Mid Summer Beauties

Crinodendron hookeranum

Four plants to be found in flower in June at High Beeches Garden.



Crindodendron hookeranum a native of Chile and introduced by William Lobb in 1848.  A large shrub requiring lime free soil and partial shade. 





Styrax hemsleyana

Styrax hemsleyana a beautiful small tree from China introduced by E H Wilson in 1900.


Picea brewerana



Rhododendron Margaret Falmouth

Young growth and flowers on Picea brewerana. A medium sized conical tree Brewer's weeping spruce is probably one of the most beautiful of the spruces.  It was introduced from NW California in 1891 and is rare in the wild








Rhododendron Margaret Falmouth.  A late flowering hybrid rhododendron (Rh.griffithianum x Rh auriculatum).  A big shrub with large white scented flowers.

Bonsai Weekend

 

The Sussex Bonsai Group will be at High Beeches on Saturday/Sunday 22nd/23rd June.

 

There will be many prize winning plants on display and Members of the Group will be giving demonstrations of how to create and care for these beautiful miniature trees and shrubs.  Ken Norman, one of  the Sussex Bonsai Group members has won Gold Medals at Chelsea Flower Show and is a judge for the RHS.

 

Magnolias and Davidia



Davidia involucrata

The garden is ablaze with the colour of many azaleas.
Amongst all the colour there are some rare beauties to be found.  The famous Davidia involucrata also known as the dove or handkerchief tree.  The Davidia is a deciduous tree with vivid green leaves and the distinguishing bracts from which each flower is subtended.  It is a native of central and western China and was first discovered by the Abbe David in 1869 but was not introduced to Europe until l897 when one seed was germinated.  It flowered for the first time at Les Barres in l906.

Magnolia wilsonii

Magnolia wilsonii is a deciduous shrub with white, pendulous flowers in May and June.  A native of China it was introduced by Wilson in 1908 and is one of the most beautiful of his introductions




Magnolia sieboldii

Magnolia sieboldii, also known as the Oyama magnolia, is a large wide spreading shrub, the nodding flowers are egg shaped in bud, are white, fragrant and appear intermittently from May to August.  It is a native of  Japan and Korea and was introduced in l865.  Unlike many Magnolias it will do well in chalky soil.

Rhododendron Loderi in Flower

 Rhododendron Loderi King George in full flower looking magnificent and smelling wonderful too.

Some yellow Rhododendrons in flower at High Beeches

Rh. Hawk

 Just a taste of some of the stunning yellow Rhododendrons in flower at High Beeches at the moment.  It is an especially good year for them.

The garden is looking particularly beautiful now.  The primroses are still in flower amongst the bluebells and the camellias are late to flower and so have not been damaged by frost.
The Loderi Rhodendrons are filling the garden with their sweet scent along with Rhododendron johnstoneanum.


Rhododendron Hotei
One of the best yellows



Rh campylocarpum

Rh wightii

A great place to see Rhododendrons

Rhododendron Matador

'Rhodos rule' an article by Robin Lane Fox, in the Financial Times on Saturday 11th May, extolling the virtues of the Rhododendron.   He advocates visiting some well known Rhododendron gardens to see the Rhodos in their full glory.
Many of the Rhodos he mentions can also be seen here at High Beeches Garden including many of those bearing the Loder name.

High Beeches is the original Loder Garden.  The Loder Family bought High Beeches in the 1860's and continued to garden here until l968 when the Boscawens bought the garden and it is now managed by High Beeches Gardens Conservation Trust.

Three beauties. Rhododendron hybrids Moonstone, Elsae and Elizabeth

Rhododendrons on Forrest's Bank
Amongst them are Rhodo russatum and Rhodo campylogynum

These are just some of the stunning Rhodos to be seen at High Beeches.

Camellias and Magnolias

Camellia williamsii Donation
perhaps the most beautiful camellia raised this century

Two camellias and two magnolias looking their best in the Garden at the moment.

There is so much to see - the garden changes everyday.

It is an extraordinary year for primroses and cowslips.  There are literary carpets of primroses and there have never been so many cowslips in the meadow.  It promises to be a superb year for the native wildflowers and the bluebells will be in full flower next week.

Camellia reticulata



Magnolia Alexandrina 

There are more Rhododenrons out every day;
Rh. niveum, Rh. sino grande, Rh. thomsonii,
Rh. Jenny, Rh. fargesii, Rh. morii, Rh. calophytum, Rh. reticulatum, Rh. Queen Wilhemina,  Rh.caloxanthum, Rh. uvarifolium,
Rh Barclay Fox to name just a few.






The later flowering magnolias have survived the frost and are looking glorious.  In addition to these two Magnolia stellata, Magnolia kobus, Magnolia lennei, Magnolia Star Wars and Magnolia veitchii are in full flower.

Magnolia Leonard Messel