Sinningia speciosa ‘Candidissima’

A cultivar of Sinningia speciosa (Lodd.) Hiern. It is listed in the Appendix to the Gesneriad Register - Sinningia with a date of 1842.  I have found no description.  

Added on September 02 2009

Prunus avium ‘Claremont’

A cultivar of Prunus avium L. Flesh; white, soft, with very little stone [Bowman]. I have found no contemporary description of this variety.

Added on April 22 2010

Bomarea salsilla (L.) Mirb. var. oculata

Frost-tender, tuberous-rooted, twining, climbing perennial with 1-4 flowers per stem, pink with green tips outside and copiously spotted with claret brown inside.  It seems to be a very variable plant with descriptions in the literature varying accordingly.  [RHSD, Baker Am.]. See also Bomarea salsilla (L.) Mirb.

Added on January 11 2009

Myrtus communis L. var. romana Mill.

See Myrtus communis L. for more details on the species and its varieties.  Romana has broadly ovate leaves mostly borne in whorls of 3-4.

Added on January 18 2010

Jasminum fruticans L.

Frost hardy, dense, upright, evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub with alternate, pinnate leaves composed of 3 leaflets, and terminal cymes of up to 5 salverform, slightly fragrant yellow flowers, to 1.5cm across, in summer.  To 1.5m by 1.5m.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Added on January 20 2010

Syringa vulgaris L.

Fully-hardy, spreading shrub or small tree, with heart-shaped leaves, to 10cm long, and dense, conical panicles, to 20cm long, of small, single or double, fragrant lilac flowers in spring.  To 7m.  [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Added on January 20 2010

Rhododendron phoeniceum G.Don

Described as a good species by Lee.  Rhododendron phoeniceum as described by Lee is an evergreen, tall-growing, early-flowering azalea with scarlet-red flowers.  This accords with the description given by Galle, who believes that it is probably a hybrid with Rhododendron mucronatum as one parent.  A large shrub, to 3m, with purple flowers, the upper segments of which are spotted. 

Added on January 16 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 4: Forming the Vineyard and Planting Vines

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters V and VI deal with the formation of the vineyard and planting the vines. The illustration used here is Macarthur’s Plate 1, a ground plan for a vineyard. This is probably based on his own third vineyard, commenced c.1830.

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 05, 2010 - 05:03 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:15 AM

Memorandum from the Antipodes: Colouring of Grapes

The following Memorandum was submitted to The Gardeners’ Chronicle by William Macarthur in 1854. Although written in response to a particular problem aired in the columns of the newspaper some months earlier, it adds considerably to our understanding of commercial wine production at Camden Park, in particular the preferred grapes and the style of wine best suited to the colonial conditions. We are also given insights into the problems caused by ‘sudden abstraction of labour attending our gold crisis’, which caused considerable disruption of agrarian and other commercial activities in Australia for some years.

Published Jun 30, 2011 - 04:42 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:12 AM

Colonial Australian Wines

The following article appeared in The Gardeners’ Chronicle of Saturday, November 25th, 1854. It includes a review of seven wines sent to the proprietors of The Gardeners’ Chronicle from Camden Park by William Macarthur, together with his notes on the wines, the vineyards in which they were produced and the economic conditions pertaining to wine production and sale in Australia. Macarthur’s brief notes, when read with the more detailed essay Some Account of the Vineyards at Camden, extends our knowledge of wine production at Camden but most importantly provides an external (but not necessarily unbiased) view of the quality of the wines.

Published Jun 30, 2011 - 02:12 PM | Last updated Jul 04, 2011 - 09:00 AM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 9: Preparation of Wine

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters XVI and XVII describe the manufacture of wine from secondary fermentation to bottling and storage. The illustration used here is Plate 3 from Letters, which illustrates some of the equipment used in the manufacture of wine, described here and in earlier parts.

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 Oct 03, 2010 - 10:34 AM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:13 AM