charlie wrote:
This Hydrangea puts mine to shame

You think? Looks like its struggling to reach the Trellis to me :mrgreen:
Some Dovecot
My daughter plays sport "away" at Stowe sometimes, we always go early to enjoy a wander. Their boast is "Never out of sight of at least two follies", or something like that ... absolutely bonkers!
One of the great many rather nice Cornus in the gardens
I've got a couple, growing on in large pots pending construction of the Oriental Stroll Garden, but I have a Cornus kousa chinensis in the shrubbery (planted 7 years, so everything a good size). I'm always disappointed that it looks "unhealthy", and now that it is in flower most of them are nearer to the top, and its several yards back into the border (allowing for it growing to a decent size) and hard to see the flowers to enjoy them. Any thoughts?
I had already thought that the new ones should be planted next to the path, when the flowers could be enjoyed close up. I have a Cornus florida urbiniana which, if it turns out anything like as good as the photos I've seen, is likely to become my most favouritest plant! (Plan to import some decent acid soil for that, plus a bank of Azaleas) I also have a Satomi and an Eddie's Wonder.
it looks like a Horse Chestnut relative but was newly planted and without a name
There was a Pink (or maybe Red) Horse Chestnut at my parent's house. It was already mature when we got there, and I don't remember it growing much (decades later). I don't suppose it was more than 20' tall, maybe less. I assumed all Red/Pink were small, but saw a full-sized Horse Chestnut by the roadside the other day with Pink (or maybe Red, I forget!!) candles the other day ...