Pheas painting one of the front gates. The other side misses the sun and only needed a touch up.

White wisteria in a yew tree in the Rookery as seen from the lawn.

Our very old Acer maximowiczianum (Acer nikoense) is covered in winged seed heads. I suspect this is its last ‘hurrah’ before passing out.

The white wisteria from the Rookery Path side.

Susyn Andrews thinks that this ancient gaultheria on Rookery Path opposite the Rhododendron falconeri is Gaultheria hookeri (Vaccinum wardii).

Rhododendron ‘Tally Hoo Group’ is nearly over.

2020 – CHW
Good flowers on Magnolia grandiflora ‘Main Street’.

Pseudotaxus chienii is doing well on Sinogrande Walk. The white berry yew has yet to produce any fruits but is now about 4ft tall. In fact we have no idea yet if it is a female tree. Burncoose now stocks this dwarfish slow growing variety. Quite a difference between the arrangements of the older leaves and the new growth. I had forgotten that we had this established here in full sun; a hot and dry location.

Phellodendron japonicum is supposed to have corky bark but not yet. I had not spotted this new species to us before but it is doing well on Burns Bank.

I was confused by Amelanchier bartramiana and Amelanchier florida earlier this year hoping that their fruits might turn out to be different as I could see little difference in their flowers. A. florida has slightly more pinkish red fruits on more drooping stems as far as I can see today but the difference is, so far, slight.

Two out of three casualties in our deliberately closely planted trio of Betula albosinensis ‘China Rose’ (in the Isla Rose planting) due to the recent drought and last summer’s.

Pterocarya tonkinensis has moved in the wind and needs re-staking. Its bark is not that different (as a young tree) to the Phellodendron above.

First flowers coming on Cornus drummondii ‘Sunshiny Drops’ from America (where else a name like this!). It is said to be stunning as are the fruits so we will see. Gift from Jan-Willem.

Rhododendron megacalyx is pink in bud opening white and you can clearly see the huge calyxes here.

2019 – CHW
The St Michaels Caerhays flower festival themed as “Poldark’s Cornwall” has involved and brought together many people in the community who might otherwise not be churchgoers. A wonderful theme, superb standard and a delight to enjoy over three days culminating in the Caerhays charity fete tomorrow. The explanation of each arrangement was written by Gillian Fraser and is attached for anyone wanting to read more.

2016 – CHW
Here are the latest leaf pictures, studio taken by Karol, of Michelia floribunda and Michelia doltsopa from Tregrehan. These show that the former species has a leaf petiole or leaf ‘scar’ of circa 50mm in length while the latter has a ‘scar’ of only circa 20mm in length. Apparently this is the only way to separate these two pretty obviously identical species in terms of habit, leaf size/shape and flowers. My paper disputing this conclusion is nearly finished and I hope to promote some argument.

2015 – CHW
Another wander up the top part of the drive.  Just by the start of Hovel Cart Road is yet another rather good deciduous azalea with no name. There are several still out but you have to hunt them down amid the greenery.

Deutzia ‘Strawberry Fields’ by the Hovel Turning is one of those shrubs which can readily leap out of a smaller garden into a woodland context. For what it is worth I do not think you will find a better deutzia despite all the recent new species introduced by Roy Lancaster and others.

We have just missed Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’ in flower at Red Linney. This was a selection by Pavia nurseries and has attractive drooping new growth. Good autumn colour apparently but I have not noticed as yet.

After all the phytophthera ramorum scares I thought we had removed every larch on the place but I now discover, up from Red Linney, three cracking plants of Larix kaempferi which are looking good. This Japanese species has exceptional yellow autumn colour so we hope for the best.

One forgets just how large and attractive the flowers on young Quercus ilex can be. The avenue on the top drive do not all flower at the same time nor do all the trees yet seem to be old enough to do so.