Observed during May 2012
29/5/2012
Late to leaf; worth the wait
Struggling to flower in our climate, it is heartening to find a scattering of soft lilac coloured buds held tightly to the older wood of Cercis griffithii. It has a natural range stretching from Southern Europe to central Asia. Here the
wood is baked in the more extreme continental climate.
The leaves emerging from the deciduous large shrub framework are heart shaped, dark red in the juvenile stage, turning green as the season progresses. On the edge of its survival zone this plant will not tolerate heavy soil or a wet root run. To be sure of success plant young specimens in sheltered situations.
22/5/2012
Floral spring flush
Deutzia purpurascens a deciduous twiggy shrub of light structure which nonetheless manages to develop into an
impenetrable tangle of growth.
A native to Western China, found on steep slopes around 3000m, where it was collected as seed in 1991. Dark green leaves, prominently veined, cover the plant and at this time of year awash with delicate
purple buds bursting open a white shaded pink.
15/5/2012
Rainbow arc
Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’, this cultivar of the Ericaceous family is growing in the sheltered and shaded sunken north facing courtyard of the front glasshouse range. Lush shiny foliage is held on strong arching stems. This year these growths are terminated with masses of ivory coloured bell shaped flowers. 
In ideal conditions such as these this evergreen will make a mass 900mm high and spread 1metre around. It tolerates hard pruning and regenerates from basal shoots. Reddish tinges to the new growth and silvery flecks
through the more mature foliage.
8/5/2012
A fine introduction
The truss of blooms on Rhododendron sinofalconeri is worthy of show merit. The colour and form are first class.
Give this 16 year old plant time to mature and it will equal the best of the Rhododendrons collected by the most renown of plant collectors through the past century. Thirty and more individual flowers the colour of rich cream cows milk group together as the terminal inflorescence.
A relatively recent introduction (1995 Kunming/Yunnan Expedition) from the south facing slopes of the mountains
south of Kunming, China; an area near Wenshan at c. 2550m. Here it revels in a cool moist climate where growing in mixed scrub this Rhododendron makes a small tree reaching 4 metres. This is the maximum extent of the altitudinal range according to the Flora of China which gives the distribution range as Southern Yunnan Province into Vietnam from 1600 – 2500m.
1/5/2012
May blob
Caltha palustris, a lush growing plant with a wide distribution covering the temperate northern hemisphere. It has the most unfortunate common name; “May blob”, referring to the golden yellow buttercup like flowers that
appear through the month.
Enjoying a wet boggy soil, or seen on the margins of ponds and watercourses. The habitats are
disappearing with a changing climate and current agricultural practices.
Grown in optimum conditions with semi shade overhead the rounded leaves are glossy and the fast growing green stem will huddle to the ground rooting in at every opportunity.