15th June

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

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.

Matt Semmens had remade the ironwork on the bell tower door for the occasion.

‘Mining’ with the copper ingot. Clever!

“Ursula’s Baptism”. The font was decorated using an excellent colour combination of leptospermum, Thalictrum, pale pink Alstroemeria and Euonymus japonicus ‘Silver Queen’.

‘Tall Ships’ – superb.

Above the collection box.

‘Game keeping’ with the figures showing more than a passing resemblance to John & Caroline George. Slightly unchurchlike but splendid!

‘Fishing’ – modern and a glorious flower combination.

‘Gaming’ – notes not real!

‘Smuggling’ in the alcove – very clever.

The lectern also with beautiful flower combinations involving pinks, Hebe, callistemon and leptospermum in ‘The Apothecary’.

Beside the altar a magnificent ‘Transport’ with a cart and unusual but effective combinations of Hosta, laurel, ferns, chrysanthemum and Alstroemeria.

‘Smithy’

“Warleggan’s Bank” with coins and yellow lilies.

‘Grand Ball’ – Shasta daisies and Veronicastrum I think in the centre.

“Demelza’s Kitchen”

‘Country Inn’ by the lectern with wonderful use of ‘curly’ sycamore seeds.

The Burncoose sponsorship board.

‘Bodmin Market’ at the entrance.

The entrance decorated.

Dad and Mum’s graves awaiting the return of the headstone and granite surround but with sweet william and a wreath.

Quite a view over the River Luney valley for them both to enjoy!

2018 – CHW
Karpinus kawakamii restored to life and new growth after The Beast had, we thought, rendered it dead. The light pruning from six weeks ago has helped.

Leptospermum lonigerum full out and a blaze of white.

This I think might just be the true Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’. It is labelled as such and only just out now. I will be forwarding these pictures to my friend who pointed out my longstanding error and the impossibility of our original plant being true to name based on its parentage.

2017 – CHW
Garden visitors keep muttering that there is ‘nothing to see’. Although an early flowering year they simply do not take the trouble to look around even with a 2For1 entry offer.

Rhododendron viscosum on the drive. I have never taken in this elderly late flowering species here before. The one at Burncoose is paler and a bit later to flower. Nice scent.

There are three separate clumps of Rhododendron indicum on the drive. Perhaps some are Rhododendron nakaharae types? There are three distinct pink forms here and they flower sporadically over a long period.

This is a late evergreen azalea with orangeish flowers. More in a big clump by the Fernery. No idea of a name.

Another clump of low growing indicum or are they dwarf enough to be nakaharae? More assorted colours here as they cover the entire bank.

Another forgotten but now sizeable and mature Styrax japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’ hidden away in the back of the drive. Not quite as pink in bud or when first out as the one on the bank by the Trevanion Holly but a weeping habit here as there.

Deutzia ‘Strawberry Fields’ is just going over by the Hovel. Superb as usual.

First flowering of three small Rhododendron cumberlandense. One more red than the others which have a yellowish orange flash. Could the red one be Rhododendron flammeum instead? Both are native species to the southern USA.

The best thing in the ‘nothing to see’ garden today may well be Cornus kousa ‘Doubloon’ which is far further out than most others. Huge bracts which completely obscure the leaves. What a sight!

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.

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

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