Hybridising plants that do not flower at the same time causes a few problems, but with a little ingenuity this can be easily be overcome by storing the pollen.
The little capsules from unused tablets from the pharmacy are emptied and gently cleaned with a tissue. The anthers are then removed and left in the sun to dry until powdery. They are then carefully placed in the capsule, sealed and labelled. These are then put into a tight-fitting glass jar and stored in the refrigerator.
If pollen is to be stored for a lengthy period then some silica gel should be added to the jar and placed in the freezer.
I have in the past had some supposedly sterile plants produce the odd anther with traces of pollen, and even a few seed, so it is a good idea to keep a sharp watch on all plants used for breeding purposes, as the are sometimes full of surprises.
To get back to the bees and their pollination which by the way is much more efficient and successful than mine. Sometimes seedlings appear on the bench from plants that the bees have pollinated. These are always potted and grown on until flowering time for assessment, sometimes the bees do a better job than I can. I have on occasion found a few good plants this way. When the plants are pollinated each morning I cover them with fleece which is a convenient way of protecting them, and I don't have to cover each plant individually.
All my Camellias and Daphnes were pruned immediately after flowering. The camellias were over ten feet high and had to be restrained as they starting to block the light from one side of he back garden. A mulch of moss peat and a handful of fertiliser to each plant will help them recover quickly. The Daphnes will take a little longer to recover, but the Daphne Retusa that I pruned two years ago is now looking very healthy with glossy dark green leaves.
Daphne Tanguitica was the worst offender and had grown to almost four feet. That is much too tall for a rock garden so I had no choice but to chastise it.
The Cercis Siliquastrum in the front garden had to be pruned again to keep it within its own territory. The trunk and branches are all covered with flower buds and should be in bloom in about a week. Cercis has a most peculiar way of flowering as the buds appear all along the trunk and the main stem of the branches, and not at the end of the branches like cherry's
