanders’: Very red peeling stem Camellia bailinshanica: Red new growth…

30th April

…on from planting. Mostly the flowers are on the main stem. Cercis chinensis ‘Avondale’ Pyrus ‘Pashia’ with attractive new growth which I had not seen before. Pyrus ‘Pashia’ Pyrus ‘Pashia’…