Wildside-7 April 2017

[David Nicholson]

Beautiful day here today for a visit to Wildside on the garden's first opening of the year. So warm I could have managed in just a tee shirt (trousers too of course!) but struggled on in a jumper. Far too bright for my limited photographic skills too so have ditched many of the snaps. Bumped into Jon Evans and his wife, I should have asked for a lesson.

First five pics all of Erythroniums in great swathes across the garden. In chatting with Keith Wiley afterwards he remarked "Wait until you see them in about three years time"

[David Nicholson]

Two more Erythronium pics
Beautiful red Acers
One of a number of cracking Rhododendrons

[David Nicholson]

I'm developing a soft spot for Trilliums but know next to nothing about them. If anyone could put names these that would be nice

[David Nicholson]

For those with their naming caps on they could help me with these please.

[David Nicholson]

Last of the 'What's this' please

[ian mcdonald]

Not bad photos. David, better than many of my efforts.

[Tim Ingram]

Argh - very, very envious. I was talking with Keith and Ros at Rosemoor and they have made a determined stand to invest their time and energy into Wildside rather than travelling long distances to Shows to sell plants. We face the same dilemma, even though with hardly the drama and fame of their garden. Keeping on top of a garden AND propagating and selling plants is a huge endeavour. We must try and visit them sometime in the future and hope they will still venture out to Rosemoor when the AGS Show is held there again; it's an opportunity at least to savour some of those wonderful gardens in the West Country. One of the patches of erythroniums must be E. revolutum 'Janice', which is a selection from Wildside awarded the AGM recently. The first Trillium (white with pink eye) looks like T. albidum.

[Gabriela]

Thanks for showing Wildside again David; beautiful in any season!

I think 1a, 1b show Uvularia sessilifolia and 3a, 3b Clintonia borealis - somehow on steroids, never seen one so big.

[Maggi Young]

Keith Wiley matches Ian Young in his enthusiasm for Erythroniums! They've bonded over that.  Keith has written to Ian in glowing terms about Ian's  'Erythronium in Cultivation' e-book, which was nice.   

[brianw]

I am more puzzled by the woodland. That was a heavily modified field when I was there last a few years ago. Those trees look reasonably mature.

[johnw]

David  - 2a and 2b would be Rhododendron williamsianum, likely one of the selected forms but I can only id the white-flowered form. When in flower!

Such a gem.

john

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for Rhododendron williamsianum ID John. I just didn't recognise it as a Rhododendron, not seen one with that sort of leaf shape and colour before. It's lovely.

Thanks too Gabriela for Uvularia sessilifolia, that I hadn't seen before and also the Clintonia borealis.

Thanks for the Trillium albidum Tim. It was a great time of year to see the lower garden and it will be even better in a few weeks when the Primulas and Dactylorhiza come into flower. Later in the year the upper garden really comes into its own.

Perhaps it's been longer than you think Brian?

[brianw]

Using Google maps the aerial view is marked as 2017, so I assume current. The area at the bottom of the rectangle was I recall orchard trees with meadow type wild flowers between, restricting where you could walk. There were many other young trees around the site edges and a few on the various banking/berms but not woodland I can remember, The top of the site, (nearest the road) above the car parking and formally laid out section (originally the sale area) was just starting planting out when I was last there.
I must try and get back there this year. Most of my previous visits have been at Rhodohypoxis, Dactylorhiza flowering times.

Note if you have not visited, Google has the identifying marker label in the wrong place the other side of the commercial nursery further down the lane.

[David Nicholson]

In case anyone is considering a visit to Wildside the next opening days are June 24-30 (10-4) and July 24-31 (10-4)

[David Nicholson]

My mate Mike tells me I forgot to include the dates for Wildside's May openings. He's right, I did forget, so here they are:-

May 25-31 (10-4)