The buds on Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ are just shedding their outer (first) covering. The buds at the top of the tree may have been frosted but the lower ones look fine. Too early to tell.

Tom Hudson’s Camellia yuhsienensis (01/10/2018) flowering away for the first time that I remember in one of the greenhouses. Some plants are said to be scented but I detect nothing today.

Camellia parvilimba (18060) grown from RCM Group seeds in 2019 has a few flowers also in the greenhouse. Rather reddish new leaves as you can see.

2023 – CHW
The camellia brought back from Hong Kong by Toots Williams is identified as Camellia nokoensis.

Flower buds close to breaking on Carpinus japonica.

Colour showing on Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Darjeeling’.

Fraxinus griffithii is evergreen. A gift from Raf in 2020.

2022 – CHW
Fatsia polycarpa has been in bud for weeks but now suddenly full out and I have nearly missed it.

First flowers on Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’. Not the earliest reticulata by any means but early for this one.

Camellia cuspidata covered in flower by Bramble Field. Old plants now in full shade. Dad referred to them as Camellia tsaii but Tom Hudson says definitely C. cuspidata?

First flowers on Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’ slightly later than usual I suspect. A 1987-88 planting by Georges Hut where two Pinus insignis fell down.

Another Camellia reticulata, this one is ‘Arch of Triumph’, suddenly out earlier than expected.

Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’ above Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’. A wonderful flowering combination.

Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ out in Higher Quarry Nursery bed but not yet elsewhere in the garden.

2021 – CHW
Steve has spotted Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcosypha austriaca), a disc fungus found on dead wood, in Burncoose Garden. This is an attractive fungus which is widespread but occasional in the UK. It is a solitary fungus or found in small groups as here.

The Puffball fungi which Steve also found at Burncoose have now ‘popped’. From the reference book photographs this seems to show that these are Meadow Puffballs (Lycoperdon pratense) and not Common Puffballs. Both start white and then go brown but the Meadow Puffballs seem too go darker and develop larger holes in their tops when they release their fungal spores. I could easily be wrong!

There used to be two rain gauges on the lawn here 30+ years ago. They were mounted on posts with clock face dials to record rainfall collected in the square tops which were copper and lead lined. As I remember it they never worked properly as house martin droppings would block the collecting ducts and the peacocks’ contributions, when sitting on the top of them, could be rather larger.

Edwina has been investigating buying a replacement modern rain gauge which could withstand public scrutiny and kids tampering on the lawn. It would be helpful for this diary to include the actual rainfall here.

This has proved a difficult task despite asking the Historic Houses Association for guidance. All that we can find online are small plastic tubes that could not withstand tinkering let along strong winds. The best we can come up with is a 2-3ft copper circular tube which the manufacturers say is ‘widely used in Africa for centuries’. You collect the water and then have to take a separate glass measuring jar to calibrate the rainfall. The jar cannot be left in the tube because of frost or, in our case, children/public so it all becomes quite a chore each day. The original rain gauges here at least calibrated themselves. The brass tube costs £460!

It seems as though it has rained for the last week and next week’s forecast is just as bad. A day of rain today which will be falling as snow further up country.

2020 – CHW

Heavy wetting drizzle. When will it every dry up?First couple of flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’ in the drizzle.

I have been watching but suddenly Rhododendron arboreum ssp. delavayi var. albotomentosum is nicely out.

Oemleria cerasiformis out with its first leaves.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Golden Spangles’ full out with leaf variegation showing.

One week on Prunus ‘Kursar’ is now nearly fully out in flower. What a delight these early cherries are!

2019 – CHW
A fine sunny day just above freezing but warm weather follows next week. I am told by one of Cornwall’s vegetable growers that the long range forecast for May to July is for another drought.Magnolia sprengeri ‘Lamellyn’ on the drive has just a few flowers out. The small Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ on the drive has been blown open and severely damaged in the cold north winds.

Camellia ‘Grace Bunton’ has a variable semi double flower with pink buds and attractive pink edging to the petals. There are two plants just above the Hovel and this is very well worth propagating for the future.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’, the darker form of Camellia ‘Donation’, has survived the north wind intact by the Hovel.

2018 – CHW
Management meeting at Burncoose so time to have a look at some new plants in the nursery.The true Camellia ‘Desire’. We bought a batch of these last spring at the Trewithen nursery sale. Sadly they are not even faintly true to name.

Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Rubicon’ (‘Red Star’) looks completely dead at this time of the year. Unusual to say the least.

Asterotrichion discolor is a new plant to us and here flowering away in January for the first time. A bit like Atherosperma moschatum in terms of the flower but this is clearly not a small tree.

Azara integrifolia ‘Variegata’ looks particularly fine today. Wonderful colour combinations in the leaf.

Cornus officinalis is full out and very attractive today. Rather similar to Cornus mas?

Sycoparrotia semidecidua has extraordinary flowers and here they are spot on for late January. Completely deciduous here in the tunnel.

x Mahoberberis aquisargentii is a rarity but we have some good young plants for sale.

Hammamellis x intermedia ‘Diane’ full out.

Hammamellis ‘Arnold Promise’ is an unusual shape and just going over.

Sycopsis sinensis is an evergreen. You can easily see how sycoparrotia is a cross between sycopsis and parrotia. Both are excellent for early spring colour as an alternative to hammamellis.

I have never seen Lonicera nitida ‘Tidy Tips’ putting on its full winter show before. It looks like a heather from a distance. Excellent edging plant instead of box.

Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ is full out as one would expect.

Osmanthus yunnanensis full out as well.

So rather more to see today in flower than many might expect.

2017 – CHW
A check on which camellias are out from Top Lodge to Red Linney beside the drive which we have not yet viewed this year: Camellia ‘Desire’ – a better flower than we saw earlier

Camellia ‘High Hat’ – battered in wind and rain but still one of the most reliable early flowerers

Camellia ‘Apollo’ – full out

Camellia ‘Monica Dance’ – with nice stripes in the petals

A compact growing single red japonica of unknown name

Camellia ‘Gwyneth Morey’ – first flowers here. ‘Jurys Yellow’ – full out and almost over elsewhere.

Camellia ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’ – is a fantastic size and show

Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’

Camellia Duchess D has ‘sported’ pure pink at the top

Camellia ‘Apollo’ – again with the irregular white blotches on some flowers as we expect

Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Blush’ – as labelled but perhaps incorrectly! Blush is pink in bud fading to white. These are just out but look pure pink! Time will tell.

2016 – CHW
Shooting over and time for a proper trip around the garden without a rush but still the magnolias rush out!
Outside the back yard Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ has a pink flower or two right at the top of the tree. Another record and six to eight weeks early.

Above the Auklandii Garden the big Michelia doltsopa is now full out and quite a picture from afar. Ten to twelve weeks earlier than normal.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Brigadoon’ has one perfect flower on the main ride by the tree fern. This clump was cut down about two and a half or three years ago and has produced a new thicket of new growth with huge flowers.

One of the two polyspora is full out at the top with its fine white camellia like flowers.

Eucryphia ‘Pink Clouds’ still has two flowers out which are four months late of six months early depending on your point of view. Quite extraordinary.

One of the original (and rather poor) Magnolia campbellii (white ish) is full out by Tin Garden. This was the first magnolia to show in the garden last year and is a good six weeks ahead in this record early year.

The Rhododendron ‘Penvose’ that had recently blown over has now been pruned hard and reinterred in the ground. It should soon shoot again.

Nearby Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybling White’ is now full out and as near perfect as I have ever seen it. One good westerly blow and it will however all be over. It is better today, albeit on an overcast day, than I have ever seen it before.

The magnolia opposite the new clump of Rhododendron williamsianum is showing colour. It looks like a hybrid/seedling of Magnolia sargentiana robusta.

Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’ above the rireii opening is showing colour.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ (Lanarth seedling) now has several flowers out but they are rather pale compared to most years implying that the wind has blown them open prematurely.