Barking up the right tree!

A dry day today, though I spent a while indoors this morning finishing off the details for my Teams presentation to the Council tomorrow evening. I also had a quick Teams session with a member of the Scottish Rhododendron Society who has been charged with asking members a number of questions to do with the running of the Society. Only a short while ago I'd never heard of Teams - now I've had, or will have had, two sessions within a week!

After lunch we went to Dunollie as usual - I had a few canes to put out for the last of the shrubs to be planted. I always try to remember to take a waterproof as you never know with our weather, but today I didn't need it though it's been quite dull and cloudy.

With tourists coming through the garden I found myself telling plant stories, particularly about the Californian Redwood, seen here through the limbs of a rhododendron.  I often tell the story of a Californian arborist visiting Benmore Botanic Garden where they have a magnificent avenue of redwoods, much the same size as this one, planted, we think, about 1865.  

The Curator - he told me this story himself - drove him round to the front gate where the avenue can be seen to best effect. I pretend to imagine that he said 'Ta-dah', though I'm sure he didn't. The American turned to him and said 'A fine avenue of seedlings you have here'! My friend told me that it was a salutary warning to him not to show off!