10th June

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2018 – CHW

A tour with some elderly gardening friends on a sweltering day.

Stewartia formosanus var hayatainus out quite early and before other species in this late year.

A simply perfect bud on Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’.

Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ just coming out. The white form in more shade not yet showing.

Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’ smelling very lemonish. This is a superb magnolia with a long flowering span.

New growth on Gevuina avellana after some cold damage.

2017 – CHW
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’ is now full out although you have to delve into the centre of this pendulous tree to catch the full effect as the flowers are mainly hidden within it. Masses of flower but not a spectacle from afar.

Styrax japonicus ‘Emerald Pagoda’ is also full out and has grown quickly into a floriferous small tree. Larger flowers than on any other styrax species or variety? A slight scent today but the bees are going mad for the flowers as you can see.

Sorbus gongashanica in flower for the first time. Not exactly a species to write home about but rare and new.

Styrax serrulatus – we gave the lower branches something of a haircut in the winter to lift the crown off other adjacent plants. The reaction has been to shoot vigorously from the base. Note how different the bark colours are to Styrax hemsleyanus or Styrax formosanus seen yesterday. This is clearly a spreading evergreen tree which wants to be multi stemmed. The flowers are still some way off opening and this 26 year old tree is now 20ft tall with a nearly similar spread.

Magnolia globosa has a few more flowers than last year and is growing away well.

This younger clump of Rhododendron stamineum is flowering a fortnight later than the old plants in the main quarry. Its leaves look much healthier too.

One of a clump of Rhododendron auriculatum is just coming into flower. I do not remember these in flower until now although I may well have missed them. On a drab day they are too high up to photograph properly.

A recently planted Rhododendron sutchuenense (collector’s number AC6126) has three flowers. Can this possibly be correctly named flowering months later than it should? I suspect grown from seed by us originally so this is what happens. Either a first flowering aberration or ‘one of those things’ when you grow rhodos from seed.

This Rhododendron keysii is full out today at the end of Hovel Cart Road. All the other clumps of this species have been over for weeks. Is this the sign it is going to massively over-seed and die?

Styrax japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’ is far from out yet but you can see how it sits nicely on the bank above the drive so that you can look up into the flowers properly. Otherwise they would be mainly hidden from view.

2016 – CHW
Off to the Royal Cornwall Show where four stands have to be visited and time taken to support:Burncoose Nurseries stand had won a Gold Medal and Justin was in charge!

The Cornwall Red Squirrel Project (CRSP) had Natasha at the helm and was visited (later) by Bishop Tim of Truro and Lord and Lady St Levan.

The Caerhays Estate stand had Lucinda and Edwina flogging weddings and holiday lets.

Things were getting a bit alcoholic by the time we got to the Game & Wildlife Conservation stand to launch the Cornish Grey Partridge reintroduction project at 5.30pm. I forgot to take any pictures so you will have to make do with a copy of the leaflet.10 Jun16 Cornish Grey Partridge Project

2015 – CHW
A cornus hunt reveals:Cornus kousa var Chinensis ‘Wisley Queen’This plant was given to my father by Richard Carew-Pole when he was RHS president.

Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ (‘Miss Satomi’ in the new Hillier’s)

Growing in full sun in the open this is a real stunner and has been showing a good red colour for a fortnight. The reference books say ‘pink’ but it is very clearly a red so I wonder if the naming is correct or whether it will fade? Is it really a Cornus kousa or is it really a Cornus florida variety?

Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’

Planted in 1991 this enormous but rather hidden away plant will be the best thing in the garden in a fortnight or so. The adjacent Loderi ‘King George’ is over but some years the two coincide.

1997 – FJW
Delias grand design – 5 pieces done – bad storm, much salt damage in Laurel, and damaged trees around Noahs Ark and the Beeches.

1972 – FJW
Delia started on her Grand Design.

1902 – JCW
Habranthus is now very good, moved the big lot of Polyanthus primroses. None of the waterlilies show flower yet, a few Arums about, a very cold late season.

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

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