Killerton House- January 29 2012

[David Nicholson]

A still, grey day here today with rain, and possibly some snow on the moor, likely to come in late afternoon (it did!) so we decided to make our first visit of the year to Killerton House, near Exeter. After a warming bowl of soup and nice bit of chocolate cake we had a stroll around the garden.

Just a couple of early Rhododendrons out and one of them pictured here.
Isolated clumps of Daffs out but many more to come over the next few weeks.
No sun to open the Crocuses but when there is the drifts will look a picture.
Plenty of Snowdrops out but my pics of drifts of them make them appear insignificant

[David Nicholson]

More from Killerton:-

Quite a few Camellias out, just a couple here.
Loads of Primroses to come but those in more open situations now in flower.
Tristagma uniflora looking a little wet and bedraggled.
A Fuschia still clinging on.
Clumps of Hellebores throughout the garden but all much of a likeness, could do with some new stocks.
The odd Pulmonaria in flower with lots more to come.

[David Nicholson]

... and the last ones.

Odd Penstemons still in flower in the borders.
Also Argyranthemums.
Clumps of Iris unguicularis huddled under the walls of the house and in much better flower than mine.
Lonicera x purpusii scenting the air for yards around
Edgeworthia chrysantha nearly open
And to finish my annual pics of Cyclamen coum in the Church Yard.

[Maggi Young]

What were you saying in another thread about the banana belt, David?

Lovely early rhodo... but what about those cyclamen carpets? Fantastic. 

[David Nicholson]

What were you saying in another thread about the banana belt, David?

Lovely early rhodo... but what about those cyclamen carpets? Fantastic. 

  I've just looked back through my Killerton pictures back to 2007 when I got my present camera and this is the earliest I've ever pictured it. Last year I pictured the Cyclamen on 3rd March. The carpets just get better and better every year.

[Lesley Cox]

A great place to visit David and for you, to watch the progress of different plants each year. Did the Cyclamen start as a few corms around the tree trunks and then gradually increase as the seeds scattered further and further down the slight inclines? What a marvellous way to grow them.

[David Nicholson]

Don't know Lesley. A chap I was speaking to said they'd been there "since Adam was a lad"!

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps Adam planted them?

[fermi de Sousa]

Just caught up with this thread - great to see so much out at this time, David.
I think the "Argyranthemum 1", is likely to be Euryops pectinatus with those distinctive grey leaves,
cheers
fermi