July 2026

July 2026 Update

We have manged to do more in the garden this year and particularly focussed on planting trees.

Tree Planting

After one of the Wollemi pines (Wollemia nobilis) died in 2023, over winter we have moved the remaining one to a more sheltered position. It has benefitted from the move and is putting on new growth in the crown and from the base.  The new growth is initially covered by an unusual waxy cap (see photo).  The positions vacated by the Wollemi pines have been filled with a pair of fastigiate golden beech trees (Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Gold').  

Another tree that had been gradually failing because of the exposed position was the variegated tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera 'Aureomarginatum') in the North West corner.  It had been in the ground for 4 or 5 years, and every year got a little smaller. This has recently been replaced by a Norway maple (Acer platanoides 'Princeton Gold') which will hopefully cope with the exposure better than the tulip tree.

Other new tree planting:

• A pair of fastigiate tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera 'Fastigiatum') in the garden to the North of the house. Just after planting these were hit badly by the late hard frost on 25 April. They lost all their new leaves, but have recovered well. This green leaved cultivar should cope with the exposed site better than the aforementioned variegated form.

• A second crescent of eleven white birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) behind the mound adjacent to the pond, again grown from seed.  When these are big enough, we plan to try pleaching them.

• A second giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum), that had emerged from the rootstock of a failed grafted Sequoiadendron giganteum 'pendulum'.

• A small Daimyo oak, also known as the Japanese emperor oak (Quercus dentata 'Carl Ferris Miller').  When more mature, the leaves of this oak can reach 30cm in length.

• A Chile pine tree 'monkey puzzle', (Araucaria araucana) grown from seed. 

• A weeping hornbeam (Carpinus betulus 'Pendula') to replace the weeping beech on the front lawn that had failed.  The front lawn contains honey fungus which may have caused the demise of the beech. Hornbeams are more resistant to honey fungus than beech trees and so hopefully the replacement tree will fare better.

• A pair of golden Indian bean trees (Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea') on the front lawn.

• A flowering dogwood, Cornus kousa var. chinensis 'Schmetterling', again on the front lawn.  Schmetterling is more vigorous than most named varieties.
  Both Cornus and Catalpa are generally not susceptible to honey fungus.

• A Japanese plum yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata'. Planted in the bird run.

There are various other trees waiting to be planted when the weather is more conducive. 

Other News

Moorhens nested in the garden again this year.  There has been a fox visiting the garden and, possibly because of this, the moorhens decided to nest high in a dense elder bush rather than on the edge of the pond as they have in previous years.  They hatched seven chicks and three of these are now almost fully grown. A red kite has visited the pond area a few times since it spotted the moorhen chicks. 

The dawn redwood trees (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), which have been in the ground for a couple of years and are well established, were hit hard by the late frost on 25 April; all their leaves were burnt off.  They have recovered very slowly, with new leaves only just forming during the latter part of June.  The photo taken 29 June shows sparse new leaves and some brown frost damaged earlier growth.
The golden dawn redwood, 'Golden Oji' or 'Gold Rush', lost its main leader to frost, but is shooting from the base. 
For more information on the dawn redwoods, see the Living Fossils page.