5th January | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

A threatening seascape as the tide comes in. Surprising to find Escallonia resinosa in flower in January?

Camellia japonica ‘California Sunset’ just out. Silly name as I have said before. Not that different to our ‘New Venture’ really but I guess there must be a reason for a name like this? I see there is also ‘California Dawn’ and ‘California Fantasy’ in the reference books but we do not grow either.

Acacia longifolia suddenly in flower after several days of hinting that it was about to start. The tree has blown over which hasn’t helped.

A rather pathetic initial and late showing on Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’. It will improve by the look of the buds.

Acacia baileyana now quite a sight but still not absolutely full out.

Rhododendron nobleanum now out and at its best despite some much earlier showings. Why is this late into flower when most things are early?

Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ just coming out. Late also but not by very much.

2023 – CHW
The first primroses are out on the bank opposite the front door. The December cold snap has held them back this year until now. A week or 10 days later than usual?

Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ just showing colour in the Rockery. This plant spent a few years in a large clay pot outside the front door before being planted out. Its compatriot, in a colder spot, has yet to show colour but has also transplanted well. We have at least 6 varieties of Daphne bholua here now but ‘Mary Rose’ is the best!

The evergreen Clematis uncinata is growing nicely up through Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’. One day the Clematis will smother the camellia but, for now, a good plant combination.

A single flower on the original plant of the paler form of Camellia saluenensis which was hard pruned last summer and is regenerating well already.

Just the odd last flower on the 5th and last of the ancient Camellia sasanqua to come out. The other 4 are now well over and flowerless. Most of the pre-Christmas flowers have been frosted or rain damaged as you can see. Last year several of the 5 still had flowers out in January.

Flowering here and there on Azalea ‘Hinomayo’ with the, equally usual, partial leaf drop.

Even the Acanthus mollis has some frost damage.

The Agapanthus leaves are now all showing up as being a badly frosted mush but the bulbs will still be fine I expect.

2022 – CHW
The view down the drive today with Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ and Rhododendron nobleanum.

Rhododendron nobleanum close up.

First snowdrops just showing but not yet out.

2021 – CHW

Boris announced a total lockdown of the whole country at 8pm last night. So Lockdown 3 it is and the end of our now hugely loss making shooting season. Nearly everyone on partial furlough but, it seems, we may still be able to open the gardens on 14th February as planned albeit in a limited way. Up most of the night worrying about it all and the grim business of staff furloughing in the morning. Was L3 really necessary? I fear yes as the Christmas holidays have brought serious COVID to Cornwall with rates not seen so far down here. So we moved from Tier 1 to Tier 3 and then lockdown in about 10 days. Treliske hospital is taking COVID patients from upcountry and is nearly full we are told. I hear of the first vaccinated person I know – Luke’s wife who works at Treliske.

The camellia pruning, tree pruning and general tidy up above the Magnolia x veitchiis is now complete.

A few rhododendrons creeping out despite the continuing cold. Here Tom Hudson’s Rhododendron ririei. Lovely colour and better than the old one on the drive at Burncoose.

Nearly out too is Rhododendron arboreum ssp. cinnamomeum.

Berries colouring up on Ilex kingiana.

Aralia vietnamensis has had its leaves frosted but the flowers may still come out? The stems are extremely prickly as you can see. Several huge leaf stalks blown off.

Peumus boldus is now full out and quite a decent show. The bush is about 12-14ft tall and doing well.

The darker form of Camellia ‘Donation’ called ‘Celebration’ is just out by Georges Hut. Two days ago nothing.

Contrast these flowers with the paler Camellia ‘Donation’.

A young Podocarpus snapped off in the wind at Donkey Shoe. Not the first decent plant to suffer this fate in recent years.

2020 – CHW
Dad died a year ago today.Still quite a good show on the sasanquas at the top of the greenhouse steps. These have been out for eight to ten weeks.

Sarcococca wallichii not quite out in flower yet in the Auklandii Garden. Quite a large shrub of 4-4.5ft now and likely to be larger in time.

Next door to it Sarcococca orientalis with red tinges on the male anthers as the flowers open. Compact habit and only 2ft tall after six years. Perhaps the best of the Sarcococcas when in flower?

Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna showing colour but not yet properly out. A huge spreading clump under a beech tree in the car park outside the back yard. About 12-30in in height across the clump.

The Sarcococca ruscifolia on the lawn is just coming out although the Cotoneaster horizontalis which it was growing up through died in the drought last summer. A freestanding shrub which was taking advantage of a host. Just a few black fruits with the flowers here and there. Nearly 3.5ft in height after 20 to 25 years.

That completes the review of the five Sarcococca species growing here today. Sarcococca salignus is the first to flower and, so far, the tallest growing at 5ft in a thick clump (see 4th January).

2019 – CHW
This year Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ nearly made it out in time. Last year it was very strangely late. I have not noticed the potted plants in the nursery performing yet either.

Even earlier than usual (and perhaps disastrously so) Magnolia ‘Todds Fortyniner’ is more than just showing colour. Yet again it is the first magnolia out in the garden if we exclude the two aberrations or mistakes in early December. A much darker colour so far than last year but it will fade. Spring is upon us??

The last fruits on Cornus capitata which remain more or less uneaten. I have never seen them last into the New Year before.

The first bud is showing colour too on Magnolia zenii right at the top. No other buds yet look quite ready to open.

Sadly my father died peacefully in his sleep aged 91 in the early hours of the morning. It has been a very difficult week here!

2018 – CHW
Exploring around Georges Hut.Cephalotaxus harringtonia is upright but not as upright as Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ which grows by the lawn at Burncoose. This has been here 20 years or so and is 12-14ft. Interestingly the flower buds which are light or olive green are identical to those which we looked at two days ago on Cephalotaxus fortunei. Rather different habit and needle formation here however.

Still green fruit pods on Lomatia ferruginea but they are already splitting and the seed is scattering. I collect what I can reach for Asia to propagate. This small tree is usually out for Hampton Court flower show so well worth propagating for sale there.

Rhododendron hookeri with the ‘barbs’ on the petioles clearly showing beside the new flower buds.

Wind damage to the late autumn new growth on Quercus insigne. We are going to struggle to grow this I suspect. What would a frost now do?

Lindera aggregata with flower buds clearly showing. We grew this smallish, dense, evergreen shrub from seed. It is listed in New Trees as growing to five metres but this will take some time as this plant is 12 or so years old.

I have tried Parkameria lotungensis (very similar to Magnolia nitida) at least twice. Here it struggled before wind or a strimmer got the last twig. Now deceased!

2017 – CHW
Sorbus ‘Pearly King’ still has many berries intact. Surprising as the small tree has blown over and is readily accessible to pheasants. The other sorbus on the drive have long since shed their berries or had them eaten by birds.

One of many Cornus florida varieties on the drive still to retain a fair set of last year’s leaves. I have noticed this before and some even flower or put on new growth with old leaves still present. Cornus florida ‘Daybreak’ is perhaps the best example. I suppose this suggests they might be semi-evergreen in the US?

2016 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ in the Auklandii Garden is now full out in the rain. Nearby Euchryphia ‘Pink Clouds’ still has a single flower on it.

The large Drimys winteri has a mass of buds nearly open. This Chilean plant normally flowers in April and is very prone to phythopthera ramorum. Thankfully this old plant remains sound.

1943 – CW
Double white Camellia, and a good many of the hybrids, Olieifera nearly over. Nearly 100 Lapageria. Hamamelis and Rho mucronulatum very good, moupinense showing colour, several Sutchuenense hybrids coming out and an odd Blood Red. Very mild and a lot of things swelling buds.1941 – CW
Pond half frozen, ice in buckets over 3 inches and turned out shape of a bucket but hollow. Only Hamamelis and a few Cyclamen out.

1931 – JCW
Hamamelis about ½ a crop owing to a wet August a small frost on one night cut out some flowers of several kinds.

1918 – JCW
Very little open, we have a break at last in a long cold spell. Have just cleared up the big batch of stuff in the Old Park planted 12 months ago, it might stand nearly two years now, and not suffer very much.

1916 – JCW
The white C Japonica has a flower or two. R mucronulatum is about its best, Lapageria a few, Coums come on, the first snowdrops just show colour. Jasminum nudiflorum is far the best thing on the countryside. Nobleanum and R venustum nice. Aconites opening.

1902 – JCW
The first primrose and Aconite, Coums at their best, and the first minimus came out and a Camellia Japonica open.

1900 – JCW
The first paper white daff.

1899 – JCW
The first Aconite.