Tilia japonica ‘Ernest Wilson’ just opening properly and becoming quite a show. A few flowers last year but this is much better and in July!

Clematis uncinata flowering well on top of a camellia. Originally a gift from Peter Moore and very fragrant but a bit on the tender side even if evergreen. One day it may swamp the camellia.

2022 – CHW

Cotoneaster ‘Exburyensis’ covered in 40 to 50 butterflies. Mainly speckled woods I think.

Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ at its best.

Magnolia virginiana ‘Satellite’ nearly over – just a few buds left.

Magnolia sapaensis – four stages of bud to flower. No flowers this year on the adjacent Magnolia tamaulipana.

Flowers still on Rhododendron maddenii below Slip Rail.

Our Prumnopitys taxifolia is more leafless than the one at Ventnor.

Tail end flowers on Rhododendron auriculatum.

Rhododendron griersonianum still with some descent flowers.

I have nearly missed the flowers on Mahonia x savilliana.

The best thing in the garden today is another even later flowering batch of Rhododendron excellens (AC 5615).

2021 – CHW
Visited Thompson’s garden centre which had undergone a lockdown makeover. New wooden fencing around the site and brand-new display beds. Incredibly well laid out to sell and I therefore managed 67 ‘this grows nicely with this’ pictures for the website in two hours there. Sadly few customers and far too many staff chatting. Toilets and tearooms still firmly shut. Very fully stocked in all departments except no trees of any sort. Well grown plants, well maintained and a showpiece of how to do it.Along the way I spotted a few new things which would be welcome additions to next year’s catalogue. I need to convey them to Clare.Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Party Lights’ – excellent new growth

Photinia fraseri ‘Magical Volcano’ – silly selling name but much better than ‘Red Robin’ and on a par with Photinia serratifolia ‘Pink Crispy’

Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Heavenly Blue’ is an evergreen sub-shrub unlike the other herbaceous penstemons.

Geranium pratense ‘Delft Blue’

Salvia ‘Purple Rain’ was spectacular.

Then on the Dalverton Garden Centre which was heaving with people and had doubled the size of its car park during lockdown. Only a mile or so from Thompson’s. The outdoor plant sales area was poor and rather tired. Clearly all new stock of herbaceous things but the shrubs had had a bad winter.

Lonicera tragophylla ‘Maurice Foster’ nicely out.

2020 – CHW
So today the quest to look at the rest of our new Philadelphus species collection. Not much luck compared to yesterday as it turns out.The three Philadelphus pekinensis in Tin Garden are going great guns but no flower yet. Perhaps too much shade. 2019 planted.

Philadelphus satsumi we have seen already this year and in the frames. Just a few flowers left. 2018 planted. Asia has cuttings coming on.

Phildelphus lewisii has no flowers but looks fine with a drooping habit. 2018. I can only find one of the three planted.

The three Philadelphus sericanthus we have seen with some flower earlier. 2018.

Philadelphus caucasicus (labelled) looks fine but no flower here yet either. 2018. The other two planted with it have no label and look different. Perhaps drought casualties.

I cannot find Philadelphus affinis which arrived in 2016.

Still to be planted out which I cannot find in the greenhouse area are Philadelphus palmeri, Philadelphus madrensis and Philadelphus karw(?). These only arrived last summer and I must ask Asia where they are?

Twelve new species in all (and about the same number of Deutzia species). An exciting overall addition to the garden.

The one I saw in John Marston’s garden video to get is Philadelphus microphyllus.

Cotoneaster ‘Exburiensis’ in full flower.

The extremely expensive Parastyrax sp. Nova from Crûg has made exceptional growth.

As has Lagerstroemia limii which was a gift from Nantes Parks.

The evergreen Cornus augustata ‘Empress of China’ has really perked up after repotting.

Surprising to see an old beech tree felled last year reshooting vigorously from the base. Normally nothing.

Azalea or more properly Rhododendron cumberlandense (Rhododendron bakeri) just out below the catalpa.

So armed with the new ‘Flora of Cornwall’ book this is Umbilicus rupestris (pennywort or navelwort). I have mistakenly called it liverwort in the past. It grows on damp banks and on old shady trees where it is extremely drought tolerant and revives after rain.

Severe fresh squirrel damage on a sycamore despite our tally now exceeding 110.

Cotoneaster ‘Rothschildianus’ is very similar to ‘Exburiensis’ but the berries are eventually different colours. This one was only planted below White Stiles last autumn.

Jaimie has been on the beach and reports very large numbers of young mussels growing on the rocks. I hope this is not a sign of increased river pollution and rather a reflection of the reverse?

The odd white flowered weed with very prickly seed heads last autumn outside the Schoolroom window was Datura stamonium (thorn-apple). It is a very rare agricultural weed introduced from America in the 16th century. My guess is it actually grew from the bird seed on the bird table which was here until my mother died eight years ago. In the ‘Flora of Cornwall’ it was first recorded in 1832 and only 25 sightings in Cornwall since 1999 and none on the map as anywhere near Caerhays.Calystegia soldanella (Sea Bindweed) which we saw last week was first recorded in Cornwall in 1670 and there have been only 90 recorded sightings since 1999 – one at Porthluney (now two!).

I have also recently photographed Silene latifolia (white campion) by the Playhouse. There have only been 148 sightings of this in Cornwall before 1999. First recorded 1831.

So a virgin botanist goes to Tubbs Mill Quarry. This is used by the council to store road chippings so there is much disturbment but also many seedlings of wild native plants on the periphery of the stone piles.

Lotus subbiflorus (Hairy Birds-foot trefoil) was hard to spot but I did find several plants. This is a Cornish native with 193 survey finds since 1999. Very rare and it has survived since the 2010 survey here.

I thought this was a teasel seedling (Dipsacus fullonum) but I then found mature plants which were not. There were loads of teasels at various stages of development.

These appear to be Sonchus asper (prickly sow thistle) but I may be showing my ignorance.

I could not find the rare Scrophularia scorodonia but I did find the common Scrophularia auriculata (water figwort) in flower.

Hypericum perforatum (perforate St John’s wort) in flower as young seedlings and 2-3ft tall plants.

Ajuga reptans in its wild form I think.

This all takes hours to even get close to the Latin name or even the common name in an area of horticulture where I am a rank beginner.

2019 – CHW
I have not often seen this very vigorous but supposedly annual climber before. Cobaea scandens here is well up to the rafters in height and clearly not an annual after the last mild winter. The flowers appear irregularly and are followed by large white seed pods. The owners of this garden outside Seaview treat Cobaea as an annual which will be killed by frost and keep seeds back every year just in case. This is definitely a plant which the nursery ought to be offering.

A good new Crocosmia called ‘Hellfire’ at Eddington House nurseries. Tall growing with very dark flowers.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’ lives up to its name and is new to Eddington as it is to us.

2018 – CHW
Off to the Isle of Wight shortly in the continuing heatwave.Deer nibbling on a young magnolia on the drive. Just the leaves by the look of it.

Aesculus wilsonii still flowering away well at the entrance to Old Park. At least four weeks since this was in flower elsewhere in the garden. I wonder why these three trees are so much later?

The colouring on the new growth of Rhododendron pseudocrysanthemum is outstanding. The velvety leaves are now a dark bronze and stand out superbly.

Staphylea pinnata has two-celled seed capsules as here. Sometimes in clusters, sometimes in pairs and sometimes a single capsule of two seeds. Still green but very obvious on the small tree.

2017 – CHW
The 2018 Burncoose catalogue first proof is done after seven to eight days’ work. VIP moment! This is the 35th year I have completed this tedious and time consuming job.The clearance work above the top wall continues apace. Time for a good fire now I suggest. One man (Ross Collins) and one machine only with all the skills in felling, grubbing stumps and clearing while piling up the useable timer. A serious professional.

Podocarpus elongatus ‘Blue Chip’ is a startling colour even as the new growth hardens and the flower stalks appear. We have plenty of plants in the nursery so this will go back into the new catalogue.

Still several good flowers on Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ which we had full out on the stand at Chelsea six weeks ago.

This Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ is one of three which got hit by cold wind or frost just as the leaves emerged. There is substantial dieback here but the plant is still fighting to put on new growth. Dig it out or not? Wait a while I think.

A very late form of Rhododendron maddenii with wonderful overpowering scent. There are several clumps dotted about but this is the last one to flower. Rhododendron crassum is now deemed to be a form of Rhododendron maddenii by the boffins but this of course is out in April to May rather than June to July.

Reevsia sinica, a very rare plant I had forgotten about, is starting to go ahead. Very red new leaves fading to bronze and then green.

Tucked away are three plants of Hoheria glabrata which are just out in flower. Attractive clusters of pure white flowers hang down from drooping branches. Easily the first hoheria species to flower with us. Most are September. ‘Nothing to see’ still in July in the garden of course!

This Rhododendron sinogrande has set no seed and the new growth is rushing on.

Mahonia tonkinensis has delicate bronzy new growth too and is already 8ft tall.

Dipteronia sinensis used to be a mature tree here but I never saw it in flower. Several failures over the years but this one looks to be on the way. An attractive leaf structure but I fear we are years away from a flower? Multi-stemmed as well.

Amazing blue felted new growth on Rhododendron pseudochrysanthemum.

This Schefflera alpina has decided to produce numerous side shoots from its tall main stem which is now 12ft tall. These will be excellent side cuttings to take in the autumn. No sign of a flower yet but there was last year. The side shoots have emerged as the plant now has more light following the pollarding of a nearby yew.

The very elderly Hydrangea sargentiana in the Auklandii Garden is just out. There used to be several sprawling clumps in the garden but the rest have died out long ago. A larger flower than any of the newer plantings I think and less white florets around the main flower itself.