Windcliff Garden

 

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to visit Windcliff the garden of Daniel J. Hinkley & Robert Jones. Walking around the garden with Dan & looking at all his wild collected plants from around the world is a plant nuts dream!

 

The Eucryphia

The Eucryphia are in full flower this week, there are about 7 species of this small tree from Southern hemisphere most are from Australasia but a couple come from the Andes of Chile & Argentina. They are well suited to the mild zone 8 climate of the UK, Coastal BC & Washington state. Our Oregon garden is 100 miles away from the coast & though officially zone 8 only 1 species thrives here, Eucryphia glutinosa which is a reliable zone 7 plant.

      Eucryphia glutinosa

Several other species grow in our garden including the English classic Eucryphia x nymansensis 'Nymansay' from Nyman's Garden Sussex. While it still flowers profusely it has a much harder time than the more robust E. glutinosa in our climate.

Eucryphia x nymansensis 'Nymansay'

Tabaco del Diablo

Lobelia tupa

The Devils Tobacco

Looking great in the garden this week is Lobelia tupa, this Chilean native is know as Devils tobacco probably because of it's hallucinogenic properties. It's considered a sacred plant by the Mapuche Indians of Southern Chile. Our plants come from seed that was wild collected in Chile in 2005. 

New Cuttings

Our mist house is slowly filling up with newly made cuttings!

Just Wierd

Platycarya strobilacea flowers a just a bit weird! These obscure members of the Walnut family are growing in an out of the way corner of the the Hoyt Arboretum. The central cone like catkin is the female part of the flower surrounded by the male pollen producers.

Not your old Ohio Buckeye!

Had a chance to spend a few hours at the Hoyt Arboretum yesterday afternoon & a couple of Summer flowering Buckeyes really stood out! In the foreground is Aesculus californica & in the background Aesculus wilsonii from China. Though very similar the Aesculus wilsonii had the better shape & form.

Star Anise

Star Anise are small evergreen trees that are native Asia, South Eastern North America & the West Indies. They should not be confused with the Anise herb Pimpinella anisum. 

Japanese Star Anise Illicium anisatum is one of the more commonly seen species. It is used to make incense in Japan but the fruits are toxic if eaten! 

Flowering for the first time in our garden this year is the very cool Illicium henryi from Southern China.