ET me now praise Emmenopterys henryi. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t have an English name, which isn’t surprising because you don’t often see it in European gardens.
However, it is hardy, handsome and, somewhat surprisingly, quite closely related to the plants that give us coffee and quinine. All are members of the Rubiaceae family.
E. henryi is a deciduous tree from southern China, spilling over into northern Vietnam and Thailand. It’s found in temperate forests and valleys with an annual rainfall of 60in–80in at altitudes between 1,310ft and 5,250ft, together with that other botanical wonder Davidia involucrata, the handkerchief tree.
In the wild, it grows to 100ft tall, its handsome flowers set off by no less handsome glossy leaves, which have a bronzy tint, deep-red leaf stems and crimson autumn colour.
However, its leaves are not why E. henryi has such a following among the gardening cognoscenti. The reasons for its popularity are twofold: first, it has enormous white flowers quite unlike anything else and, second, it flowers very rarely—in Britain, anyway.
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin March 20, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin March 20, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
