30th June

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955


2024 – CHW

Cornus oblonga has bronzy new growth as well.

Cornus oblonga
Cornus oblonga
The old original Catalpa bungei ‘Duclouxii Group’, as we are now supposed to call Catalpa duclouxii, is flowering away better than I have ever seen it but the flowers are nowhere near as good or heavily marked as our other younger plant, which fell over, or the one I admire at Ventnor above their Tropical House.
Catalpa bungei ‘Duclouxii Group’
Catalpa bungei ‘Duclouxii Group’
Catalpa bungei ‘Duclouxii Group’
Catalpa bungei ‘Duclouxii Group’
Despite the relatively mild and storm free weather Maackia chinensis has collapsed and split in half.
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Chionanthus virginicus will now get much more light and should start performing rather better. It was planted 33 years ago and has hardly flowered or grown much.
Chionanthus virginicus
Chionanthus virginicus
Chionanthus virginicus
Chionanthus virginicus
Idesia polycarpa in full flower.
Idesia polycarpa
Idesia polycarpa
Idesia polycarpa
Idesia polycarpa
Idesia polycarpa
Idesia polycarpa
Still plenty of final tail end flowers on Berberis wilsoniae. Very late for this to still be in flower.
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae
Still a few decent flowers on Magnolia ‘Genie’ as we near July.
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
This was once, 35 years ago, the stump of a Pinus radiata. Seedlings from Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ grew up around it and look at it today.
Pinus radiata
Pinus radiata

2023 – CHW

Magnolia/ Manglietia kwangtungensis/ moto with its buds swelling and splitting.

Magnolia/ Manglietia kwangtungensis/ moto
Magnolia/ Manglietia kwangtungensis/ moto
Magnolia/ Manglietia kwangtungensis/ moto
Magnolia/ Manglietia kwangtungensis/ moto
Magnolia virginiana ‘Northern Belle’ has its first couple of buds two years on from planting.
Magnolia virginiana ‘Northern Belle’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Northern Belle’
Acer sikkimense (WJC 13674) with wonderful secondary new growth.
Acer sikkimense (WJC 13674)
Acer sikkimense (WJC 13674)
This is labelled Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163) which does not appear to exist in the reference book so some cock up here somewhere? First flowering with 6 or so flowers of which only one still on the tree (+ 1 bud). Again much like M. insignis although the leaves are a bit different.
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Magnolia crassifolia (MWJ 13163)
Tilia kiusiana about to flower.
Tilia kiusiana
Tilia kiusiana
Tilia kiusiana
Tilia kiusiana
Cornus kousa ‘Milky Way’ nearly over.
Cornus kousa ‘Milky Way’
Cornus kousa ‘Milky Way’
I was very rude last year about Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’. Now I take it all back. Nice thing and well worth Asia propagating.
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’
Only one of the four Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’ planted in 2021 has survived. Too dry a spot for them but a fantastic hydrangea none the less.
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
The Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’ is shooting well after its haircut despite the drought.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’

2022 – CHW

A visit to the Isle of Wight Grain Storage Ltd near Cowes. The farmer owned cooperative company handles circa 20,000 tonnes of wheat/oats/barley/rape grown on the island and has just invested £2.5m in new grain drying and milling equipment. The two biodigesters on the island which need feed (grass / whole crop) sourced locally have greatly reduced the amount of arable crops grown in recent years. The new milling allows poultry, beef, diary and pig farmers to purchase processed animal feeds made on the island rather than importing from the mainland. Vessels capable of loading 3,000 tonnes of grain can moor up and be loaded beside the storage facility.

Storage tanks old and new.

Storage tanks
Storage tanks
The new grain drier.
new grain drier
new grain drier
This machine dry cools the grain tanks without the need to continuously blow air through the grain.
machine dry cools the grain tanks
machine dry cools the grain tanks
Grain loaded on vessels from the adjacent gravel works jetty.
Grain loaded on vessels
Grain loaded on vessels
The new milling equipment and the end products.
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
new milling equipment
Solar panels were providing 50% of the electricity needed to run the site today.
Solar panels
Solar panels
Sir William Caws stands below an ancient crane in Cowes on the site of a former ship building factory where he worked as a boy in the late 1950s. Jumping into the water from the top of the crane (at high tide) at the end of a day’s work was apparently normal. A tall story indeed!
Sir William Caws
Sir William Caws

2021 – CHW
A bit of a magnolia hunt today.The pink form of Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ just showing.
Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’
Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’
Manglietia insignis just out and perfect today but loads of bud to come.
Manglietia insignis
Manglietia insignis
Manglietia insignis
Manglietia insignis
Manglietia insignis
Manglietia insignis
Magnolia sapaensis nearly out. Note the little leaflets at the tip of most (but not all) buds which is an unusual (unique?) characteristic of this species.
Magnolia sapaensis
Magnolia sapaensis
Magnolia sapaensis
Magnolia sapaensis
Magnolia sapaensis
Magnolia sapaensis
Pterostyrax hispida at its absolute best. I normally fail to spot this.
Pterostyrax hispida
Pterostyrax hispida
Pterostyrax hispida
Pterostyrax hispida
Pterostyrax hispida
Pterostyrax hispida
High up one of the younger Magnolia dealbatas is out. The others not quite.
Magnolia dealbatas
Magnolia dealbatas
Clethra fabri (FMWJ 13037) with spectacular foliage at Donkey Shoe.
Clethra fabri
Clethra fabri
Rhododendron fortunei subsp. discolor in the main quarry full out.
Rhododendron fortunei subsp. discolor
Rhododendron fortunei subsp. discolor
The best of the surviving forms of Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’ on Burns Bank. Definitely one for Asia to propagate!
Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’
Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’
The last flowering before death I expect of the original Styrax japonicus on Burns Bank.
Styrax japonicus
Styrax japonicus
Tail end flowers on the playhouse wisteria or perhaps secondary ones?
wisteria
wisteria

2020 – CHW
A nice wet weekend and a dampish week in prospect so all good in the garden.The pink form of Magnolia delavayi with the largest and best flower I have ever seen on it before. The layman might find this very similar in shape, colour, and the dropping down of the three outer tepals, to Magnolia (Manglietia) insignis which we saw last week. Tom Hudson collected this originally and, not knowing any better, we planted it in a poorish spot opposite the dog kennels below Kitchen Garden where it has grown well but flowered sparsely.
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Another of our surviving Rhododendron royalii hybrids on the drive out later than the others with a pinkish hue. A cutting from the old plant on Burns Bank?
Rhododendron royalii
Rhododendron royalii
Rhododendron royalii
Rhododendron royalii
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Malva sylvestris (common mallow) growing together below the coastguards’ hut where Serena will soon be married. A pity to strim these all off for the sake of ‘tidiness’!
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Malva sylvestris (common mallow)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Malva sylvestris (common mallow)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Malva sylvestris (common mallow)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Malva sylvestris (common mallow)

Calystegia soldanella (sea bindweed) growing on the field hedge (which is near sand) opposite the car park. The flowers have closed as it is overcast. It is not that different from Convolvulus arvensis (bindweed) but this one only grows on sand dunes as here. (The white flowered hedge bindweed, Calystegia sepium, much hated by all gardeners, is a different species again.)

Subsequently Colin French (Flora of Cornwall) got in touch to point out I got this wrong. Here is his email and the correct photos:

From: cnf
Sent: 09 August 2020 10:15
To: Charles Williams PA
Subject: RE: Survey work
Dear Charles,
On 30th June Diary entry the Calystegia soldanella photos are of Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). C. Soldanella has small round succulent leaves as in the photo below:
Best wishes,
Colin

Convolvulus arvensis
Convolvulus arvensis
Convolvulus arvensis
Convolvulus arvensis
Calystegia soldanella (Photo by Colin French)
Calystegia soldanella (Photo by Colin French)
Maggie Semmens in ‘Grandma’s Castle’ as the sign says at the lower lodge. We both agree that we need a haircut!
Maggie Semmens in ‘Grandma’s Castle’
Maggie Semmens in ‘Grandma’s Castle’
Hydrangea seemanii covering the back arch. Less flowers than last year but they seem larger.
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii

2019 – CHW
Arrived at Hampton Court yesterday at lunchtime. The temperature was 33-36°C. An untouched can of lemonade exploded in Michael’s van in the heat. We felt similarly pulverised but made a very good start on the stand. Sally Hayward was in situ doing not just our labels but the labels for all the other Plant Heritage exhibitors. What would we have done without her willing and very capable help! Our stand is located next to the National Collection of Rubus stand. Podocarpus and Rubus must be two of the dullest stands the public have ever seen but perhaps more horticulturally interesting with more unusual plant species and hybrids than in previous Plant Heritage exhibitions? The National Collection of Ginkgos on the other side of us was superb and got the media attention it deserved.
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand
the stand

2018 – CHW
A few exceptional new plants to us at Burncoose which are now on their way to the Hampton Court flower show for the stand and for sales there.A lovely white Watsonia arderneri which we bought from France.
Watsonia arderneri
Watsonia arderneri
Watsonia arderneri
Watsonia arderneri
Even more lovely is the delicate pink Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’. Not dwarf at all in habit but the flowers are perhaps small by watsonia standards. Both these two survived ‘The Beast’ in early March on the nursery. Conservatory plants but only just in Cornwall.
Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’
Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’
Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’
Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’
Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’ is new to us this year and our first sight of the pale pinkish flower spikes above the dark blackish leaves.
Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’
Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’
Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’
Astilbe ‘Chocolate Fascination’
Paeonia tenuifolia is setting ripe seed quickly after flowering in May. Paeonies do this rapidly.
Paeonia tenuifolia
Paeonia tenuifolia
Rosa pomifera has hips days after flowering too.
Rosa pomifera
Rosa pomifera

2017 – CHW
I now know why I have not been able to operate the focus properly on the new camera. It should do it automatically. Karol assumed I was not as thick as I have now been shown to be!The Tropaeolum speciosum has come up through the Lady Clare camellia and is flowering at about 5ft from the ground. Rather a good set of pictures if I say so myself!
Tropaeolum speciosum
Tropaeolum speciosum
Tropaeolum speciosum
Tropaeolum speciosum
This young Aesculus wangii had a couple of small branches broken off in a recent gale but has quickly put on attractive new growth shoots.
Aesculus wangii
Aesculus wangii
The oldest Magnolia sieboldii with the smallest flowers still has a few showing. Elsewhere the seeds are swelling quickly. As you can see I got the settings wrong again.
Magnolia sieboldii
Magnolia sieboldii
Rhododendron arizelum is not setting any seed this year. I could easily remove the old flower heads and seeds by hand with no effort. Noticeable however is how much more quickly the new growth has come where there were not flower heads.
Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’
Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’
Rhododendron arizelum
Rhododendron arizelum
Rhododendron arizelum
Rhododendron arizelum
Seeds pods forming after the flowers on Decaisnea fargesii. By autumn these will turn a pinkish-blue.
Decaisnea fargesii
Decaisnea fargesii
I had this billed as Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’. It has been out for a while but is in shade so the bracts could be darker in full sun.
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Cornus florida ‘Red Giant’
Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’ has very attractive secondary new growth. It was raised in Belgium in 1979 and this plant was a gift from Mr Vernon of Bluebell Nurseries.
Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’
Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’
Salix fargesii is forming a good rounded shrub in full sun.
Salix fargesii
Salix fargesii

2016 – CHW
Thirty members of the 700 year old Worshipful Company of Fruiterers visit Caerhays for a medlar tree planting ceremony on the bank opposite the front door. The master and clerk wear their ceremonial chains of office and past masters have special ties. We assemble for the tree planting at 12.00, then house tour, lunch in the dining room and a garden tour ending at 4.30pm. All in all a very pleasant and happy day. One or two of the members even grew fruit trees (cobnuts and walnuts in Kent). The master and his wife were both QCs and the mistress sat next to my brother at a dinner in London the night before the visit here. Quite a coincidence as they had never met before.
medlar tree planting
Medlar tree planting
Group Photo of Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
Group Photo of Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
placque
Placque
placque
Presentation of Placque
members
Group Members
tree planting
Tree planting
members
Group members
members
Group members
drinks
Drinks!

2015 – CHW
Grass cutting now for a week and the area around the house is starting to look tidy. It remains to be seen if we will need much of a second cut in September. So far a very fine March to June despite what everyone from up country is moaning about (cold nights, wind etc). Cornwall, for once, has had the best of it I suspect.

Grass cutting
Grass cutting
Grass cutting
Grass cutting
The Fuchsia magellanica var gracilis hedge above Lower Rockery is full out now. Much less tall growing that Fuchsia ‘Riccartonii’.
Fuchsia magellanica var grocilis
Fuchsia magellanica var gracilis
Fuchsia magellanica var grocilis
Fuchsia magellanica var gracilis
Fuchsia magellanica var grocilis
Fuchsia magellanica var gracilis
A clump of (I think) Iris foetida in full shade behind the yew trees on the lawn. The huge seed pots are correct for this species anyway but I have never noticed the flower before.
Iris foetida
Iris foetida
Iris foetida
Iris foetida
Iris foetida
Iris foetida

1932 – JCW
Cuttings of the Pink Triflorum are in.

1927 – JCW
(Handwritten note attached to Garden Book page).

Cuttings to take in June 1927:
Kurumes.
Pink Davidsonianum Shooting Ride near Barbatum.
Pink Davidsonianum in Quarry.
Werrington Impeditum x.