Titanarum

Might go to the Isabella Plantation soon. It’s the woodland garden in Richmond Park, oohed and aahed about for its collection of more than 50 Japanese azaleas. They were introduced to the West around 1920 by plant collector, and very famous at that, Ernest Wilson. A few years ago the garden turned 50 and with plants age and beauty go together. The azaleas, famous though they are, wouldn’t be much to write home about on their own, though. But the gardeners have mixed and matched, and being Royal gardeners, to some standard. Yes, that’s right. We have Royal gardeners just round the corner in our parts of the world. Her majesty owns the park and all that it contains: deer, oaks, squirrels, bracken and whatever else grows and lives on the premises. But back to the Isabella. Why go this time of year when Azeleas are not even beginning to think of spring? Because the clever gardeners have created an all year round attraction, that’s why. Camellias flank the broad, low growing belts and islands of azalea. And their flower buds are getting fatter by the minute. Already we have a preview of the colours, ranging from letterbox red to white, pink and variegated. Within a week or so the first buds will have opened and not long after that the stunningly dramatic sight of fallen flowers around its trunk. There is no scent to speak of in camellia flowers but the beautiful tragedy of dropping bloom more than makes up for that.