Paulownia kawakamii - the Sapphire Dragon tree

Paulownia kawakamii at The Garden House

The arboretum at The Garden House is still relatively new 25 years after it was created from what used to be a nursery and otherwise uncultivated area. Many of the trees are not yet fully mature but for me one has stood out over the last ten plus years that I've been photographing this wonderful garden.

For most of that time I've admired it for its rapidity of growth and the massive leaves, far bigger than the smaller and far more common Paulownia tomentosa, the foxglove tree.

Then, last year, came the first flowers.

Large, pale blue and very exotic looking, they were a bit more sparse in their first year of flowering but have made up for it this year, smothering the branches as the flowers erupt from hairy brown buds.

The display lasts for about three weeks during May, and, unlike its commoner relative is usually late enough that the risk if frost has passed by the start of the flowering season.

Originating from Taiwan and Southern China, it's endangered in the wild, and the best hope of survival is in cultivation.  But for that you'll need a fair bit of room.  Looking at the UK literature it's described as a small to medium hardy deciduous tree. Hardy yes, deciduous yes, small to medium?  Not judging by our specimen growing in the cool damp conditions of the western edge of Dartmoor.  How big it will end up we don't know but it's already massive.  So one for a very large garden, park or other public planting to provide a late spring display to rival the Jacaranda displays of Mediterranean and sub-tropical gardens.

 

 The terraced gardens at Powis Castle

Last September (2025) we spent a few days on the Welsh border near Shrewsbury.  Within easy distance, near Welshpool, is the National Trust property of Powis Castle.  Renowned for its massive terraces, this is a garden I've long wanted to visit.  I was not disappointed.

Seen from the lowest part of the garden the terraces sweep up the hillside, each level linked by steps and pathways.  For 75 year old me getting down and getting back up again (entry is at the top) was a little bit of a struggle but I managed.

As the terracing is bounded by brick walls, stonework and paved pathways each of the terraces benefits from a warmer microclimate than would be expected from mid Wales.  And this has been exploited to use more tender exotics in the broad borders on each terrace.  My type of gardening!

Individual terraces are broad, allowing lawns on some, such as this one in front of the conservatory.

With space available giant containers filled with a host of interesting tender annuals and perennials are a prominent feature.  I'd like to try some of the planting combinations in our own garden if we only had the room.

And every terrace offered a view across the valley to the hills beyond.  Breath taking, given the contrast in early Autumn colour with the garden's Japanese maples and the natural landscape beyond.

If I lived more closely this is a garden I'd visit time and again.  The only downside?  Maria couldn't come with me as the terraces are not disabled friendly.

Gardening with Passion

Passion flowers that is.  Two years ago I lost a massive Abutilon 'Waltz' on my south facing rear house wall.  Not to frost but to an Atlantic gale that whipped it out of the ground.  At it's peak it was magnificent and I still mourn the loss.

The question then became what to replace it with.  And the answer came in the shape of a visit to the now sadly defunct Hill House nursery.  They had two fairly new passion flowers in the greenhouse, both allegedly hardy, and both bred to stay open for two to three days rather that the one day with Passiflora caerulea.

I bought one of each.  White 'Snow Queen'...

...and blue 'Clear Sky'

Don't they make a lovely couple.

They did well last year while establishing but with one comparatively mild winter out of the way they've exploded to cover a good chunk of the wall in their planting corner.  Now hung with a myriad of flower buds and the first couple of flowers already out they're promising to produce a fantastic display this summer.  And, yes, the individual flowers do last up to three days.

Oh, and they're also encroaching on a space occupied by my plant of Clematis florida var. sieboldiana 'Viennetta', a passion flower look alike I have growing on an adjacent wall and also coming up for flowering.

It will be interesting to see them side by side as a group of hardy exotic climbers for milder UK gardens.