Large oak trunks moved for loading and carrying away.

Then to Belvoir to see how the spring planting had fared in the drought. Not a pretty picture!

My original Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ virtually leafless but well budded for the spring.

Edging lavender barely alive.

Abelia x grandiflora had thrived.

Acers had not.

Acer griseum looked well.

So did the water lillies.

Our tree fern circle had 4 survivors out of 6.

Some young camellias dead.

A young Parrotia thriving.

The Hydrangea clumps all dead.

As at Caerhays the Magnolia had managed to survive.

The Prunus planted 2/3 years ago had some leaf drop but were still alive.

A group of Hydrangea paniculata just alive.

A young Japanese acer almost leafless.

Prunus ‘Pandora’ with leaf scorch.

At the bottom of the valley near the Pink Dairy the position was better.

Huge cracks in the ground remain.

The Gunnera have survived after a fashion.

Metasequoia fine.

Deciduous azaleas all dead (and badly planted to start with).

Further up the bank towards the Castle the drought casualties much greater.

Predictable demise of several rhododendrons.

Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ just about alive.

Even mature Prunus and Magnolia have died on these dry banks.

An Ilex and a Copper beech struggle.

Even if some watering has taken place.

Even the yew hedges have taken a hit.

2025 – CHW
Isla and Bea in the Isla Rose Plantation where we make a video of edible fruits.

Heptacodium miconioides has 3 veins in its leaves and flower clusters have 7 flowers. Hence the Chinese name ‘Seven son flower of Zhejiang’.

Ripening black berries on Cornus walteri.

Cotoneaster wilsonii – a stunning species – seed ready for collection.

Cotoneaster rubens.

Cotoneaster rhytidophyllus.

Cotoneaster hedegaardii ‘Hallivell’s Yellow’ (ex. Fromefield) but, sadly, the fruits are not yellow. Looking it up it does appear to C. hedegaardii.

Cotoneaster ganghobaensis.

Cotoneaster hillieri – not as good yet this year as previously.

2024 – CHW
A rather late in the year Moorhen’s nest beside one of the islands in the lake which were getting their annual cut this week. A couple of weeks ago we saw some very small, and late, Moorhen chicks from what was clearly a second brood.

Huge seed clusters on Lithocarpus pachyphyllus near Roger’s Quarry.

Last flowers nearly over on Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’.

Starting to see good secondary new growth on Pieris forrestii ‘Forest Flame’.

Equally good secondary new growth on Eriobotrya deflexa.

Our best Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Pendula’ is finally full out but all the Hoheria seem to be having a year off from flowering.

Unripe seed on Meliosma dilleniifolia subsp. cuneifolia.

Sorbus hupehensis colouring up.

Magnolia ‘Yakeo’ secondary flowers are rotting off after the recent rain.

2023 – CHW
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’ with fresh new flowers after the rains.

Rhododendron ‘Norfolk Candy’ flowering again as usual.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’ also with fresh flowers.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Early Sensation’ with new and old flowers.

A few secondary flowers on Rhododendron ‘Elizabeth’.

Buddleia lindleyana still with a wonderful show a good month after it first started flowering.

Seed heads on Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red Star’.

An unusual combination – Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Red Star’ and Asimina triloba. No fruit on the Asimina.

2022 – CHW
Thunderstorms and the plants in the garden finally look a bit better. A welcome puddle outside the front door at last.

Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’ with a good display of autumn colour already. It is usually early but not this early!

Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’ with its first big crop of seeds. As a very early flowerer it normally sees its flowers frosted. Well worth growing these seedlings as they may well come true to name as very few other magnolias are out in February.

Despite the drought, the late flowering Rhododendron nuttallii is setting seeds. Just see the effort this takes and how the new growth has developed where there are no seed heads in the way.

Seed here for Asia to collect in November/ December.

The absurdly named Ilex fargesii subsp. fargesii var. fargesii (ex Pan Global Plants) has settled in well after planting last autumn.

Acer x conspicuum ‘Candy Stripe’ is showing drought symptons with leaves drooping, scorched and close to dropping. Suspect it will survive.

2021 – CHW
Heptacodium micinoides nearly out but it is only really ever partially out. A large shrub or small tree now but very short lived.

Stachyurus praecox on the drive with seeds.

First flowers on Hedychium tengchongense which are nearly over.

Hedychium spicatum ‘Liberty’ also missed in action in its first year.