If you climbed the rock garden today it was worthy of ringing a bell

The following pictures for this diary were taken on 11 July, at Wisley. I’ve mentioned Caroline Aherne in a past diary. She also appeared in the Fast Show. The weather this week reminded me of the sketch in 1994, with a spoof on a foreign news channel, Channel 9 News. In particular the weather report “Meteorologicos”, where Caroline’s weather presenter character, announces that it was “scorchio” and 45 degrees, everywhere. It wasn’t quite as hot as this at Wisley today, but it felt hot. Is it really over 30 years since this episode was first aired? ‘For whom the bell tolls’ is the title of Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 book. It tolls for you. During my research for recent diaries I came across the following publication by the RHS about The British Rock Garden in the Twentieth Century. Let’s hope there is a Twenty-First Century edition.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-us/pdfs/publications/lindley-library-occasional-papers/volume-6-may-2011

Amongst the many things I’ve learned from it is that it’s 65 feet from the top to the bottom of the rock garden at Wisley. This must be good for my step count, particularly if you go up and down a few times during the day when working. Those wheel barrows don’t empty themselves.

The Fern Glade always offers welcome shade when it’s hot

The temperature difference in the shade of the fern glade is very noticeable and demonstrates the benefit of canopy cover on the air temperature. I took the opportunity to linger and look more closely at the plants that are home here.

Cyrtomium falcatum has the common name of house holly fern or Japanese holly fern. It comes from south eastern parts of China to East Asia and Vietnam. It grows in crevices in coastal cliffs, moist stream banks and rocky slopes. The genus name comes from the Greek – kyrtos – arched – the shape of the frond and the specific epithet is also from the Latin – sickle-shaped or falcate. The fronds grow up to 70cm.

Asplenium scolopendrium ‘Angustatum’ AGM is a UK native as well as many countries in the northern hemisphere including Europe, US and Canada. It is known as the hart’s tongue fern in the UK. Hart was the old English name for a deer. The genus name is from the Greek – a -not and – splene – a spleen, the black spleenwort was considered a cure for diseases of the spleen. Dioscorides the Greek physician, botanist and pharmacologist used the specific epithet for this plant – comparing the numerous sori to the legs of a millipede. The pattern this makes is similar to that of a deer’s tongue apparently. I’ve not yet found a deer that will show me its tongue so I can’t confirm this. The cultivar name is from the Latin – narrow.

Polystichum setiferum (Plumosomultilobum Group) is known as the Soft Shield Fern with large fronds that are finely divided and is evergreen. Ideal for a shady border. It is a UK native and can also be found across many countries in West and Central Europe from Portugal to Iran, including Morrocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa. The specific epithet is from the Latin – bearing bristles, bristly. The fronds can grow to 1.2m in length and the stalks and midribs have cinnamon brown scales.

Polystichum polyblepharum AGM is known as the Japanese lace fern, or tassel fern but is native to countries from the Cape Provinces to Japan. The specific epithet is from the Latin – poly – many and – belphro – fringe or eyelash. The young fronds are yellowish-green and covered in hair like golden scales.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata’ is known as the scaly male fern and is nearly evergreen. It can be found growing in the UK and across Europe, the Balkans Peninsula, Turkey to North West Iran. The genus name is from the Greek – dryas – oak and – pteris – fern, giving another common name, the oak-nymph fern. It likes a moist shady border where other woodland plants thrive. The specific epithet is from the Latin – related to or similar to. The cultivar name is again from the Latin – tassel-like at the tips.

Dryopteris x euxinensis is known as the hybrid male fern, a naturally occurring hybrid of D. caucasica x D. filix-mas and can occur throughout the range of where the parent plants are found, in the northern Caucasus, Romania and Turkey.

Polystichum setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’ (Divisilobum Group) was a selected form found growing in the Herrenhauser Garten in Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover district, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Polypodium cambricum ‘Richard Kayse’ AGM is known as the Welsh polypody. The genus name is from the Greek – polys – many and – pous – a foot or many little feet. The specific epithet is from the Latin – from Wales (Cambria) or Welsh. The cultivar name was to honour the person who introduced it in 1668.

In contrast the bonsai walk was cooking, literally

I’m sure I could have literally fried eggs on the path today. At this time of year the trees are watered daily and sometimes twice.

In the Alpine Display House the riot of spring colour has passed but there is still lots of interest

It’s not quite time for the start of the autumn bulbs but there are still many interesting plants on display. The benches in the display house are still packed with plants.

Sempervivum ‘Robin’ was introduced by David T. Ford in 1976. David was discussed in my last diary. It has small to medium rosettes that are  pink – red and hair, which is due to its S. arachnoideum densum lineage. Sempervivum ‘Ford’s Spring’ was raised by Gustaaf van der Steen from Belgium and was named for David T. Ford, in recognition of his outstanding work.

Rosularia rechingeri is the name recognized by the RHS, it comes from the Latin – little rose (the leaf rosettes) and is found growing in Iraq and Turkey at 2200 – 3000m. Some authorities now refer to it as Chabupkaea rechingeri. The specific epithet was to honour Karl Heinz Rechinger (1906 – 1998). He was an Austria botanist, author and a Phytogeographer (the study of botanical geography, the spatial relationships of plants both in the present and the past – I didn’t know there was such a thing). His works included the Flora of Aegaea and he contributed to the Flora of Iranica. His knowledge of the Balkans and southwest Asian botany was outstanding, according to his peers. A prolific plant collector he was also Head of the Department of Botany at the Vienna Naturhistorisches Museum.  There are at least two genera and 12 species named in his honour, which is just a few less than H. J. Heinz and his 57 varieties. Jovibarba heuffelii ‘Angel Wings’ was selected by Cornelius Versteeg from the Netherlands and it has pink rosettes with yellowish – white leaf edges. The specific epithet was named to honour Johann A. Heuffel (1800 – 1857) who was a Hungarian physician, but more famously known for his many botanical trips to south eastern Europe, and in particular the Carpathian, Transylvania and Balkan mountains. Some authorities have this as Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Angel Wings’. The species is found in Albania, Greece and the North West Balkans Peninsula.

Jovibarba heuffelii ‘Beacon Hill’ is another selection, this one being described as having purple – bronze rosettes with paler edging to the leaves. There are many hills in the UK with ‘Beacon’ in the name and the internet couldn’t identify who named this selection or which hill it was named for. Sempervivum ‘Koko Flanel’ is not the name of a famous French fashion designer that sounds similar, but the name of a popular Belgian comedy film that was released in 1990. This plant was bred by Andre Smits, a Belgium breeder, in 1993. It is a S. arachnoideum – cultivar.

Sempervivum ‘Lively Bug’ was raised in 1980 by Edward (Crazy Ed) Skrocki (1930 – 2010) from Southington, Ohio who was a bit of a character, you might say. He was a nurseryman, Packard car and matchbook covers collector, as well as having a collection of over 2000 Sempervivums, raising many cultivars of his own. He used a hearse to deliver plants. I once saw an advert for a Rolls Royce estate car and I didn’t think they made them. It was a second hand hearse. That’s a good way of transporting supplies to an AGS show. The ride will be guaranteed to be smooth. The previous occupants never complained. S. ‘Fuego’ AGM was raised by Martin Haberer from Germany. The cultivar name is from the Spanish – fire.

Another of Martin’s plants is S. ‘Bronco’ which was given an AGM in 2008. It has smallish rosettes which are a dark brownish red. S. ‘Limelight’ is a selection of a wild collected Sempervivum calcareum from the limestone area of the French Alps.

xRhodoxis ‘Klazien’ is one of Jaap Duijs introductions from 2019. The cultivar name translates from Dutch as Nicolas. Rhodohypoxis ‘Pinkeen’ is an early flowering form with small mid-pink flowers over grassy foliage. An excellent source of information I have found on a range of plants is at:

http://johnjearrard.co.uk/list.html

This site quotes Brian Mathew as being “A pink form raised by Mrs McConnel and was part of the RHS collection of Rhodohypoxis in 1988 – 90. It produces more leaves than flowers early in the season and then more flowers than leaves later in the season”.

Eucomis montana is found in the Northern Provinces in South Africa, in particular Eswatini, Mpumalanga to KwaZulu – Natal. Its common name is the montane pineapple flower. The genus name is from the Greek – eukomus – beautiful haired. The specific epithet is from the Latin – of mountains, mountain dweller. Rhodohypoxis ‘Alice’ was named by Mr and Mrs C. Birchall, Tale Valley Nursery, Devon holder of  the National collection of Rhodohypoxis and xRhodoxis. Alice was one of their show dogs.

Some general views of the rock garden in the summer heat

I’ve not counted how many steps there are on the rock garden but there must be several hundred on the various paths that go across the rock garden.

Astilbe ‘Inshriach Pink’ (simplicifolia hybrid) has shiny, mid-green divided leaves, tinged bronze and have dark red stems. The cultivar name is for Jack Drake’s Inshriach Nursery, just south of Aviemore. He founded the nursery with his brother Stamford Drake and sold it to John Lawson in 1970. John had joined the business in 1949. Jack had been apprenticed to W.G. Th. Ingwersen Ltd, another famous nursery that has closed its doors.

I wrote about Platycodon grandiflorus last July, but I noticed there were some white flowers as well as blue ones today.

On this day 11 July 1859

On this day in 1859 Big Ben, in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, tolled for the first time. The bell’s official title is the Great Bell of Westminster. It’s nickname comes from Sir Benjamin Hall (1802 – 1867) who became the First Baron of Llanover. He was a civil engineer, politician and was the First Commissioner of Works (1855 – 58), and he oversaw the installation of the five bells that are used in the clock mechanism- one for the hour and the four smaller bells for the quarter hours. Benjamin was at least 1.93m (6’ 4’’) and possibly nearer 2.0m (6’ 7”) at a time when the average man in Victorian England would have been 1.65 – 1.73m (5’ 5” – 5’ 8”). The bell is located in the Elizabeth Tower which was named for the late Queen in 2012. I thought it had previously been called the St Stephen’s Tower but this reference was made by Victorian journalists, the tower being next to St Stephen’s Hall, where the members of parliament sit. The tower, when built, was just called the Clock Tower. It is still the world’s largest four-faced chiming clock tower and can be heard from up to 8km away (5 miles). The references to ‘St Stephen’s’ relates to the original royal chapel that was part of the Palace of Westminster. The palace was destroyed by fire in 1834. Rebuilding began in 1843 and was completed in 1859. The Clock Tower is 96m tall, with 334 steps to access the belfry, that’s just a few more than the steps up to the top of the rock garden.

The Great Bell of Westminster that is in the tower is a replacement. The first one was cast in 1856 at Stockton-on-Tees but cracked during testing before it was installed. It was melted down and recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. This replacement bell weighs 13.7 tonnes, is 2.7m in diameter and 2.2m high. In September 1859 the replacement bell cracked under the hammer that made it ring, a mere two months after it officially went into service. According to the Whitechapel foundry’s manager, a hammer more than twice the maximum weight specified had been used and for three years Big Ben was taken out of commission. The bell remains cracked to this day, the solution was to rotate it by 45 degrees and a lighter hammer was fitted. The distinctive sound the bell makes is due to the crack, but it still rings. What’s this all to do with the rock garden and this diary? In the words from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem” from the 1993 album “The Future” – “Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offerings. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in”. There will be many cracks in my diary, I’m sure you will have seen errors that have made you smile or you know more. As gardeners we never have the perfect size of garden, enough muscle or time, the soil we want, aspect, rainfall, gradient, temperatures (too hot or too cold), shade or the wrong weeds, but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying what we do have. Just take care when it’s ”scorchio”.