2024 – CHW
A visit to Pengelly Farms with friends from the Isle of Wight.
From the top of the biodigester.
2023 – CHW
Justin with the large Gold Medal for the Burncoose stand at the Royal Cornwall Show in the Flower Tent. Congratulations to Louisa, Molly and the team. The best display in the tent of rare and unusual plants and a fitting follow up to the Chelsea Gold Medal.
2022 – CHW
Showery but warm.
Contrary to what we had thought the swans have five cygnets and not three.
2021 – CHW
Today a record of Colin French’s recent wildflower survey over the estate.
Deutzia x hybrida ‘Strawberry Fields’
Two decent plants of Rhododendron ‘Fabia’ – one now dead in the drought.
2019 – CHW
Thank heavens for some proper rain. The garden looks so much better already and you can see everywhere water starved plants picking up and producing new growth.
The Liriodendron tulipifera also has flowers but they have been battered in the wind and rain. Quite different to those of Liriodendron chinense.
HRH visits the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project stand at the Royal Cornwall Show today rather interrupting lunch!
2017 – CHW
A wet day at the Royal Cornwall Show. Large gold medal for the Burncoose stand in the flower tent designed by Louisa and Christine. Christine’s first attempt at a stand for us and very good.
Attended the president’s lunch where the floral arrangement was cow-parsley and ornamental pheasant feathers. Odd! The food was excellent.
Dreadful and unbelievable election result. Britain will soon be as bankrupt as Greece. Stayed up most of the night drinking only water with Corbett. That is perhaps unbelievable too!
Sheila Reeves-Smyth (Lizzie’s aunt and Alice’s sister) 90th birthday party at Hardimount House, in Tullow, County Carlow, Ireland. One hundred and twenty guests and a house full of her enormous family who all talk in loud cheerful voices without listening to a word of any replies. Hysterical and gorgeous. The last relics of Anglo Irish colonialism at its very best. We could all have been in Sussex!Sheila’s garden is as good and well-tended a set of herbaceous borders as I have ever seen. Quite a few Burncoose shrubs on the walls too. Remarkable for someone aged 90 who lives on her own.Here is a flavour of the garden taken on my phone shortly after I had taken Christian Lamb (aged 97 and ex Tregrehan) on a garden tour while the drinking gets started properly.
2015 – CHW
Around the garden with managers from Eden and Heligan. Iain is much taken with Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’ but Magnolia globosa is still not out and Magnolia virginiana ‘Satellite’ will not be out for a week or so.
We look (again) at Enkianthus hirtinervus which they have not seen. There are some old enkianthus at Heligan but no newer varieties. Horticulture Week features an article on enkianthus based on my lecture. Sadly what they depict as Enkianthus campanulatus most definitely is not as it is pink with stripes all over and much more like Enkianthus campanulatus var palibini.
1919 – JCW
Madame Lemoine has been splendid. Ponticums go back, Auklandii are gone. Syringa villosa very good. C chrysocoma rather burnt. The azaleas are going off.
1915 – JCW
Maddeni x cinnabarinum is the best rhodo . Ponticums at their best. Azaleas going back. Lilac Madame Lemoine goes back. Species villosa in the New Planting good. C chrysocoma is very fine.
1905 – JCW
Just going to Strathvaich. I have picked all Caerhays, ¾ of K.A, all Jacko, some Monarch and Weardale etc, and sown some pot seed.
1902 – JCW
Have moved a lot of bulbs lately, very little seed but the Caerhays , H Irving and G Spur ripe.
1897 – JCW
R calophytum in flower, several nigras at full height.