13th February

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955


2024 – CHW

Magnolias rush out after a night of wind and rain showers.

The view from the front door over the arch by the back yard.

view from the front door
view from the front door
The original Magnolia campbellii looks a bits better colour in the sun.
Magnolia campbellii
Magnolia campbellii
The largest Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’ is just starting. Unlike the other one which we saw last week this has not been blown open prematurely.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ moves forward.
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’
As I had feared the (true) Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ has been blown open prematurely and slightly frosted.
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
The other 1950’s planted Magnolia campbellii is a good colour.
The other 1950’s planted Magnolia campbellii
The other 1950’s planted Magnolia campbellii
The other 1950’s planted Magnolia campbellii
The other 1950’s planted Magnolia campbellii
Magnolia ‘F. J. Williams’ has blown open since yesterday. A little premature.
Magnolia ‘F. J. Williams’
Magnolia ‘F. J. Williams’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’ now, suddenly, full out on the Drive.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’
Rhododendron ‘Winters Interlude’ (which is late out) just going over.
Rhododendron ‘Winters Interlude’
Rhododendron ‘Winters Interlude’
The view across to Giddle Orchard.
view across to Giddle Orchard
view across to Giddle Orchard
Another magnolia just starting above the wall up from the front door.
Another magnolia
Another magnolia

2023 – CHW
The garden season started today; our first day of opening this year. Around 100 visitors in the sun.Well budded camellias at the sales point.

camellias at the sales point
camellias at the sales point
The newly installed polytunnel to keep any frost off things.
newly installed polytunnel
newly installed polytunnel
A good show of helleborus.
helleborus
helleborus
Magnolias and other things.
Magnolias and other things
Magnolias and other things
I am attempting to fill in the long and complex forms necessary to register Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’ with The Camellia Society International. The forms seem rather out of date as they ask for transparencies. In photography terms these went out with the dinosaur.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Here are some photographs of fully out flowers necessary to measure flower size and, using the RHS Colour Charts, to identify the exact flower colours.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Pickthorn’
The thing which, to my mind, makes this chance seedling interesting and worthy of registration as being unique and different is the strange and irregular dark pink blotches and mottling on the very pale pink flowers. Not known in any other x williamsii camellia variety bred and raised at Caerhays.
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’ is fairly new here. Not that different but, not surprisingly, it sports the odd pink flower as you can see.
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’
Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’ is also new and a very vivid red indeed. Only a single though.
Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’
Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’
Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’
Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden with the Malus collection all in the ground and planted (65 varieties – 185 trees). These now get uploaded to the Queens Green Canopy website with the layout plan and list of varieties which you can see here as an attachment.
Right to left – Paul Sanderson – Timothy Kraft – Jaimie Parsons – John Kelly – Michael Levitt
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden
The planting team pictures in the Kitchen Garden

2022 – CHW

Frankie and his mighty machine have cleared the two fallen beech trees below Old Park and Brownberry.

below Old Park and Brownberry
below Old Park and Brownberry
below Old Park and Brownberry
below Old Park and Brownberry
The clearance of the old Camellia japonica above the Dog Kennels has made an excellent area for new planting. Perhaps the new Amelanchier collection should go here?
area for new planting
area for new planting
area for new planting
area for new planting
Work is now one and a half days into clearing the Kitchen Garden for replanting in the autumn with our new collection of flowering malus (crab apples). With such a huge machine it does not take long although we are taking great care to protect the old stone lined watercourse and the remains of the old greenhouse and potting shed. My father planted conifers here in the early 1960s to finally retire the two fulltime vegetable gardeners. The conifers grew badly as it was too wet and they were never thinned properly. Some trunks and timber have been saved but probably only as firewood for Ross’ business. A mountainous fire with whole roots (shaken of earth) going on the top.
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
The old potting shed and apple store which we hope to restore one day.
old potting shed and apple store
old potting shed and apple store
Lots more to deal with yet.
Lots more
Lots more
The Magnolia campbellii seedling outside the back yard now has some decent flowers.
Magnolia campbellii seedling
Magnolia campbellii seedling
Jaimie’s Rhododendron ‘Maisie’.
Rhododendron ‘Maisie’
Rhododendron ‘Maisie’

2021 – CHW
Another storm casualty which I also missed earlier has been a large chunk of the elderly Rhododendron arboreum (white) on the path up to the Isla Rose Plantation. The same rhododendron we saw in the 1907 or 1921? pictures a week or two ago. Asia collected seed from this plant last autumn ‘just in case’. Another mess to clear up in the rush before opening as it was on Thursday in the freezing cold and alarmingly strong gusts of beastly east wind.
Rhododendron arboreum
Rhododendron arboreum
Rhododendron arboreum
Rhododendron arboreum

It now looks as though we will not open tomorrow after all. Heavy rain and 40mph winds are forecast so it will be too dangerous to risk the public. The forecast for next week looks pretty horrid as well. Jaimie has made the right call but it muddles the publicity surrounding our reopening.

Frankie and his digger have helped clear the Lower Rockery Path and the turkey oak trunk has been sectioned up and moved out of the way. The mess and crown will have to wait a few days to sort out.

turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak
turkey oak

Frankie has moved on to widen a couple of bridges with additional telegraph poles for supports. One is of course the one that I tipped the mule off into a flooded River Luney on 16th November last year with a heavily pregnant Serena on board. She called today to tell us her husband now has COVID in Juba in South Sudan where he is a British army colonel attached to the UN peacekeeping mission there. COVID in that sort of heat cannot be pleasant and on vacuum packed army rations with no proper fresh fruit. Thankfully he stocked up on vitamins and medicines when he was briefly back in the UK in early January. Quite how he will now get back to the UK for the birth in April remains a worry to us all.Saw some golden plover today near Nancor Farm above Grampound struggling in the wind and probably also struggling to feed anywhere. The woodcock have been seen recently in the garden more and more (and at Burncoose) where I guess they will have, by now, departed into France or a mid-Atlantic death. The GWCT farm bird count will be interesting this year as most migratory birds will have been blown way off course or snuggled down to wait out the ‘Beast’. I saw in the papers an extremely rare sighting of a US bird on Exmoor. It would get home quickly on this easterly storm!

2020 – CHW
The sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ which is unnamed is looking good outside the front gate in the sun. The flowers are smaller and darker than ‘Caerhays Belle’ but this is not bad for February. The other sister seedling is not yet out in Bond Street but a similar size.
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Rhododendron siderophyllum (pure white form) nicely out nearby.
Rhododendron siderophyllum
Rhododendron siderophyllum
Rhododendron siderophyllum
Rhododendron siderophyllum
On the plans this is a home raised FJW rhododendron. It looks today a Rhododendron sutchuanense seedling but the plans say that it is a pink decorum x FJW rookery hybrid which I find hard (but not impossible) to believe or understand. It is early and a pretty decent tall growing rhododendron so who cares!
pink decorum x FJW rookery hybrid
pink decorum x FJW rookery hybrid
pink decorum x FJW rookery hybrid
pink decorum x FJW rookery hybrid
The rhodo cross and the magnolia together today in the sun.
rhodo cross and the magnolia
rhodo cross and the magnolia
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ on the lawn is just shedding its secondary bud covers as you can see. The primary bud covers will drop away soon (three to five days?) to reveal the flowers.
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica is full out today up against a wall below the lawn. The difference between C. cirrhosa and C. cirrhosa var. balerica is something which I must investigate more. The research is conflicting.
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica and Smilax discotis intertwined together. The clematis flowers brighten up the unusual evergreen foliage of Smilax discotis which shows some winter scorching but a good combination of climbers none the less.
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica

2019 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ is just starting. A semi-deciduous cross between Rhododendron dauricum and Rhododendron mucronulatum is always a good early show.
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’
Corylopsis spicata from Japan and introduced to the UK in 1860 by Robert Fortune has a few flowers out. Note the red anthers.
Corylopsis spicata
Corylopsis spicata
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’ has a nice striped flower and is always covered in flowers for many weeks. Definitely one to grow or include in the collection.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’
A bit of annoying storm damage to a 10 year old Saxegothaea conspicua in Kennel Close.
Saxegothaea conspicua
Saxegothaea conspicua

2018 – CHW

A day out with Clare (the nursery buyer) and Asia (the Caerhays propagator) to visit a couple of wholesale nurseries from whom we buy a lot and have propagation agreements with. A bitterly cold day!

First to E B Champernowne in Devon and its owner, Peter Argles. Historically this was a daffodil nursery and, despite my father’s alzheimers, he did remember his father and grandfather dealing with them when they were also growing daffodil bulbs seriously at Werrington and Caerhays. Today Burncoose are Peter’s largest customers from his traditional wholesale nursery. 20 to 25 tunnels of plants with a large propagation area. He grows lapageria from cuttings. Cor!

The joy of nursery visits is to see new plants:

Is this really a form of Pittosporum tobira or some other species? I think it is Pittosporum truncatum?

Pittosporum tobira
Pittosporum tobira
Pittosporum tobira
Pittosporum tobira
Rubus squarrosus is a dense tangled mat of a plant from New Zealand with a multitude of tiny ivory white prickles as seen here. Asia fell in love with it but I am not so sure!
Rubus squarrosus
Rubus squarrosus
Rubus squarrosus
Rubus squarrosus
Never seen Griselinia ruscifolia before. It seems multi-stemmed. Hillier’s refers to confusion between Griselinia racemosa and G. ruscifolia but do not list G. ruscifolia. Here are the flowers too but they actually conform more to G. racemosa as described in Hillier’s?
Griselinia ruscifolia
Griselinia ruscifolia
Griselinia ruscifolia
Griselinia ruscifolia
Griselinia ruscifolia
Griselinia ruscifolia
Lonicera infundibulum rockii in flower too. Another winter flowering but shrubby honeysuckle with larger flowers than Lonicera fragrantissima. A hint of pink.
Lonicera infundibulum rockii
Lonicera infundibulum rockii
Grevillea micheliana ‘Maroka’ was nice as well. Quite a large shrub.
Grevillea micheliana ‘Maroka’
Grevillea micheliana ‘Maroka’
Euphorbia x pasteurii is something I saw at Penrice Castle as a 4-5ft shrub. A must for the catalogue!
Euphorbia x pasturi
Euphorbia x pasturi
Euphorbia x pasturi
Euphorbia x pasturi
Azara microphylla in flower. My pictures are crap.
Azara microphylla
Azara microphylla
Buddleia farreri full out in February. Another new one for the website. Apparently Buddleia crispa var farreri which Hillier’s say flowers in April!
Buddleia farreri
Buddleia farreri
Buddleia farreri
Buddleia farreri
Buddleia farreri
Buddleia farreri
Rubus formosensis is another raspberry species which we ought to offer. Evergreen with flower buds showing. Not in Hillier’s but looks very saleable. We need to offer more rubus species on the website.
Rubus formosensis
Rubus formosensis
Rubus formosensis
Rubus formosensis
Camellia ‘Sunset Glory’ is a new one to us. A good double red which we should again add to our website and shopping list.
Camellia ‘Sunset Glory’
Camellia ‘Sunset Glory’
Peter kindly gave us three plants. One was Viburnum luzonicum ‘Oblongium’ (deciduous).

Then on to Roundabarrow Nursery who are growing many varieties for us now from seeds, as cuttings and as grafted plants all from Caerhays material. A newish site near Gunnislake on the Devon/Cornwall border but just in Cornwall. Exciting to see how many things have rooted already from last season but it will be a year or two before they are large enough to add to our rarities website catalogue.It was a day for looking at Daphne bholua varieties in full scent and bloom. Paul used to have a nursery at Pound House near Buckland Monachorum and has retained many of the best varieties from the old Garden House collection at Buckland Monachorum.

Daphne rupina la (may not be the full name) – SUPERB

Daphne rupina la
Daphne rupina la
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ – OUTSTANDING and a huge flower
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’ (absolutely pure white even in bud) – any better than Daphne bholua ‘Alba’? Probably!
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Gurka’
Daphne bholua ‘Gurka’
Daphne bholua ‘Gurka’
Daphne bholua ‘Gurka’
Daphne bholua ‘Gurka’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Spring Beauty’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Sentinel’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’ – a darker form from Wisley
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
Daphne bholua ‘Sir Peter Smithers’
A Dichroa cynea with fruits. Exotic and unseen by us before. Purple and black fruit just going over.
Dichroa cynea
Dichroa cynea
Dichroa cynea
Dichroa cynea
Dichroa cynea
Dichroa cynea

I have never seen such an array of Daphne bholua and the stock plants were mainly growing outside in the teeth of the wind on top of the Round Barrow Hill beside a huge multi-span tunnel. 700 bholua grafts done for spring 2019 by Paul.Also growing outside in full exposure were half a dozen schefflera species. Schefflera rhododontifolia was doing particularly well.

2017 – CHW
A Burncoose day of paperwork and a nursery tour to help select the plants for the Caerhays sales point. The gardens at Caerhays open on the 20th February.Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’ is a particularly vulgar blotched colour mixture but a big and bold flower which is catching the eye in the cash point by the till.
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’ is equally large and imposing. Normally a shy flowerer in the garden. The first flowers will open out more fully in a few days.
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
A big surprise, and the only magnolia in the nursery with a flower out today, is Magnolia campbellii ‘Werrington’. The colour is good and it is a bit like Magnolia sprengeri ‘Copeland Court’ in shape and colour as we saw a few days ago at Caerhays. This makes me wonder if ‘Copeland Court’ is really a sprengeri seedling? Magnolia sprengeri varieties flower very much later and I think Copeland Court is probably more campbellii than sprengeri. Very nice thing though.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Werrington’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Werrington’
The old Daphne odora in the car park is plastered in flower and nicely scented. Some (old) leaf drop from the wind but nothing to worry about as the new growth will come later.
Daphne odora
Daphne odora
Daphne odora
Daphne odora
Daphne odora
Daphne odora
Come to think of it I do not ever remember seeing Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’ in flower before. Here a young plant by the packing shed with loads of purple new growth coming already and racemes of tiny globular yellow flowers lower down the stems in the old wood. Very pretty even if my pictures are crap in the wind.
Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’
Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’
Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’
Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’

2016 – CHW
A newly bought in batch of camellias from a French nursery are flowering away by the greenhouses ready for planting out.
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’ – looks rather tender

Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’

Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’

Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’
Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’
Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’
Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’

Camellia ‘Black Magic’ – I think we have had this before

Camellia ‘Black Magic’
Camellia ‘Black Magic’
Camellia ‘Black Magic’
Camellia ‘Black Magic’

Camellia champetre ‘Christmas Daffodil’ – hardly daffodil like!

Camellia champetre ‘Christmas Daffodil’
Camellia champetre ‘Christmas Daffodil’

Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’ – a rather blowsier version of Camellia ‘Nagasaki’

Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’
Camellia forrestii – still in bud and looks tender. Entirely new species to me.
Our policy remains to try to buy in and propagate the best of what is new camellia wise. This is not such much in the way of camellias as we are unable to buy the best new forms from Nuccio’s nursery in the USA due to plant import restrictions.

2015 – CHW
Gamekeepers catching up laying hens in Rookery. Bit of a mess on Rookery path! Hold onto your hats as we open to the public in three days’ time.

1959 – FJW
Picked flower from Reticulata ‘Mary Williams’.

1943 – CW
One flower of Mag sargenteana fully out, also several Campbellii, Trewidden, are in full flower – many daffodils, 3 or 4 whites, also Rho’ sinogrande.

1931 – JCW
(Note added to Garden Diary page) [Out presumably on this day]
Rhodo’s – Sulfureum, Lutescens, Bayleyi, Davidsonianum, Irroratum, Dahuricum semp’s, Mucronulatum, Racemosum, Scabrifolium, Ririei, Quinquefolium, Moupinense, Thomsonii, Barbatum, Obtusum, Parvifolium, Rubiginosum.1915 – JCW
Only Cyclamineus and one or two Cyc x are open with Soleil d’or., six or eight Camellias show flower, Rhodo’ moupinense – lutescens – argenteum – sutchuenense – racemosum – mucronulatum – barbatum – keysii – keiskei – sutchuenense x arboreum – and various hybrids. Primula megasoefolia is well open.1907 – JCW
Hardly any of the 99 things open.1902 – JCW
Hard frost for a week, ice all over the pond, nothing moves.1899 – JCW
Open many Telamonius (6028), a few H Irving, Caerhays, and colour only for Tenby, Maximus many, Cyclamineus many, Minor many, several seedlings also P pissardi by the Kitchen Garden, Azalea Dutch oriole and white crocus.