Cornus hemsleyi with plenty of clusters of berries which are turning blue-black.

Conversely, the equally shrubby Cornus torreyi has just finished flowering.

A few flowers high up on Magnolia ‘Maxine Merrill’.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Golden Sun’ has struggled since planting in 2020 but this wet summer has done wonders for its new growth this time around.

First hint of autumn colour on, our still flowerless after 33 years, Cladrastis kentukea.

Next year’s flower buds now evident on Magnolia doltsopa.

Escallonia bifida looking very fine – the best thing in the garden today.

First mushrooms showing up today on the lawn.

2023 – CHW
A dead Aesculus hippocastanum at the end of Sinogrande Walk. It, and its already dead colleague, took the initial hit when in leaf in March 2018 and the Beast arrived.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ fades to green rather than pink here on Hovel Cart Road.

An unnamed rhododendron with a decent autumn show.

Rhododendron ‘Michael’s Pride’ with secondary flowers in a nursery bed. I have not seen this before.

Rhododendron ‘Bowjingles’ with a flower or two.

Microtropis petelotii covered in seed heads.

Viburnum x hillieri ‘Winton’ with a few red seeds.

Secondary flowers in Rhododendron elliottii.

2022 – CHW
Tom Hudson gave us ripe seeds today at the Great Gardens of Cornwall meeting of:– Meliosma cuneifolia – Maurice Foster’s collection No. MF97137 from Baoxing, Sichuan
– Meliosma cuneifolia – Tom Hudson’s collection No. TH0G97 from Caojiam, YunnanAlso a plant of Meliosma dentata from Mexico together with a spray of nicely scented flowers as you see here. On our Meliosma day at Tregrehen on 21st July we saw the spikes of flower buds. These have taken 6 weeks to open and they are not fully open yet. The Chinese species are setting seeds while this Mexican species is in flower.

Torreya nucifera covered in fruits which are already ripe and dropping. This young plant has never set seed before and has enjoyed the drought. The nearby Cephalotaxus fortunei has hated the heat and has dieback.

Its not going to be a great seed year after the drought but here are a few things for Asia and Cressy to collect for sowing currently in Kennel Close.

Tilia maximowicziana

Sorbus aff. ligustrifolia

Tilia zamoyskiana

Sorbaronia ‘Liquorice’

Just a few fruits on Torreya grandis which are not yet ripe.

2021 – CHW

The second grass cut of the garden is well underway and perhaps half complete. After a wet July most areas will need a second cut so that the public can view the garden and its wild primroses, garlic, violets and bluebells unencumbered by grass growth next spring. After a much drier August shady areas will not need a second cut but the newly planted and more open areas definitely do.

These two pictures show how the larger rhododendrons have fared since they were moved out from the Rookery Nursery bed in late March. Some watering was necessary in a dry May. They need rain now, as the pictures demonstrate, but plenty of new growth none the less and a good start for these rarer species.

2020 – CHW
Crataegus schraderiana with its fruits now coloured up.

Photinia villosa var. coreana absolutely laden with berries.

2019 – CHW
Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’ was a gift from Leslie Baker last year. It is establishing well.

Lapageria rosea ‘Flesh Pink’ is just out with plenty more buds developing on what is a young plant.

The ancient Lapageria rosea has been out for a while with one flower low down and embedded in the Alstroemeria.

Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ beneath the scaffolding with a good show of flowers despite its current affliction.

I think the Lapagerias are a little later into full flower this year than last but need to check back in the diary. When I do, with Edwina’s help, I find I am talking piffle and that ‘Picotee’ was out last year on 24th September and still had flowers on 29th November! However ‘Flesh Pink’ was out on 21st August so my memory is not yet quite as defective as all that!

Plenty of seed pods on the original Camellia saluenensis.

Rhododendron schlippenbachii starting to show its autumn colours.

The first time I have seen a plethora of chubby six-sectional seed heads forming on Hoheria angustifolia.

2018 – CHW
This is a discovery! A mature evergreen euonymus species which I had never noticed before and will need to get identified. Can anyone help? One obvious seed pod but none I could see higher up the tree.

Rhododendron kiyosumense with attractive autumn colour and a few still green seed pods forming. A good deciduous species.

Acer sikkimense has survived the drought but made little new growth in its second year from planting.

2017 – CHW
Surprising what is still in flower while autumn approaches.Cornus amomum ‘Blue Cloud’ with wonderful autumn colour.

Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Sun’ looking very fine.

Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Stephi’ now full out.

Agastache fren. ‘Blue Fortune’ likewise.

Dichroa febrifuga

A new species of tender beschorneria – Beschorneria albiflora.

Colletia hystrix

Paeonia potanini

Illicium oligandrum – a new species of illicium for the 2018 catalogue.

Aralia elata in full flower.

Zenobia with ripening seeds.

Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ – in flower. An attractive combination with the leaves.

Pseudopanax with seeds.

Rudbeckia triloba ‘Prairie Glow’ in full flower.

Echinacea purpurea

Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’ rather late in the season.

Malus ‘Golden Hornet’ laden down with fruit as usual.

Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ living up to its name.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Early Sensation’ fading off to pink.

Arundo donax ‘Golden Chain’ outside the converted barns which is clearly in the wrong place but looking very fine indeed. Loads of new shoots.

Ligustrum japonicum ‘Aureum’ in full flower.

Dregea sinensis