Royal Horticultural Society Meeting Portmeirion Gardens and the Gwyllt

September 28, 2005

Royal Horticultural Society Meeting 'Y GWYLLT' Portmeirion Gardens, March 6th 2005

A momentous event for Portmeirion has been the cooperation with the Royal Horticultural Society to bring to its members a series of events throughout the year. The walk through the Gwyllt with Russell Sharp, Gardens Manager and Botanical Taxonomist, Dr. William Hughes on the 6th March, marks the start of these events - a historic occasion which was very well attended by 24 Royal Horticultural Society members, especially considering the very cold inclement weather across the country. People came from as far afield as London, Manchester and Shrewsbury.

RHS Meeting 06 03 05 Portmeirion

Ready for the walk

View from the Trwyn towards Snowdon

Scrambling onto the Trwyn

View across to
Moel y Gest and Borth y Gest

Exotic Hollow

Richea dracophylla

Looking back across Whitesands Bay

Walking through semi natural vegetation above the Trwyn

Rhododendron 'Choremia' RHS Meeting

Rhododendron protistum fallen flowers Chinese Pond

Rhododendron macabeanum Camellia Bay

One of the original plants of Rhododendron 'Gwyllt King'

Trompe-l'oeil Statue

Dicksonia antartica Exotic Hollow

After a brief introduction to Portmeirion and the 'Gwyllt' by Russell, the 24 RHS members were taken around parts of the 100 acres of woodlands and were shown some of the wide range of exotics and rarities for which this rocky promontory is famous. A beautifully clear day, the views from Whitesands Bay and the Trwyn were truly spectacular in all directions towards the Rhinogs and Harlech and inland towards Snowdon, snow capped in all its splendour. This gave an insight as to one of the reasons why Sir Clough acquired this paradise. Unusually low temperatures for this normally mild area situated between the two Rivers, the Dwyryd and the Glaslyn has characterised the past week and has held back many of the Rhododendrons and Camellias that would normally be flowering. However it was possible to show some of the specialties that the Gwyllt is so rightly famous for. The list below includes some of the species and genera noted on the day.

Arthrotaxis species (3)	*Eucryphia cordifolia x lucida*	*Eucryphia glutinosa*	*Notofagus dombeyi*	*N. solandreri*
*N. cunninghamii,Cliffortioides*	*Craibodendron yunnanense*	*Telopea mongaensis*	*Trochodendron aralioides*	*Ilex yunnanensis*
*Lomatia ferruginea*	*Weinmannia trichosperma*	Astellia chathamica Silver Spear	*Richea dracophylla*	*Ilex pernyi*
*Eucryphia glutinosa*	*Maytenus boaria*	*Woodwardia radicans*	*Dicksonia antartica*	*Dipteronia sinensis*
*Asplenium obovatum*	*Rubia perigrina*	*Drimys winteri*	**Drimys winteri var. andina**	*Ginko biloba*
*Magnolia campellii*	*Aesculus parviflora*	*Rhododendron protistum*	*Rhododendron macabeanum*	*Rhododendron montroseanum*
Rhododendron 'Choremia'	Rhododendron 'Gwyllt King'	*Schima yunnanensis*	Skimmia species and varieties	*Eucalyptus glaucescens*
Rhododendron 'Seta'	*Rhododendron moupinsense*	Rhododendron 'Cilipinense'	*Rhododendron dauricum*	Rhododendron 'Cornish Red'
Camellia sasanqua 'Narumi Gata'	Camellia sasanqua 'Hugh Evans'	Camellia x williamsii 'J.C. Williams'	*Blechnum chilense*	*Rhododendron lutescens*
*Rhododendron falconeri*	Cornus 'Norman Hadden'	*Cornus controversa*	Azalea 'Amoenum'	*Magnolia acuminata*
Rhododendron 'Parisienne'	Rhododendron 'Harry Tag'	Rhododendron 'Suave'	Rhododendron 'Ostara'	Azealea 'Oomurasaki'
Rhododendron 'Nobleanum'	Betula 'Hergest'	Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha'	*Rhododendron sinogrande*	Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendulum'
Embothrium coccineum Lanceolatum group	*Ficus carica*	*Echium pininana*	*Pittosporum tobira*	*Olea europaea*
Gevuina avellana

The list above is by no means exhaustive and gives some idea of the plants of interest seen and discussed. The majority, of course, were not in flower, but the fallen leaves of Rhododendron protistum were noted and Rhododendron macabeanum as an air laying of the original plant was at its best. As Steven Lacey would agree, every time you visit the Gwyllt you will come across something new, something you have not noticed before. Hopefully over the next few years a definitive list of species growing in Portmeirion will be published and we have not mentioned Castell Deudraeth or Plas Brondanw yet! If you did not come to this meeting, hopefully this might encourage you to join one of the other three meetings arranged by the RHS this year. Please do get in touch with them to buy tickets and you can be assured of a very warm welcome and why not combine this with a meal at the Hotel or better still stay and have a holiday!