Rhododendron indicum Sweet

Half-hardy evergreen or semi-evergreen azalea with small, lanceolate leaves, often turning crimson or purple in autumn and widely-funnel-shaped, red to scarlet flowers, but very variable.  To 1.8m.  [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’, Millais]. 

Added on January 16 2009

Buxus sempervirens L. var. arborescens

See Buxus sempervirens L. for information on the species.  Arborescens is a form that develops into a large shrub or small tree.  [Hortus, Hilliers’].

Added on April 02 2010

Protea speciosa L.

Shrub with wavy, ciliate, oblong leaves to 12cm long, and ovoid, reddish flower heads, to 12cm long.  To 1.8m.  [RHSD].

Added on April 01 2010

Lilium speciosum Thunb. var. album

See Lilium speciosum Thunb. for details.  Album is a white flowered form with purple-brown stems.  A number of white forms of Lilium speciosum still exist, including the variety ‘Album novum’.  The existence of white forms adds weight to the argument for Lilium speciosum as the correct identification of Lilium lancifolium of the catalogues. 

Added on December 26 2009

Passiflora hybrid no.1

‘No.1. Paler than Kermisina, similar flowers, much [words indistinct] centre petals, very good colour semi-double(?).’  

Added on January 31 2010

Sinningia x Cartoni Hort.

Edwards’ Botanical Register of 1844 reports the introduction of a number of new garden varieties of Gloxinia, including Gloxinia Cartoni, which is described as having deep pink flowers, the petals edged with white and with deeper pink stripes.  The flower figured is a slipper gloxinia.  

Added on September 03 2009

Cuphea ignea A.DC.

Frost tender, spreading, freely-branching, soft-stemmed shrub, often grown as an annual, with lance-shaped leaves and slender, deep red flowers, 2-3cm long, with a dark red band, white rim and 2 tiny black-purple petals, borne singly from the upper leaf axils from spring to autumn.  To 75cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Added on March 11 2009

Improvements to Hortus Camdenensis

The Hortus software has been upgraded. This led to some minor errors in the layout of plant names, particularly in the headings of Plant Profile pages but these have now been largely overcome. Improvements are also progressively being made to the content of the Hortus in three main areas, botanical and horticultural history, cross referencing and illustrations. Some enhancements will be done as the opportunity arises but most will be completed family by family. This will take at least two years to complete.

Published Sep 14, 2010 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Aug 12, 2012 - 04:36 PM

Sir William Macarthur on Vines and Vineyards

Sir William Macarthur wrote extensively on vines and Vineyards. It is our intention to publish all his writings in the Hortus.

Published Aug 01, 2010 - 04:58 PM | Last updated Oct 04, 2010 - 04:47 PM

Working Bee dates

Working Bee dates for 2012.

Published Jun 29, 2010 - 02:59 PM | Last updated Jan 10, 2012 - 05:19 PM

Open House and Gardens

Camden Park House and Gardens will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd September, 2012, from 12.00 noon until 4.00 pm, and Sunday 23rd from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Published Dec 30, 2009 - 02:58 PM | Last updated Jan 09, 2012 - 05:31 PM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 5: Management and Replenishment of the Vineyard

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters VII and VIII deal with the management of the vineyard after planting, the use of manures and the replenishment of an exhausted vineyard. The illustration used here is Macarthur’s Plate 2, a section of a vineyard. This is referred to in detail in Part 4, however it does illustrate the method of vine culture recommended and described here, the dwarf-standard method which at this time was practiced mostly in the north of France.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

Published Sep 09, 2010 - 05:49 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:15 AM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 7: The Vintage (Continued)

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters IX, X and XI, reproduced in Part 6, dealt with the vintage, including the theory and practice of fermentation and preparation for winemaking. The vintage is continued in Part 7, letters XII and XIII giving a description of grape harvesting and crushing. The illustration used here is an excellent lithograph showing the grape harvest at the third vineyard at Camden Park in 1878.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

Published Sep 24, 2010 - 05:07 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:14 AM

Rambles in New Zealand - Part 1

Rambles in New Zealand is the only published work of John Carne Bidwill of any length and an important document in the early colonial history of that country.
It is included in the Hortus for a number of reasons but mainly because, together with his letters to The Gardeners’ Chronicle, it completes the known published works of Bidwill. His importance in the history of the Camden Park gardens and the lack of any substantive treatment of his life and achievements make it appropriate to include all his published work here.

Rambles is published here in four parts:
Part 1 – dedication, Preface, pages 1-29
Part 2 – pages 30-59
Part 3 – pages 60-89
Part 4 – pages 90 -93, List of Subscribers

Published Feb 29, 2012 - 08:45 AM | Last updated Feb 29, 2012 - 03:08 PM

Camellias at Camden Park

Most of the camellias grown at Camden Park are cultivars of Camellia japonica L., the ‘Common camellia’, a native of China, Korea and Japan.  The first plant introduced to Britain in 1739, and figured in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine [BM t.42/1788], is close to the wild type.  It bears single red flowers in early spring but is rarely planted now and was not grown at Camden Park.  William Macarthur was an important breeder of camellias and many of the cultivars described in the Hortus were bred by him.  Unfortunately few of these have survived.  

Published Mar 13, 2010 - 02:43 PM | Last updated Jul 30, 2010 - 02:46 PM