7th 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

Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’ (BSWJ 6241a) just out by the 4-in-Hand. Well worth propagating to get another group of these for planting out.

Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’ (BSWJ 6241a)
Hydrangea serrata ‘Crug Cobalt’ (BSWJ 6241a)
Beside it is the only surviving plant (of 3) of Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’ looking justified in its former Plant of the Year award.
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’
The very red and late flowering Azalea ‘Jane Fire’.
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Azalea ‘Jane Fire’
Grass cutting well underway below White Styles.
Grass cutting
Grass cutting
A splendid young Rhododendron decorum below the track below White Styles Field.
Rhododendron decorum
Rhododendron decorum
Below the former gardens of White Styles Cottages are large clumps of Philadelphus ‘Beauclerk’. 3 or 5 flowers in each raceme and about 10 feet tall in full shade.
Philadelphus ‘Beauclerk’
Philadelphus ‘Beauclerk’
Philadelphus ‘Beauclerk’
Philadelphus ‘Beauclerk’
Populus wilsonii ex Gaoligongshan was only planted last autumn. Distinctive leaves and leaf petioles.
Populus wilsonii
Populus wilsonii
Populus wilsonii
Populus wilsonii
Quercus farokoensis (G1691) from Thomas Methuan-Campbell has most attractive new growth which I had not appreciated before.
Quercus farokoensis (G1691)
Quercus farokoensis (G1691)
Quercus farokoensis (G1691)
Quercus farokoensis (G1691)
With two rotary machines (one brand new) and two strimmers the bank at Old Park is soon being cut down.
Old Park is soon being cut down
Old Park is soon being cut down
The Aesculus wilsonii clump at the entrance to Old Park are particularly floriferous this year.
Aesculus wilsonii
Aesculus wilsonii
Aesculus wilsonii
Aesculus wilsonii
Deutzia pulchra (FIFL 26) just out in flower. A gift from Roy Lancaster.
Deutzia pulchra (FIFL 26)
Deutzia pulchra (FIFL 26)
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis with its enormous leaves below the Fernery.
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
Buddleja nivea yunnanensis
Deutzia ningpoensis also below the Fernery at its very best.
Deutzia ningpoensis
Deutzia ningpoensis
Deutzia ningpoensis
Deutzia ningpoensis

2023 – CHW
Merrilliopanax alpinus (BSWJ 13939) with its first ever flowers by Rookery Nursery.
Merrilliopanax alpinus (BSWJ 13939)
Merrilliopanax alpinus (BSWJ 13939)
Merrilliopanax alpinus (BSWJ 13939)
Merrilliopanax alpinus (BSWJ 13939)
Magnolia wilsonii (DJHC 98369) with several flowers. A bit later than M. sieboldii and M. sieboldii sinensis but earlier than M. globosa.
Magnolia wilsonii (DJHC 98369)
Magnolia wilsonii (DJHC 98369)
Laurel cutting on the drive making progress.
Laurel cutting
Laurel cutting
Still 9 cygnets alive (out of 10) which is remarkable.
Still 9 cygnets alive
Still 9 cygnets alive
The white wisteria growing up a yew tree in the Rookery putting on a good show. At least 100 years old!
white wisteria
white wisteria

2022 – CHW

Rain not far away but humid and fine.

In the Rockery we have now proved how well a Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’ has responded to a harsh pruning to get it away from the Rhododendron sanguineum subsp. didymium and Rhododendron russatum.

Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’
Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’
Also in the Rockery I am not sure if this is a late flowering form of Rhododendron yunnanense (more likely) or a late form or Rhododendron davidsonianum. Note the colour variation in the flowers. Both may be wrong and it may be a separate species in its own right?
Rhododendron yunnanense
Rhododendron yunnanense
Rhododendron yunnanense
Rhododendron yunnanense
The Pentapterigium serpens planted in the Rockery two years ago has two flowers.
Pentapterigium serpens
Pentapterigium serpens
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ flowering away outside the front gate. The root stock with green leaves has overtaken the small amount of variegated foliage still left but it is none the worse for that.
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
The fabulous Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ below Slip Rail. The largest of our three plants.
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’
Crataegus columbiana planted in March with its first rather unexceptional flowers.
Crataegus columbiana
Crataegus columbiana
Deutzia monobeigii in Tin Garden. Smallish but pretty. A Forrest introduction.
Deutzia monobeigii
Deutzia monobeigii
Deutzia monobeigii
Deutzia monobeigii
Magnolia globosa still flowering away.
Magnolia globosa
Magnolia globosa
Styrax hemsleyanus nearly out and flowering much more profusely with pendulous racemes of flowers than in the two previous years. Most of the other styrax species seem to be having a year off (especially S. formosanus forms) after the excesses of last year.
Styrax hemsleyanus
Styrax hemsleyanus

2021 – CHW
A wonderful five and a half hours in the garden with Sue and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones from Crûg Farm Nursery. The leading plant hunters and collectors of the current generation. An opportunity to view and discuss what has grown well and badly here from their collections, whether we have been growing certain genuses in the wrong places, and how / where / at what altitude they grow in the wild. We have been making mistakes but we have also been getting some things very right. Aralia vietnamensis was performing better than Bleddyn had ever seen elsewhere but I explained that other aralias has not done well. Schefflera in more shade and, more importantly, in more wind exposure.A youngish Euonymus tingens nicely in flower.
Euonymus tingens
Euonymus tingens
Euonymus tingens
Euonymus tingens
First flower out on Magnolia dealbata.
Magnolia dealbata
Magnolia dealbata
Rhododendron stamineum in the main quarry.
Rhododendron stamineum
Rhododendron stamineum
Rhododendron stamineum
Rhododendron stamineum
Carpinus japonica now covered in flower cones.
Carpinus japonica
Carpinus japonica
Carpinus japonica
Carpinus japonica

2020 – CHW
Still no rain! A dead hydrangea species in the drought just outside the Rockery.
Dead hydrangea
Dead hydrangea
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ where the graft has swamped the Wolf Eyes!
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’
Assorted colours of Azalea indica outside the Rockery which Jack has been removing brambles and ivy from.
Azalea indica
Azalea indica
Azalea indica
Azalea indica
Azalea indica
Azalea indica
Rhododendron aperantum looking better than it has for a bit in the Rockery.
Rhododendron aperantum
Rhododendron aperantum
Rhododendron radicans which I am delighted to find still alive and flowering. An easy one for Asia to propagate soon now.
Rhododendron radicans
Rhododendron radicans
Jack has cleaned, tidied, weeded and grubbed out the Rockery better than it has been for years. An excellent job on brambles and ivy here too which has created a few planting places.
Rockery
Rockery
Rockery
Rockery
Rockery
Rockery
The haircut given to Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’ last year has produced regrowth which I did not expect.
Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’
Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’
Rhododendron tashiroi (perhaps?) – conceivably Rhododendron wadanum? But this is a 100 year old plant which has been cut down a few times.
Rhododendron tashiroi (perhaps?)
Rhododendron tashiroi (perhaps?)
Rhododendron tashiroi (perhaps?)
Rhododendron tashiroi (perhaps?)
Seed forming on Vaccinum urceolatum.
Vaccinum urceolatum
Vaccinum urceolatum
Vaccinum urceolatum
Vaccinum urceolatum
The lower side of the Rockery all tidy too with the seedling myrtles all removed.
Lower side of the Rockery
Lower side of the Rockery

2019 – CHW

Pictures from the show yesterday. We did not go today. Shockingly wet day.

Justin manning the Burncoose stand at the Royal Cornwall Show. A very good effort by the team.

Burncoose stand
Burncoose stand
Azalea viscosum on the stand. Some forms are pinker than this.
Azalea viscosum
Azalea viscosum
Azalea viscosum
Azalea viscosum
Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’ just coming out. We needed website photos.
Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’
Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’
Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’
Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’
Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’
Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’
Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’
Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’
Eremurus ‘White Beauty Favourite’
Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’. Flowering with the leaves.
Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’
Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’
Gillenia trifoliata in full flower. New to the Burncoose catalogue this year.
Gillenia trifoliata
Gillenia trifoliata
Gillenia trifoliata
Gillenia trifoliata
Rosa ‘Blue for You’ on the Cornish Rose Company stand.
Rosa ‘Blue for You’
Rosa ‘Blue for You’
Rosa ‘Blue for You’
Rosa ‘Blue for You’
A nice memorial for Albert Riddle outside the members’ pavilion. Albert would have approved of the developing piss up in the CLA tent which we escaped from with some relief after nine bottles (five then still more unopened).
memorial for Albert Riddle
memorial for Albert Riddle

2018 – CHW
A tour for a group who had bought it at a charity auction. Not exactly knowledgeable gardeners but good fun and interesting. We smelt five different magnolias all with totally different scents before a good lunch!A rather stunted and ‘Beast’ damaged Echium pininana with a few flowers which are more pink than blue so nearly over. The bees are busy enjoying the flower spike.
Echium pininana
Echium pininana
Echium pininana
Echium pininana
Stewartia pseudocamellia just coming out into flower. Many more flowers than last year when it was sparse.
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Stewartia pseudocamellia
A young Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’ now finally out and smelling delicious. Only its second year of flowering. The flowers here are much larger than on the 25 year old original tree.
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’ smelling disgusting (as it was last week)!
Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’
Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’ smelling about ok with a hint of lemon!
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
More magnolias to photograph soon – Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia x wiesneri, Magnolia globosa and Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’.

2017 – CHW
Time to take in the damage done by the southerly 50-60mph winds on Monday afternoon. Leaf litter everywhere. Trees blocked the roads at Tubbs Mill and Treluckey Mill. Fortunately no trees down in the garden but several young magnolias blown over in Kennel Close, two snapped off at the roots and many losing branches or their leaders. Who would have expected wind like this in June? More like November.A new tilia species smashed asunder in Kennel Close. Planted in 2011.
tilia
tilia
Ehretia anacua with snapped and broken branches below Slip Rail.
Ehretia anacua
Ehretia anacua
The echiums took a hammering too.
echiums
echiums
The broken magnolias had been removed or re-staked before I got to photograph them.
There is always something in bloody gardening is there not!So let us cheer up with more progress with the laurel clearing to reveal a very spindly Rhododendron sinogrande which has been largely killed by overhanging laurel.
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Beside it a Persea japonica can now grow on properly too.
Persea japonica
Persea japonica
A patch of white campion beside Georges Hut.
white campion
white campion
Opposite this are two very late flowering white azaleas. These were propagated from an ancient plant on Rookery Path and planted here in 2002. Slow growers!
white azaleas
white azaleas
white azaleas
white azaleas
white azaleas
white azaleas
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x Magnolia virginiana is finally out. The flowers last only a day or two especially in a gale.
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x Magnolia virginiana
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x Magnolia virginiana
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x Magnolia virginiana
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis x Magnolia virginiana
A tail end flower on a small plant of Michelia foggii ‘Jack Fogg’.
Michelia foggii ‘Jack Fogg’
Michelia foggii ‘Jack Fogg’
The first flowers on Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ just emerging.
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’
First flowers just out too on Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’.
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendula’

2016 – CHW
Sorting out the clearance work in the rookery this week. The pheasants need more holes in the tree canopy over the scree slope towards the lake to enable them to fly better and in the right direction than they have in recent years.

This will involve half felling quite a lot of laurel, removing an old leylandii hedge and cutting down a number of small sycamores to make the gaps.

Now off to Tullow in Ireland for Lizzie’s auntie’s 90th birthday bash at Hardimont House. We are flying from Exeter and back via Newquay. I will not be taking the camera but you may get a picture or two on my phone suitably blurred by Irish hospitality.

clearance work
clearance work

2005 – FJW
2 flowers on Camellia Kimberley – Rho stamineum flowering very well.

1909 – JCW
Going to Scotland this week, only two pods of pot Griflamme picked. We have had a fine lot of seedling Azaleas, and some are opening now the late ones. Roses late. Wall (Bob’s) plants good.

1905 – JCW
Only two pods of K.A and Jacko picked. Leaving for Scotland, far behind the above.

1897 – JCW
The first Tropaeolum speciosum opens, a lot of waterlilies on the big pond out, young shoots of nigra 8 feet high.