This area is at the lower end of the Amphitheatre, adjacent to Milton’s Temple, on the north facing slope overlooking the pond. It is an old section, with much of the planting dating from the 1980’s but with some additions from 1998 & 1999.

The stand-out oddity in this area is ‘Belle of the Ball’. The main bush is 4-5 meters tall and has blush pink anemone form flowers (1E-059). At its base is a much smaller plant, mostly very low to the ground and flowering rather later with deep pink flowers (1E-006). The two plants may have been planted in the same hole or one may have been the rootstock for a scion of the other. The book description is “rosy salmon, large semi-double”, so the smaller plant may be correct. The big one certainly isn’t. It is possibly ‘Trinket’, a variety raised around the same time and by the same growers.

‘Beau Harp’ (1e-005) should be solid red. It appears the bush has become virus infected as some blooms are white blotched, a form that has been named ‘Dr John D. Bell’. I don’t recall noticing virus variegation on it in the past but I think it is now spreading through the whole bush.

‘California’ (1E-008) is wrong. The plant at 1N-011, with double flowers, being correct as far as I know. This one appears identical to the plant labelled ‘Firefalls’ at 1N-028, although that name is also incorrect.

‘Emmet Pfingstl’ (1E-014) is the virus variegated version of ‘Joseph Pfingstl’ and should have white blotches, which this plant doesn’t, so it may just be plain ‘Joseph Pfingstl’.

The two plants of ‘King’s Ransom’ beside each other at the front are very yellow, especially 1E-025.

It took me a long time to realise that Marie Bracey (1E-026), formerly labelled ‘Martha Brice’, and ‘Martha Bryce’ (4C-003) are in fact quite different. The 4C-003 plant appears to be correct, though misspelt. The 1E-026 plant has been relabelled ‘Marie Bracey’. See blog entry ‘Martha Brice’. This also underlines the fact that the two plants labelled ‘Marie Bracey’ in 1H are something different. 1E-026 was relabelled ‘Marie Bracey’ in spring 2019.

‘Prince of Orange’ (1E-036), though planted in 2004, has never flowered.

‘Tom Knudsen’ (1E-046 & 1E-056) is listed in the Register as a japonica and described as a chance seedling.

‘Tomorrow Park Hill’ (1E-050) is the same as its namesake at 1A-049 and also the plant formerly labelled ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ at 1G-079. I’m not wholly convinced that they are ‘Tomorrow Park Hill’ but it is far from unknown for semi-double or rose form flowered varieties from warmer climates than the UK to fail to produce stamens and stigma here and become formal doubles or something close. It certainly isn’t ‘Nuccio’s Gem’.

Both plants of ‘Tomorrow’ (1E-047 & 1E-048) are very yellow and don’t flower freely.

Two additions were made in autumn 2017, of ‘Cinnamon Cindy’ (1E-057) and ‘Mermaid’ (1E-058).