2023 – CHW
A VIP tour of the gardens at Osborne House with the head gardener, Toby Beasley. Today entirely in the walled garden.
The potting shed beside the main walled garden.
Viola hederacea – Australian violet in a greenhouse.
‘Mother-in-Laws Tongue’ – Sansevieria trifasciata in flower.
Impatiens repens.
Ipomoea lobata – a perennial grown here as an annual.
A tremendous display of Saponaria officinalis which flops over as flowering finishes.
Cynara cardunculus in flower.
Veratrum nigrum which was introduced in 1596.
The view down through the walled garden.
Achillea filipendulina.
Comelina tuberosa.
Thalictrum delavayi – Introduced 1590.
Osborne propagate all the Cannas used in their summer displays in front of the house from their own stock bed.
Hemerocallis fulva.
Crambe maritima.
2022 – CHW
A single seed pod on just one of the young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ on the bank.
The very late flowering pink form of Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’. Quite a display for mid July!
As is the Rhododendron nuttallii below the quarry. Much better than other clumps with very pronounced orangey-yellow centres to the understated flowers.
Again we need more website Care Article pictures or Camptotheca acuminata which grows on Burns Bank.
Gorgeous red new growth and obvious winter die back. It is late into leaf each year and the secondary new growth in the autumn gets scorched in east winds.
A bone dry view down to Porthluney Beach.
Diospyros rhombifolia looked dead earlier but is struggling into recovery despite the heat recently.
A fallen Rhododendron arboreum limb has let in the light for a Corylopsis sinensis to burst into growth. The Corylopsis was smashed to the ground and cut back hard. Its neighbour would benefit from the same treatment.
2021 – CHW
So back home again after a particularly unsunny and wet fortnight in Seaview. To compound the misery we had lunch 10 days ago at a friend’s house with four others and have ended up in the consequent COVID isolation. One of the guests arrived feeling (helpfully) unwell and then tested, not unexpectedly, positive. If it had been fine we would have sat outside. He will be and is fine after his two jabs but Seaview is an elderly village community who take isolation seriously. That put an end to all the planned entertaining and socialising completely so we have been cooped up (garden visits aside) seeing nobody. No trip to Edgbaston to the cricket tomorrow either. What a ‘holiday’! A delight to get home!Seaview has quite a bit of youthful COVID in the yacht club staff but they have not shut of course. The ‘locals’ are unamused but I suppose that the club have a financial point with ‘freedom’ (of sorts) only a week away.Conversely several people have arrived here off ferries and hovercraft who have been ‘pinged’ to isolate by the test and trace app as being in the proximity (whatever that means) of a COVID positive. They are of course furious that their holidays have been unnecessarily ruined (while many football followers take no notice) but resigned to compliance.Learning to live with COVID is the new ‘normal’. Fortunately neither of us does have COVID after isolation. Two jabs works?We have been far too conditioned into obeying the draconian rules but rules matter in a local community. Freedom now beckons and common sense can now prevail!Now home and the positive effects on the garden of a good lot of rain in the last fortnight are plain to see. Secondary new growth everywhere.
So back home again after a particularly unsunny and wet fortnight in Seaview. To compound the misery we had lunch 10 days ago at a friend’s house with four others and have ended up in the consequent COVID isolation. One of the guests arrived feeling (helpfully) unwell and then tested, not unexpectedly, positive. If it had been fine we would have sat outside. He will be and is fine after his two jabs but Seaview is an elderly village community who take isolation seriously. That put an end to all the planned entertaining and socialising completely so we have been cooped up (garden visits aside) seeing nobody. No trip to Edgbaston to the cricket tomorrow either. What a ‘holiday’! A delight to get home!Seaview has quite a bit of youthful COVID in the yacht club staff but they have not shut of course. The ‘locals’ are unamused but I suppose that the club have a financial point with ‘freedom’ (of sorts) only a week away.Conversely several people have arrived here off ferries and hovercraft who have been ‘pinged’ to isolate by the test and trace app as being in the proximity (whatever that means) of a COVID positive. They are of course furious that their holidays have been unnecessarily ruined (while many football followers take no notice) but resigned to compliance.Learning to live with COVID is the new ‘normal’. Fortunately neither of us does have COVID after isolation. Two jabs works?We have been far too conditioned into obeying the draconian rules but rules matter in a local community. Freedom now beckons and common sense can now prevail!Now home and the positive effects on the garden of a good lot of rain in the last fortnight are plain to see. Secondary new growth everywhere.
Buddleia loricata just going over.
Leptospermum ‘Red Damask’ by the sales point in a cold spot but flowering well.
Carpinus polyneura with reddish secondary new growth.
Carpinus orientalis with plenty too but not so attractive.
Tetradium aff. fraxinifolia had looked dead but now huge bronze new leaves.
Tristanopsis laurina making excellent growth as well. The nursery plants were frosted over winter and had leaf drop but not here tucked in behind a laurel hedge.
Labelled Stewartia serrata (which is June flowering). I have my doubts?
Melicytisus crassifolius is getting away nicely in full sun and a hot location.
I had forgotten that we grew Olearia nummularifolia which was full out today. One to propagate and add to the Burncoose catalogue. A light, compact and dense shrub planted in 2006 and now about 5-6ft tall.
2020 – CHW
This plant, Centaurea nigra or Lesser Knapweed, is really why we have decided not to cut the grassy banks outside the front door. The clumps are only just starting to flower but covered in butterflies, bees and wasps already. The Flora of Cornwall suggests that this is a Centaurea nigra subspecies which is rare in Cornwall but less so in the Scillies. The flowers do not have rayed florets around the flower (as here) and the photograph in the book appears to match exactly what we have growing here – C. nigra s.s.
Lesser Knapweed is however a common native perennial UK plant. I hope that I am right that this one is the rare subspecies.
This plant, Centaurea nigra or Lesser Knapweed, is really why we have decided not to cut the grassy banks outside the front door. The clumps are only just starting to flower but covered in butterflies, bees and wasps already. The Flora of Cornwall suggests that this is a Centaurea nigra subspecies which is rare in Cornwall but less so in the Scillies. The flowers do not have rayed florets around the flower (as here) and the photograph in the book appears to match exactly what we have growing here – C. nigra s.s.
Lesser Knapweed is however a common native perennial UK plant. I hope that I am right that this one is the rare subspecies.
I am less certain about the identification of this as Crepis capillans, Smooth Hawk’s beard. Poor pictures I fear.
This peculiar seed head suggests it ought to be an allium and I confess that I have never noticed it before. There are only a very few on the bank and the distinguishing feature is the curly green tendrils which remain within the ripening seed head on a straight stem 15-30” above the ground. I suspected that it was Allium vinede, or Crow Garlic, and Flora of Cornwall confirms this although the map shows no actual findings here and it is not in the 2011 survey records. Easily missed! No other allium species matches this in the reference books. A rather pleasing find and another reason to stop cutting this grass in July before these wildflowers have set seed.
Superb new growth on Rhododendron bureavii below Donkey Shoe. One plant here was stolen soon after planting. It has never yet flowered.
Rhododendron serotinum flowering for the first time. The pocket guide to rhodos says this may be a late flowering form of Rhododendron decorum but it has also been reintroduced from the wild recently. This may well be a real rarity.
Another unnamed Harrow hybrid rhododendron by the Podocarpus salignus clump.
More flowers on Magnolia (Manglietia) yuyuanensis.
I think this is Potentilla recta, Sulphur Cinquefoil or Upright Cinquefoil, which is an introduced perennial with distinctive seeds which has escaped from gardens into a woodland setting as here. It emerges on bare ground in dappled shade.
Rhododendron parisha (CWT 6346) with its first flowers. I cannot find a reference for this apart from Rhododendron parishii which flowers much earlier in the year?
A fine clump of wild Ajuga reptans, Bugle. Rather more substantial and impressive than the last ones we looked at. One would normally expect Bugle to flower in March/April in a more formal garden context but not, it seems, as a wildflower.
Another common woodland garden wildflower is Filipendula ulmaria, Meadowsweet, which often gets mown off before it can flower properly as here beside the Magnolia delavayi in partial shade. As good as some Astilbe?
A final few flowers on Rhododendron zaluanicum beside the Meadowsweet.
Rhododendron prunifolium which is a very late flowering species. This is a very old plant growing in almost full shade under a magnolia. Easily confused with Rhododendron flammeum and Rhododendron prinophyllum due to the colour of the former and the name of the latter! Both grow here too.
The Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’ again seems to have died (all four trunks) but, as usual, root suckers are just appearing which will need to be avoided when grass cutting. It hates cold winds which blow off its huge leaves.
Here is another common woodland garden wildflower (or invasive weed in a border) which I had never even thought about naming until now. This is Circaea lutetiana or Enchanter’s Nightshade which is a perennial more often found in damper locations than this by Donkey Shoe in full sun. Disturbed soil from a dug out stump has again caused long dormant seed to germinate but it is well established nearby under a camellia.
2019 – CHW
Will Caws brought in a leaf and fruit to Rope Walk today asking what it was. It was a fully ripe fruit of Eriobotrya japonica which had probably formed last autumn and survived the mild winter to be ripe today after a long dry spell. The only time we found fully ripe fruit on the Burncoose tree was five to six years ago in late October after a late warm summer.By coincidence Michael sent me pictures of E. japonica fruiting in his garden at Caerhays as well today. The pictures show shrivelled fruits as well so I guess this one is also an overwintered survivor.
Will Caws brought in a leaf and fruit to Rope Walk today asking what it was. It was a fully ripe fruit of Eriobotrya japonica which had probably formed last autumn and survived the mild winter to be ripe today after a long dry spell. The only time we found fully ripe fruit on the Burncoose tree was five to six years ago in late October after a late warm summer.By coincidence Michael sent me pictures of E. japonica fruiting in his garden at Caerhays as well today. The pictures show shrivelled fruits as well so I guess this one is also an overwintered survivor.
2018 – CHW
While I have been away Jaimie has been keeping me updated with news at home.Clematis uncinata has grown right through a tall Camellia sasanqua and up the castle wall behind it. It is now in flower and very nice it is too. The seeds were given to us by Peter Moore who probably collected them originally in the wild.
While I have been away Jaimie has been keeping me updated with news at home.Clematis uncinata has grown right through a tall Camellia sasanqua and up the castle wall behind it. It is now in flower and very nice it is too. The seeds were given to us by Peter Moore who probably collected them originally in the wild.
The Schefflera macrophylla branches which we cut off for Chelsea are already generating new shoots from just below the two cut stems which are still bleeding sap. A remarkably quick response.
Grass cutting completed in Forty Acres wood where some of the American magnolia collection are starting to become proper trees.
A trip to Osborne House by East Cowes to photograph the herbaceous planting combinations in their huge walled garden. Constantly trying to avoid numerous busloads of small children with their irritable teachers all over the gardens.Achillea filipendula and asparagus setting seed was a novelty combination indeed. You will see the rest which I took on our website soon.
Here is the front of the main house all parched and very dry everywhere. Rhododendrons turning up their toes everywhere.
My favourite Magnolia grandiflora in full show facing north at the rear of the house and sheltered by the two huge wings alongside it.
I did not recognise this plant here last year but the slightly pinky white flowers are of course Ugni molinae (formerly Myrtus ugni). Nearby a clethra and a callicarpa were dying of drought. Ugni still fine.
Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina pictures for the care article just written on this subject and perhaps better than we have for website too.
2017 – CHW
Another clump of Rhododendron ‘Harrow Hybrids’ on Hovel Cart Road is nearly over with petals strewn around on the ground. Slightly darker red than the one on the drive when first out but fading pinker.
The second Cornus hongkongensis is rather more floriferous, although in far more shade, than the one seen last week.
We cut this enormous wild collected Osmanthus yunnanensis back last year. At least two of the trunks are starting to shoot quite well. The tree was over mature, very elderly and in serious need of rejuvenation but a big risk with a historic tree which came here in 1923.
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ will be out in a week or so.
I never cease to be surprised at how many odd Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ we have dotted about. You pass them twice a week but never think or look twice until July. There are three in the Rirei Opening which I had not taken in before. This one full out, one over and one still in bud. Individual Polar Bears can emerge any time between late June and September. You smell them first!
Another pure white Rhododendron viscosum growing in full shade by Tin Garden and much later into flower than the several others we have seen earlier.
A few odd seeds show up from last October’s flowers on Schima khasiana. A bit like small figs. The seasons are a bit the wrong way around with this plant!
This 10 year old Rehderodendron macrocarpum tree is laden with ripening pinkish fruits outside the front gate. One or two appear to have split in the recent heat. A hell of a crop to collect in a month or so from such a young tree.
2016 – CHW
Nick Macer from Pan-Global Plants arrives for a tour. We had not met but Jaimie had showed him around before. He trained at Wakehurst.Mahonia oiwakensis has a delicate reddish bronze hue to its new growth and Nick is a mahonia lover. Sadly I am not!
Nick Macer from Pan-Global Plants arrives for a tour. We had not met but Jaimie had showed him around before. He trained at Wakehurst.Mahonia oiwakensis has a delicate reddish bronze hue to its new growth and Nick is a mahonia lover. Sadly I am not!
Aralia vietnamensis has gigantic new leaves and looks too tender for us but I may be wrong. From a distance I had assumed another odd shefflera species but I was well wrong.
Kalopanax septemlobus is about to flower in profusion. We seldom remember to go and look at this time of the year.
Ehretia dicksonii is also in flower and the smell is disgusting. Jaimie says ‘cat’s piss’ but we have never had a cat!
Seed forming in Symplocos dryophylla which will eventually turn blue-black and Asia needs to try growing it as well as taking cuttings shortly.
Styrax serrulatus is now full out and much later than all other species. No scent but attractive bark and a drooping habit. The best thing in the garden today I think.
Here is a new plant for the 2017 Burncoose catalogue already doing well. Fatsia polycarpa has much narrower leaf divides than Fatsia japonica and has made a well-shaped shrub here. I have failed to find it in the nursery to photograph so now the job is done. It is Taiwanese in origin but apparently hardy to minus 10°. We will see but it must be eight to ten years old already.
This is labelled Magnolia aff floribunda var tonkinense and is a Crug wild collected plant flowering for the first time. Despite its name it is clearly a manglietia and no relation (really) to our or the Tregrehan Michelia floribunda. We have just missed the first flower and there are no more buds so cannot call the real colour on opening. Not that exciting however!
The Rhododendron sinonuttallii by the main quarry is just out a month later than the other Glendoick sourced clump above the greenhouse. This is much more like the one which grew for 20 years in the Burncoose conservatory and stank us all out. Attractive reddish-purple new growth. This plant looks tender but the others less so.
2015 – CHW
The oldest plants of Hydrangea sargentiana remain alive, just, in the Auklandii Garden but have long since died out near Rookery Gate and Donkey Shoe. They live longer in shade. This group was planted in 2008 and already has plenty of flower although smaller and more compact than I remember the originals. Next to it is Viburnum betulifolium now full out three or more weeks after I photographed the bud. This too was planted in 2008. The best clump at Trewithen is grown up a wooden trellis which displays its berries to best effect in the winter.
Amazing how plants have moved on in a fortnight. Good to be back! The wonderful Roy Lancaster introduced climbing rose species is nearly over on the front arch. I have no idea of a name? The hips are even more impressive than the flowers.
On the top wall Dierama pulcherrimum in full flower. Some flowers are very dark and some have unusual and different striping. The dark flowers are Dierama pulcherrimum ‘Blackbird’ but I have no idea about the striped ones. A big surprise and must remember to collect seed.
2002 – FJW
First hot day of the summer.
1980 – FJW
Wet summer. Flowers on 3 Camellias – Midsummer’s Day, Konron Jura and one in ‘White Piece’.
1919 – JCW
Plagianthus lyalii is just opening, R brunonis is good. Escallonia pteroclaydon is fair. L giganteums are going over. The Romneya is coming on.
1918 – JCW
Plagianthus lyalii is very good indeed. There is very little else, and a fine lot of rain after a very dry bout.
1915 – JCW
Two years old stuff all out of their pans. Plagianthus lyalii did half the D and L’s. Yesterday, not really open. Buddleias have hardly opened. R r remains poor, too damp. Mitraria fair. Very little in the hard wood way about.
1898 – JCW
No real start in [bamboo] Nitida yet. Many seedlings planted in the new ground, say one third. Everlasting peas open. Put in from 207 to 218, new things of E’s.
1897 – JCW
Nitida has lately started to grow properly. All Engelhart’s bulbs are planted. I speciosum at its best.
To some weeds: ’20, all are typical central/western European herbs. some may be misidentified: I guess Allium vineale is ment, component of the vineyard herb-society. Potentilla recta; could be Geum urbanum also as petals are spaced, leaves differ. Ajuga is clearly Prunella, leaves of Ajuga broader and glossy. Circaea, here called witchweed, easy to spread unaware as seeds stick on clothing, difficult to eradicate. Meadowsweet does make a ornamental flower in humid places, so has the same difficulties with drought as Astilbe. ’19 Eriobotrya is easy to grow but can freeze in harsh winters; fruiting is rare but it has had fruits in 21 here, albeit it was not a mild winter.