2nd November

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

2023 – CHW

Maytenus magellanica planted out recently in Kennel Close.

Maytenus magellanica
Maytenus magellanica
Prunus incisa with a good range of autumn colour developing.
Prunus incisa
Prunus incisa
Prunus incisa
Prunus incisa
One forgets that Carrierea calycina is deciduous. I had been seeing curling leaves at the top of a small tree in Old Park and had feared squirrel damage but the leaf curling is a sign of impending leaf drop as here. The 3 pictures show the normal leaves, then the curling and, finally, the dropping.
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Carrierea calycina
Tony Kirkham’s great introduction of Paulownia kawakamii from Taiwan is already laden with bud for next spring. Last year was the first time since planting in 2010 that it had performed properly in April/ May.
Paulownia kawakamii
Paulownia kawakamii
Cotoneaster glomerulatus in Kennel Close is again covered in berries. The plant below Tin Garden has had none since 2021. I need to check the older plants on the drive which I grew from seed from Werrington.
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
The variegated leaved Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Silver King’ was a gift from Windsor. Autumn colour is starting to show up but not as I had expected it to be coloured.
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Silver King’
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Silver King’

2022 – CHW
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’; the best thing in the garden today. Butterflies and wasps galore! What a tremendous clump which, sadly, few will see.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’
A self-sown seedling of Rhododendron fargesii has decided to flower out of season in Roger’s Quarry. Clearly not in any way pure but nice enough.
Rhododendron fargesii
Rhododendron fargesii
Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis with clusters of berries turning colour quickly from a fortnight ago.
Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis
Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis
Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis
Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis
Maackia chinensis has lost a twisted limb. Now all cut up and goodish autumn colour still remains here and there.
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis

2021 – CHW
Something strange has happened to Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’. This is a peculiar late flowering magnolia with small flowers that has been very prone to branches splitting off. It now looks as though the main trunk has had some damage at about 10-12ft in height. Almost a constriction in the stem as might have been caused by a strap or tie but hardly at that height. A bit of lead shot even? Anyway there is clearly rot in the stem and the leading shoot is dying. We need to cut out the damaged leader to prevent the infection travelling downwards.
Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’
Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’
Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’
Magnolia ‘Coral Pink’
First flower on Camellia sasanqua ‘Gay Border’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Gay Border’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Gay Border’
Some secondary flowering on Rhododendron davidsonianum ‘Caerhays Pink’ on young plants in Tin Garden.
Rhododendron davidsonianum ‘Caerhays Pink’
Rhododendron davidsonianum ‘Caerhays Pink’
After the third grass cut in Tin Garden the nettles have regrown vigorously in a month to 18in in height and appear to be taking over. Another quick cut is needed and perhaps more as this is an especially rich wildflower area as identified in the recent survey.
nettles
nettles
Completed the planting today of all the hardier, rare and unusual new plants in key locations in the garden. Still Old Park, Bond Street and White Stiles piles to deal with.

2020 – CHW
Attached is an interesting article on Rhododendron williamsianum by Barry Starling taken from the Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group southwest branch newsletter.We have a couple of plants here of ‘Exbury White’ which I had puzzled about as the flowers do start off pink. I saw the plant at Exbury where I thought the same thing.Our original huge clumps of Rh. williamsianum died out 20 years or so ago in the Auklandii Garden. They were at least 6ft in height with a rounded habit and 10-12ft across. They were about 80 years old and died of exhaustion and over-flowering.For a couple of decades a younger clump at Burncoose of similar size survived. Nearly all the plants in the clump here also now died of old age.
young plants
young plants
young plants
young plants

Restarting tiny young plants in a woodland garden is not easy. We have laid down myopex and planted in slits to reduce weed growth. The whole clump was also rabbit fenced. They are all growing well today but it is clear that we have planted them much too close together as they mature.

We will need to think again with the next batch we plant out.

2019 – CHW
Our weather forecasters so frequently worry us up about impending hurricane aftermaths and flooding that when a real storm hits us we get little prior notice. After a week’s rain last night’s gale was recorded at 78-80mph at RNAS Culdrose. Swirls and gusts too of great strength through the garden. Damage to the church roof and, I expect, many more slates to be put back in place on Monday.One of the original large ilex oaks (150 years old?) opposite the front door fell down at about 2am. Got me out of bed anyway to check something had not actually hit the castle itself. The nearest debris was 25 yards from the front door. A power cut too of course with alarms then going off.
ilex oaks
ilex oaks
ilex oaks
ilex oaks
And England lose to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final by a large margin. A bad day all around and soaked to the skin with a European shooting party. The poor old Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ flowers are now all on the ground.
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
The portaloo being used by builders reroofing Darricks Barn travelled 100 yards and over a hedge in the storms.
portaloo
portaloo

2018 – CHW
Yesterday a garden tour with the Townsends.Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ looking superb now denuded of all its leaves.
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
The fruits on Photinia macrophylla are now ripe and red.
Photinia macrophylla
Photinia macrophylla
Schefflera macrophylla has suddenly decided to put out three or four new growth branches around the central leader. Previously this had been a single stemmed specimen of 6-7ft in height.
Schefflera macrophylla
Schefflera macrophylla
Schefflera delavayi now full out in flower and quite a sight on a still small plant.
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Acer cappadocicum with its unusual seeds and pleasing autumn colours.
Acer cappadocicum
Acer cappadocicum
Acer cappadocicum
Acer cappadocicum
The first and only flower so far on Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’ on 1st November. About 20-25ft from the ground and just visible from the side of the quarry.
Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’
Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’

2017 – CHW
Another clump of Rhododendron davidsonianum has been cut back to regenerate.
Rhododendron davidsonianum
Rhododendron davidsonianum
This young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ ought to be dug out rather than just having the dead removed. Two winters ago it decided to flower in the autumn and paid the price with dieback. In Belgium they say Caerhays Belle is too tender to grow in their winters but this is the first evidence here of a problem.
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
More tidying up work on an old magnolia (denudata?) which had rotted at the base and fallen onto a clump of quince.
tidying up work on an old magnolia
tidying up work on an old magnolia
Alongside a nice new clump of Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’ will now be in full sun rather than shade.
Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’
Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’

2016 – CHW
A check up on the autumn colour of the enkianthus on Hovel Cart Road. I am slightly too late.Enkianthus campanulatus albiflorus is a good red.
Enkianthus campanulatus albiflorus
Enkianthus campanulatus albiflorus
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Venus’ starting to go yellow.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Venus’
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Venus’
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Victoria’ – the remaining small leaves are yellow.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Victoria’
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Victoria’
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Red Bells’ has little colour left.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Red Bells’
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Red Bells’
But Enkianthus campanulatus var hirtinervus is still fully green with unripe seed pods. Just a hint of yellow at the base.
Enkianthus campanulatus var hirtinervus
Enkianthus campanulatus var hirtinervus
Enkianthus campanulatus var hirtinervus
Enkianthus campanulatus var hirtinervus

Funny that the only pure white flowering one should have red autumn colour?Hydrangea paniculata is starting to turn yellow too and has faded a lot in a fortnight. Quite a colourful autumn bank here now but Lindera cercidifolia is still green. One to watch and a good yellow I expect.

Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea paniculata

2015 – CHW
A surprising day for flowers in the garden just when everyone might think there is nothing doing.Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’, a Caerhays bred plant, is absolutely full out and looking wonderful. This is in fact a secondary flowering and a repeat will appear in the spring. Rhododendron flavidum is one of its parents and often has an autumn show too as we saw earlier but nothing like this.

Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’

What I have always known as Mahonia lomariifolia is full out alongside ‘Yellow Hammer’. The botanists have had a field day with mahonia names but I find mahonias pretty dull anyway so cannot be bothered to delve into the latest renaming of lomariifolia. Look it up if you must!

Mahonia lomariifolia
Mahonia lomariifolia
Mahonia lomariifolia
Mahonia lomariifolia

I had thought earlier that Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’ (yellow variegation) was not going to flower this year but it has suddenly and belatedly proved me quite wrong. The flowers do not show up much amongst such distinct foliage but are a nice surprise in November.

Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’

1981 – FJW
Vincent Curtis died – the best flower arranger of his age.

1923 – JCW
Rhododendron eximium in the 40 Acres is, as regards its young growth, with a wonderful beauty now. The Sasanquas are nice some of them, much rain has fallen since say Sept 20th but only last week did it fill the 2 tanks in the Tin Garden.

1921 – JCW
Sasanqua (old plant) is very good indeed, a good few lapagerias. Cyclamen are over, roses a few. Rain seems to be coming to us slowly. No proper gales yet.

1918 – JCW
The sasanquas show a little flower. Lapagerias are nice. R decorum continues to hold on. Heavy autumn gales have started.

1908 – JCW
The roses in the three beds are very nice indeed. Solanum is extra good. Cyclamen over. Cam sasanqua medium.

One thought on “2nd November

  1. Acer cappadocicum is renown for its radiating yellow autumn colour of his five-lobed leaves and the well-known winged propeller-seeds.
    With this fruitballs and three-lobed leaves it is an Asian Liquidambar, compare e.g. 2015/10/15.

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