…open early but the colour is good even if the flowers are small. Colour varies. Those blown open early are too pale but some are a good dark colour as…

…I admired shortly before Jeremy Peter-Hoblyn’s recent untimely death or a seedling from the original. It is a wonderful dark pink and, as you would expect from a campbellii, a…

…x Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’ with very dark and very late secondary flowers which have been attacked by slugs and snails. Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’ Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’ The clump of Chusquea gigantia…

…a bad ornamental plant for a dark corner. Here it is being enveloped by a podocarpus. Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Aureomarginatus’ Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Aureomarginatus’ This oak limb quickly cut up and sorted…

…‘Lipstick’. A wonderful dark anemone form but is it so different from Camellia ‘Anemoniflora’? Camellia ‘Lipstick’ Some split branches on Magnolia delavayi at the top of the garden so we…

…its location in the garden. Camellia ‘Tregye’ Camellia ‘Tregye’ Camellia ‘Tregye’ Camellia ‘Sundae’ is new to the 2018 catalogue. Rather like Camellia ‘Bokuhen’ I think? Even Camellia ‘Amemoniflora’ but darker?…

…evident. Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’ A good dark form of Rhododendron mucronulatum above the two Magnolia veitchii shows up nicely. A darker and larger flower, I think, than the other two…

…am fairly certain. Viburnum species Viburnum species Viburnum species Rhododendron albrechtii – a particularly dark flowered form and much darker than the ones in the Aucklandii Garden. Rhododendron albrechtii A…

…fasciculatus Pittosporum fasciculatum – large dark purple flowers. Pittosporum fasciculatum Coprosma virescens – tiny leaves. Coprosma virescens Alseuosmia banksii – yellowish ‘fuchsia-like’ flowers. Alseuosmia banksii Alseuosmia banksii Olearia erubescens –…

…in no time and needs the council money. greenhouse The climbing Hydrangea serratifolia with leaves much larger than ours. Hydrangea serratifolia Hydrangea serratifolia Rhododendron ‘Queen of Hearts’ a very dark…

…A fine array of Dicksonia antarctica seedlings are coming up here and there in dark shady wet places around the fernery. Dicksonia antarctica Dicksonia antarctica Yet more unusual fungi which…

…dark pink flowers and an exceptional cherry which I first saw at the Savill Gardens years ago. Three plants in a clump in Tin Garden. Wonderful bark as well. Prunus…

…elderly Magnolia soulangeana on the Burncoose drive has many, dark purple, secondary flowers. Magnolia soulangeana Last few flowers on Weigela coraeensis at the entrance to Burncoose gardens – these age…

…our plant. It may be another species of Melicytus or it may not but we do have another plant with smaller darker leaves which looks more true to name. Schinus…

…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…

…flowers when full out unlike the one in the Rockery seen last week. It is not quite a lilac form but there are much darker ones when one inspects the…

…out a week or so before (this proved not to be correct). Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’ Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’ Aesculus woerlitzensis with dark red flowers. Aesculus woerlitzensis Aesculus woerlitzensis Aesculus bushii…

…evergreen leaves? Rhododendron wadanum ‘Album’ Staphylea colchica ‘Black Beauty’ now into leaf. It will get darker yet. Staphylea colchica ‘Black Beauty’ Juglans major has interesting new growth. As nice as…

…a Sambucus seedling collected and named by Sir Harold Hillier while at Guincho. It has dark, but not exactly black, leaves as we see. Melicytus obovatus Click here for the…

…their best, some very good Augustinii. Daffs at the tail end. Auklandii a few good trees in flower, the frost having cut most of them. One cherry (dark one) is…