22nd December | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Strong westerly winds overnight but still mild and wet.

A huge oak tree within the camellia sasanqua collection has fallen in the last week. Not Storm Darragh directly but no doubt this is what weakened it. Beyond and beside it is a totally dead sycamore which is still standing. A new sheep fence once the mess has been cleared up.

First flowers out on Camellia ‘Mary Pickthorn’. I have looked several times in recent weeks but Jaimie beat me to it.

Flowers still on Hydrangea ‘Fireworks’.

Suddenly the first flowers on just one branch of Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’.

Flowers on Hydrangea ‘Madame Emile Mouillere’.

Furst flower on Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliiflora’.

Also on Camellia japonica ‘Margherita Coleoni’.

Unusual to see early flowers on Camellia japonica ‘Mathotiana Alba’.

Holly leaves cover the ground where Storm Darragh did it worst to evergreens.

The very last of the Gingko.

To my horror squirrels have stripped the bark on our best going Rehderodendron macrocarpum.

2023 – CHW
The shortest day was damp and warm with strong NW winds overnight.

A fine cluster of berries on a young Pittosporum adaphniphylloides. Yellower than the ones in the Burncoose show tunnel which I photographed earlier in the autumn. These had an orange tinge.

Swelling buds on Magnolia ‘Fairy Cream’.

Our layers on Rhododendron griffithianum need moving next spring and have clearly developed their own roots.

Still berries on Ugni molinae above Roger’s Quarry.

First flowers just out on Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’ high up on the bush. About in line with recent years I guess.

Magnolia lancei (formally Michelia pachycarpa) is a proper evergreen and well away now even with a little storm damage.

The end of our oldest Rehderodendron macrocarpum.

Magnolia compressa (formally Michelia compressa) is also a vigorous evergreen.

Still leaves on a Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling below Donkey Shoe.

2022 – CHW
Still flower buds today (despite all the earlier frost) on Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’.

From the archives comes this 13th December 1961 account of the beaching of the ‘Allegrity’ below the Coastguards Hut between Porthluney Cove and Portholland.

The grounded vessel never moved again and the remains of its shell can still just be seen today at low water from the cliffs above. Much of the metal infrastructure from the vessel was eventually salvaged by winch up over the cliff and the proceeds went to Caerhays Church.

A home video of the event can be seen here.

2021 – CHW
Lizzie’s Mother, Alice Churton, died in Cheshire last Friday aged 97 so more chaos in the run up to 2022 with all the arrangements. Jamie has put up the signs at Top and Bottom Lodges heralding the opening of the gardens on 14th February 2022.

A dead birch tree which the woodpeckers are enjoying.

Jasminium nudiflorum coming out into flower for Christmas.

Viburnum bodnantense flowering away on a drab winters day.

Self sown Daphne bholua seedlings appearing in a border near an old plant. I have not seen this before.

Abelia grandiflora with its sepals still making a good show well after flowering.

Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’ still with wonderful autumn colour in late December. A small growing ‘mushroom’ shaped tree which Burncoose ought to stock.

2020 – CHW
Camellia ‘Debutante’ with its first rather pale flowers near the Top Lodge.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ has shed its outer bud coatings early although it may well be out in early February. The plant had some branch dieback after dry summers and a gentle light pruning has encouraged good regrowth after only 12 months. You can see the pile of prunings.

I wonder if we cut down the new apparently dead (blown out of ground and most roots severed) Schefflera macrophylla it would restart near the base?

A big branch has snapped one of the Magnolia delerayi by George’s Hut in the recent gales.

The flower heads on Fatsia polycarpa have developed a lot in a week.

Nice colouring at this late stage on Acer sikkimense. Another semi evergreen here.

2019 – CHW
A camellia wreath for Dad & Mum’s grave for Christmas.

2018 – CHW
Echium seedlings in the gravel. We have already lifted and potted a large number in case of frost.

Zantedeschia aethiopia still in full growth and untouched by frost. A big contrast to how things looked after The Beast. This clump clearly needs dividing soon. Perhaps when and if they do get frosted as there is still too much growth for now.

The gardens open signs have gone up today. The 18th February is not now that far away.

2017 – CHW
The first (Spanish) bluebells break cover.

A single flower on a young Rhododendron neriiflorum. The old clump long dead.

The heather at the Four in Hand is full out. Is this a Lanarth bred cultivar?

Still a few pheasants left on the feed below Hovel Cart Road.

Full leaf still on Catalpa duclouxii.

Another windblown casualty 10 years or so after planting. The roots appear rotten. A malus species.

A single rogue flower on Rhododendron edgeworthii.

Astonishingly a letter from the RHS president arrives in the afternoon post advising me that the RHS council have decided to award me the Victoria Medal of Honour. Good party with Jaimie and all the gardeners. Cannot imagine how I qualify or who nominated me!

2016 – CHW
No rain at all today despite the threat of Hurricane Barbara hitting Scotland. Forecast hopelessly wrong all week and the fourth nearly dry day.So I attempt to photograph the first camellias out along the drive.The unnamed Camellia x williamsii above the Hovel is now shedding its first flush of flowers onto the newly swept drive.

First buds to show on Camellia ‘Tiffany’.

A single red japonica of no great merit.

An early and unformed flower on Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’. Windblown I guess.

Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ – yellow form also now has two single flowers above the Hovel and opposite the pink form.

Not as many out from perhaps 100 varieties along the side of the drive planted 10 to 12 years ago as we have sometimes come to expect.

2015 – CHW
The Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ by the side door is now nearly full out but no scent as yet in heavy rain (again).

Foul day. Shooting cancelled to attend John Laity’s funeral at Germoe church. Feeling ill!

1985 – FJW
Serena [Williams] arrived and walked three steps.

1921 – JCW
Several Camellia sasanqua, Theifera A. Theifera B, Japonica various speciosa of Forrest’s. Gordonea anomala, some roses, Erica hybrida and codenodes. White australis, Hamamelis mollis very good. Rhodo mucronulatum nice. 4 kinds of Caucasicum.

1901 – JCW
A very few roses left. Coums coming on fast. A few Iris alata.

1900 – JCW
Didden [A M Williams] picked the first primrose.