Monday 6th.

Flowering continues stunningly. Sinocalycanthus Venus has no blemishes at all this year - peculiar. Awaiting the flowering on Mangletia insignis, they are promising in bud and when just opened, but then turn brown and stay there looking a mess. Very disappointing.

                                Magnolia (Mangletia) insignis

Tuesday 7th.

This morning I noticed the Iochroma flowering really well. I had done a ton of weeding in the Alpine beds, and was pleased to see the wild Dahlia (yellow coccinea) coming up, so all Jane’s Dahlia coccinea seed plants are doing well and vigorously. Unfortunately in planting the alstroemeria in the Victorian garden I dug up the curly leaved dahlia from Martyn. However, there was no sign of life, so it may not have come up anyway.

                              

                         Iochroma australe (Acnistis australis)

Wednesday 8th.

The large Rhus chinensis looks to be dying, so I cut it down. There are healthy suckers around so I hope they will take its place. Also Cotinus obovatus looks as if only one branch is alive, so Anja cut all the dead out. More weeding of dahlia beds, alpine beds and autumn border. Tons of weeds, but it looks so much better when weeded.

Sunday 12th.

Getting over a cold having visited the new granddaughter so no gardening for a while. Today I spent an hour or so cleaning the pots of weeds and renovating the plants. Nowhere near finished but at least half done.

Thursday 23rd.

Yesterday we had a successful day at Rosemoor on propagation with Chris Trimmer assisted by Dick Fulcher and Barry Starling; followed by a tour of some of Lady Anne’s garden with Jonathan Hutchinson.

Jonathan Hutchinson with Peter Bucknell and Barry Starling at Rosemoor

Barry Starling with a scented flower truss on a good specimen of Catalpa ovata at Rosemoor.

Today a group of 16 S.O.L. teachers came round the garden this afternoon and seemed suitably impressed.

                    Group photo outside the Turkish Tent

Monday 27th.

Very windy (40 mph gusts) and cool (14 deg C) as it was yesterday. At least Saturday was sunny. Yesterday I finished extending the beds by the Woodland Walk, and planted the Arisaema candidissimum from Dick Fulcher, and dug up and planted the struggling one from the South wall next to it. I also planted a small plant of Rhododendron brevioides (no reference I can find). This came from the propagation day at Rosemoor plant sale, brought by Felicity Peter-Hoblyn. Much more weeding and also cutting back behind the round temple especially the Hungarian Lilac. Dick Fulcher also brought his small plant of Mahonia nepalensis from cuttings he took at the Spring show. I hope it survives where I put it in the walled garden with mycorrhiza round the roots.