4th 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

A tree fern growing well in the centre of a rotting oak tree stump.

tree fern
tree fern
Clearing the run off ditches before Storm Ciaran.
run off ditches
run off ditches
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’ with a couple of flowers. It is supposed to flower in late spring or early summer.
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
x Rhaphiobotrya ‘Coppertone’
The variegated leaved Ginkgo shows no autumn colour as yet.
variegated leaved Ginkgo
variegated leaved Ginkgo
Sorbus japonica is shedding its leaves but not yet its berries.
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus hupehensis virtually leafless.
Sorbus hupehensis
Sorbus hupehensis
Sorbus hupehensis
Sorbus hupehensis
Malus ‘Jelly King’ with ripe fruits.
Malus ‘Jelly King’
Malus ‘Jelly King’
Malus ‘Jelly King’
Malus ‘Jelly King’

2022 – CHW
A huge Pinus insignis tree twists, turns, and falls at the Red Linney on the drive last night in the gale.
Huge Pinus
Huge Pinus
A Magnolia ‘Sayonara’ is shredded to a single stem but Magnolia ‘Felix Jury’ escapes – just – by inches!
Cutting back a Magnolia ‘Ann’ which was encroaching on the Main Ride. It will reshoot but needed doing.
Cutting back Magnolia 'Ann'
Cutting back Magnolia ‘Ann’
Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (‘Senkaki’) at its autumn best in the sun. Absolutely splendid!
Acer 'Sango-Kaku'
Acer ‘Sango-Kaku’
Acer 'Sango-Kaku'
Acer ‘Sango-Kaku’
Camellia ‘Nobilissima’ has two flowers out beside the front door. Much earlier than usual, I suspect, but need to check The Diary.
Camellia ‘Nobilissima’
Camellia ‘Nobilissima’

2021 – CHW
A trip to the greenhouse to find a few plant presents for gardening friends this week.Seeds now ripe and splitting on Hedychium coronarium.
Hedychium coronarium
Hedychium coronarium
Hedychium coronarium
Hedychium coronarium
Malus tschonoskii showing autumn colour in the frames. I plan to grow a collection of flowering ‘crabs’ in the Kitchen Garden after it is cleared out next spring.
Malus tschonoskii
Malus tschonoskii
Malus transitoria with very different autumn tints.
Malus transitoria
Malus transitoria
Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’ flowering away. Sadly too tender to plant out.
Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’
Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’
Plectranthus argentatus nicely in flower. A touch of blue in the individual flowers on the flower spikes.
Plectranthus argentatus
Plectranthus argentatus
Plectranthus argentatus
Plectranthus argentatus
Acer calcaratum with unusual shaped leaves.
Acer calcaratum
Acer calcaratum
A cutting grown Camellia vernalis ‘Dawn’ in full flower in the greenhouse. The 1897 plant on the lawn will not be out before December if this is a normal year? So far a mild and wet start to November.
Camellia vernalis ‘Dawn’
Camellia vernalis ‘Dawn’
A new piece of cut yew to prop up the big leaf rhododendron at the start of Rookery Path. The old one (rhododendron) had split and collapse was imminent.
rhododendron
rhododendron
rhododendron
rhododendron
Fine autumn colour on Diospyros kaki.
Diospyros kaki
Diospyros kaki
Diospyros kaki
Diospyros kaki

2020 – CHW

Work well underway pruning the huge laurels below Sinogrande Walk.

laurels
laurels
I seem to have missed the best of the colours on Parrotia subaequalis.
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Camptotheca acuminata is another of those very rare new introductions which is described in New Trees. This was planted in 2007 and has had some dieback. It comes into new growth in the autumn as you can see here which can be its undoing. It is now about 15ft tall.
The tree has anti-cancer properties. Tregrehan did have a plant but New Trees records it as ‘fizzling out’ in a warm but dry location.
Camptotheca acuminata
Camptotheca acuminata
Camptotheca acuminata
Camptotheca acuminata
Camptotheca acuminata
Camptotheca acuminata
A couple of Nyssa trees not performing terribly well. The redder one is ‘Wisley Bonfire’.
Nyssa trees
Nyssa trees
Nice ripening seedpods on one of the old original (white) Rhododendron arboreums.
Rhododendron arboreums
Rhododendron arboreums
Rhododendron arboreums
Rhododendron arboreums
Jaimie has uplifted the lower branches on this quick growing Acacia cultriformis to give the camellias more room.
Acacia cultriformis
Acacia cultriformis
Hydrangea aspera subsp. robusta still looking good with its long lasting white flower heads.
Hydrangea aspera subsp. robusta
Hydrangea aspera subsp. robusta

2019 – CHW
I am puzzled by the autumn colours on Stewartia monodelpha in Kennel Close. Three plants are photographed here.

Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (1)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (1)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (1)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (2)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (2)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (2)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (3)
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha (3)
Stewartia monodelpha (3)
Stewartia monodelpha (3)
I need quite some persuading that we actually have three plants of the same species and that, perhaps, the first one is true and the other two are not or perhaps the first one is something else and the other two are correct? Stewartia pseudocamellia Koreana group is nearby and totally different. More work with keying these three out next year when they are in flower.
This is the excellent Stewartia henryae which is a cut above the autumn colours of any of the three supposed S. monodelpha above.
Stewartia henryae
Stewartia henryae
Stewartia henryae
Stewartia henryae
Stewartia henryae
Stewartia henryae

2018 – CHW
A new Camellia sasanqua ‘Showa no sakae’ in flower above the Auklandii Garden. Very serrated leaves and a good scent. This came from Stervinou nurseries in France a couple of years ago and is a welcome addition to the 25 or so different forms of Camellia sasanqua which we grow. Tregothnan have the best collection in an avenue along from the main house. Worth a trip to go and have a look if time permitted.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Showa no sakae’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Showa no sakae’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Showa no sakae’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Showa no sakae’

2017 – CHW
A few autumn colours to look for:Fine autumn colour as usual on Euonymus elatus. I am a week too late for its best.
Euonymus elatus
Euonymus elatus
Euonymus elatus
Euonymus elatus
Rosa roxburghii has still to turn colour properly and may not have a show this year. Very few hips.
Rosa roxburghii
Rosa roxburghii
Kalopanax septemlobus has a yellow carpet on the ground but plenty of green leaves too. A generally poor year for autumn colour as no cold mornings or frost yet.
Kalopanax septemlobus
Kalopanax septemlobus
Kalopanax septemlobus
Kalopanax septemlobus
Berberis wilsoniae has no autumn leaf tints yet but the berries are turning red. Plenty of berries only where the plant has access to full sunlight.
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae
Berberis wilsoniae

2016 – CHW
Cercis siliquastrum can have wonderful yellow autumn colour but not here today. It catches the west wind too much by Tin Garden.
Cercis siliquastrum
Cercis siliquastrum
Cercis siliquastrum
Cercis siliquastrum
The Ghent azalea clumps in Kennel Close have had a tidy up and their rabbit wires removed. Slow growing indeed.
Ghent azalea
Ghent azalea
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ is now exhibiting its orange twigs even more clearly than a fortnight ago. A fine plant now.
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Not sure what this multi-stemmed sorbus is either but there is a clump of four below Slip Rail. Another batch of Werrington seedlings I think and there may be another set of these below Magnolia JCW on the drive. Need to check.
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
multi-stemmed sorbus
Nearby Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ is turning purple at the top with odd yellow leaves at the bottom. The original plant here was stolen much to Lord Falmouth’s amusement when dad went to show it to him perhaps 30 to 35 years ago.
Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’
Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’
Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’
Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’
Azalea ‘Greenway’ has three pink buds. Often an odd out of season flower on this variety.
Azalea ‘Greenway’
Azalea ‘Greenway’

2015 – CHW
I have just missed the very best of the Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’) clump planted in 1913 and now Record Trees. I cannot decide if the spring new growth is more beautiful than the autumn colour. Both are more than impressive but may well soon be blown away.

Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ (now ‘Sango kaku’)
Rhododendron ‘Chink’ is having a go at an autumn second flowering but here only on one branch of this semi dwarf variety. Again the flowers, such as they are, seem darker than in the spring. This seems a common feature of second ‘comings’ and might make an interesting article one day for publication. Do rhodos second flower all over the country or just in milder climates? How many species exhibit this odd trait?
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’

1950 – CW
Pink Saluenensis hybrid in Big Quarry out and also Cam taliensis above Orchid House.

1934 – JCW
A daff or two shows its nose, much as in 1912.

1929 – JCW
The best Acers in the Drive near the Cattleshed are very good. A few lapagerias, some Camellia sasanqua. On most of the plants, a fine autumn for colour.

1912 – JCW
Very few daffs moving. Primula malacoides is nice. Camellia sasanqua a few on the big plant. Cyclamen leaves good, very little flower. Cassia good, lapagerias fair, roses several.

1907 – JCW
One of the Jonquil King A crosses is up in the Tin Garden. Camellia sasanqua buds have damped off. Papa Gontier remains quite nice. Lapagerias and cyclamen are good.