The upper part of the road though the garden up to my house is known as the Arboreum Walk, as it was once lined with many Rhododendron arboreum. Although many have gone there are still quite a number left, some quite large old plants - we've added some new ones in recent years, grown from seed I collected in Nepal back in the early 1990s.

One of the originals was white-flowered with a beautiful pink rim, a sort of picotee effect. I'd never propagated it, but always meant to, then several years ago, after a stormy night, I found it snapped off at the ground. Grrrr!

Fortunately I knew of a micro-propagation programme down in Cornwall, so arranged to send some growth buds down. Last year, after maybe five years, I received the first batch of young plants which I potted on and will plant out in a nursery bed next year. There are more to come and in the fullness of time I shall be able to plant a grove of them. I shall have to think of a suitable name to give them.