Monday 14th.

Very wet last couple of weeks (better late than never) and I took the opportunity of the 20% off sale at St Johns to plant Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Jet Stream’ in the ‘Oak Wood’ near the Magnolia wilsonii ‘Eileen Baines’ and Eucryphia lucida ‘Ballerina’ in the lower rhodo beds to replace the small variegated eucryphia that died in the drought. No need to water as rain has been torrential.

Thursday 17th. I planted a Sorbus ‘Pagoda’ seedling a gift near the large Drimys winteri where the Styrax Purple Robe had died. I noticed that Acer metcalfii looked very dead - it had been struggling for the last two years, so I pulled it out.  I have brought the four red bananas into the greenhouse even though it has been amazingly mild (mid teens ) but better be prepared. The seeds of Euonymus cornutus are looking particularly good  The Jester’s caps.

Friday 25th.

I noticed that my sinuous Celtis sinensis has one trunk which has split - it must have been the high winds we had recently. A shame but that trunk will need to be removed before rot gets into the split. As it happens, Stuart and Sam are coming next week to do some tree work anyway, so another to add to their list.

On a more cheerful note, the Mexican Dahlia tamaulipana has one flower stem only this year. It hated the drought- one would have thought the intense heat would have suited it. Anyway, a beautiful flower and a couple of buds to come.

And more excitement that, after a fallow year last year, my Polyspora sp. is flowering and masses of buds to come. Deep green lustrous foliage with the large white flowers is a beautiful combination, and it is becoming huge.