Benmore 2008

[TC]

Seems to be working now
Magnolia Kobus
 Pond at Benmore.
 Rh. yedoense var poukhanense
 Rh.Albrechtii
 Trillium Chloropetalum

[TC]

We are now at 1 June

Fortuneaplant should be next to the label

Arisaema consanguineum
 Arisaema Taiwanense
 Benmore fortunea Label
 Benmore  Magnolia winelight
 Benmore copy
 Benmore  Crinodendron.
 Rhododendron and Primulas
 Rh.fortunea flowers
 Rh. fortunea new planting

[TC]

Continued from last night. 018 is either prunifolium or glaucifolium

Benmore 018
 Benmore 019 
Benmore 066 
Benmore 067
 Benmore 069
 Benmore 086
 Benmore Rh. pruniflorum yellow
 Benmore Glaucophyllum pink
 Benmore rh.pruniflorum.
 Benmore Magnolia Obovata

[TC]

Some more

 Rh.oreotrophes
Magnolia Sieboldii
 Benmore pond and meconopsis
 Red Rhodo
 Rh. x CHLOROPS
 Davidia involucrata
 Magnolia wieseneri
 Prim. pulvurentula
 Rh. dicroanthum apodectum
 Rh.dicroanthum apodectum flowers

[arisaema]

Stunning pictures, thanks for taking the time to post these!

[TC]

Continuing on the theme

 Japanese azalea walk
 large leaved Rh. glade.
 Rh. Wardii
Rh. wardii flowers
 Continuing through Large leaved rh. glade
 Japanes azalea walk continued.
 Rh. Amerlandense grex
 Rh. Cerasinum
 Benmore Cerasinum pink edged
 Cinnabarinum roylii

[TC]

All finished at last !!

It has been a peculiar season.  It started 3 weeks late.  The sun came out for about a month and flowering accelerated.  The down side of this was that the flowers did not last nearly as long, so it was almost impossible to predict what would still be in flower when we went.

Rh. Cinnabarinum Tamaense.
 Rh. Cinnabarinum Tamaense a.
 Rh.Cerasinum edged pink
 rh.orbiculaire x dichroanthum
 Self seeded Rh. on tree stump

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great stuff Tom !
Thanks very much for this extensive report !

[TC]

Thank you Maggi for making the lists.  I haven't the patience for this.  I feel I have been chained to  Photoshop and the computer for days

[Maggi Young]

Tom, I like to help! The search engine only picks up names that are in the text, not the photo file names.
Tried to post this before going out for a quick walk with Lily, but the Forum was too slow again!

[David Nicholson]

Lovely pictures Tom, thanks for persevering at a time when the slow working of the Forum is an absolute pain.
Edit : from Maggi... Yes, indeed, I second  all that!

[johnw]

Tom - A marvellous follow-up at Benmore.  I particularly enjoyed that selection of oreotrephes and the yellow pruniflorum.  I find it amazing that some of the species you shot are or have been in bloom here already. Even poukhanense is only a few days away here and that's a few days late for it here.

johnw

[Susan]

Thank you for such wonderful photos and your patience in putting them on.

Susan

[TC]

For those interested, I have lots more to put on from Arduaine, Kilmory gardens, Logan gardens and Logan house and even from my nearest large garden at Culzean Country Park. As it promises a good sunny day, I am swithering whether to go to Dawyck to catch the azaleas and meconopsis.
The Oreotrephes I saw at Arduaine was 9 feet tall, which is alarming as I bought one 6 years ago thinking it was a dwarf species.
The pruniflorums are about 6ft x 6ft and in a group of about 10 plants.
We have looked at two " new" gardens this spring.  Kilmory castle which was started by Hooker in about 1820.  The size of the plants in here is impressive .
The real eye opener was at Logan House.  There is a stand of Sino Grandes which must be the the biggest in captivity. The leaves were almost 3 feet long! It felt like being in a primeval forest.  I had a long talk with the gardener who looks after 27 acres on his own and propogates various Rhododendrons and trees.  His nursery include S.Grandes and Rh.Crassum.  We also saw a Rh. Maddenii about 10 feet tall in full flower.  I thought that 6 feet was big for these species outdoors but this garden got the first introductions from the plant hunters in the 1800's so the plants are really mature.
At Logan Botanical gardens I talked to the curator about Rh. ROYALMADD.  This is a cross between cinnabarinum Roylei and maddenii which was made here.  It combines the waxy flower of cin. with the perfume of the maddenii -  to me perfection.  It is unobtainable as they have not tried to propogate any.  I told him that it was time they did and I was first in the queue.

[David Nicholson]

'swithering'- what a magnificant word!