15th October

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

Callicarpa shirasawanum with berries and autumn colour.

Callicarpa shirasawanum
Callicarpa shirasawanum
These 3, now enormous, Philadelphus pekinensis were only planted in 2015.
Philadelphus pekinensis
Philadelphus pekinensis
This Deutzia x rosea ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’ has developed slowly after planting in 2020.
Deutzia x rosea ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’
Deutzia x rosea ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’
This Diospyros kaki was planted in 2013. A few hints of autumn colour.
Diospyros kaki
Diospyros kaki
Keteleeria davidiana making good progress and hosting a number of ladybirds.
Keteleeria davidiana
Keteleeria davidiana
Keteleeria davidiana
Keteleeria davidiana
Photinia parvifolia with its first berries.
Photinia parvifolia
Photinia parvifolia
Schinus molle growing on well.
Schinus molle
Schinus molle
Quercus franchetii with secondary new growth and an interesting trunk.
Quercus franchetii
Quercus franchetii
Quercus franchetii
Quercus franchetii
Quercus franchetii
Quercus franchetii
Photinia lasiogyna (P. nussia) a year after planting.
Photinia lasiogyna (P. nussia)
Photinia lasiogyna (P. nussia)
Carpinus shensiensis.
Carpinus shensiensis
Carpinus shensiensis
Podocarpus parlatorei with late secondary new growth.
Podocarpus parlatorei
Podocarpus parlatorei
Podocarpus lambertii far less vigorous.
Podocarpus lambertii
Podocarpus lambertii
Diospyros cathayensis.
Diospyros cathayensis
Diospyros cathayensis
Seeds from Magnolia globosa.
Magnolia globosa
Magnolia globosa
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ at its very best.
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
An extraordinary sight. Secondary flowers on a red flowered tree peony in October!
red flowered tree peony
red flowered tree peony


2022 – CHW

Rhododendron quinquefolium ‘Five Arrows’ with good autumn colour. I had not spotted this before.
Rhododendron quinquefolium ‘Five Arrows’
Rhododendron quinquefolium ‘Five Arrows’
Work complete on the tree surgery on the Pinus insignis with no damage to the tarmac on the drive and only minimal damage to nearby shrubs. Mostly the cut branches were lowered to the ground. A good job indeed by Treleaven Tree Services.
Work complete on the tree surgery
Work complete on the tree surgery
Work complete on the tree surgery
Work complete on the tree surgery
Work complete on the tree surgery
Work complete on the tree surgery
Mahonia x savilleana – clone 7 almost over.
Mahonia x savilleana
Mahonia x savilleana
One Schefflera delavayi splendidly out in flower. The other yet to show colour although in less shade then here.
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
The flower buds on Atherosperma moschata are not far off coming out.
Atherosperma moschata
Atherosperma moschata
Good post drought new growth on the very rare Rhododendron emarginatum (CW+T 6278)
Rhododendron emarginatum
Rhododendron emarginatum
Flower buds and a ripening seed pod on Polyspora longicarpa (WWJ 11604).
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
The first seed pods I have ever seen setting on Magnolia ‘Fairy Cream’.
Magnolia ‘Fairy Cream'
Magnolia ‘Fairy Cream’
Roe deer (antler) damage to the stem of a rhododendron. Infuriating!
Roe deer (antler) damage
Roe deer (antler) damage
Good late new growth to one Rhododendron nuttallii.
Rhododendron nuttallii
Rhododendron nuttallii
The record sized Osmanthus heterophyllus with many more autumn flowers than last year.
Osmanthus heterophyllus
Osmanthus heterophyllus

2021 – CHW
Sweet chestnut fruits low down on a tree with very small seeds. This has not stopped a squirrel making a pile of eaten ones.

Sweet chestnut fruits
Sweet chestnut fruits
Sweet chestnut fruits
Sweet chestnut fruits
Sweet chestnut fruits
Sweet chestnut fruits
Large numbers of blue seedpods nearly ripe on Decaisnea fargesii.
Decaisnea fargesii
Decaisnea fargesii
Decaisnea fargesii
Decaisnea fargesii
Vitex agnus-castus finally out in flower.
Vitex agnus-castus
Vitex agnus-castus
Vitex agnus-castus
Vitex agnus-castus
Colour on the most recent new growth on Carpinus tschonoskii.
Carpinus tschonoskii
Carpinus tschonoskii
Amazing leaves on Catalpa pulverulenta.
Catalpa pulverulenta
Catalpa pulverulenta

2020 – CHW

Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ still in full flower on the wall with a couple of buds still and some lower flowers dropping.
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’
Sorbus japonica covered in berries. When you look at them you could be forgiven for thinking that they were malus berries! Red fruits with brown spotting on them as you can see here when they are fully ripe. Quite a show today on this rare species which was planted in 2010.
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Sorbus japonica
Felt and batten now covers half the new roof at The Hovel. Soon dry enough inside to pour concrete for the base and working inside the building can start properly.
The Hovel
The Hovel
The very last and rather pathetic raspberry on Rubus tricolor.
Rubus tricolor
Rubus tricolor

2019 – CHW
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’ putting on a nice autumn show in the frames.
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’
Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’ has turned a lovely red too. Both are new oaks to go out shortly into Kennel Close.
Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’
Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’
Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’
Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’
Indigofera pendula was grown from seed given to us by Peter Moore. This seedling is already 6-8 feet tall with its first spectacular flower. Very vigorous but rather fragile.
Indigofera pendula
Indigofera pendula
Indigofera pendula
Indigofera pendula
The first cartload of plants for the newly cleared area above the Auklandii Garden. This is an extension to the Styrax and Stewartia planting undertaken 3 years ago now that the remaining large beech trees have been felled.
cartload of plants
cartload of plants
cartload of plants
cartload of plants
cartload of plants
cartload of plants
2018 – CHW
Podocarps aplenty on several bushes above Hovel Cart Road.
Podocarps
Podocarps
Podocarps
Podocarps
Quercus buckleyi with its extraordinary red new growth. Very eye catching today but risky indeed in an early frost.
Quercus buckleyi
Quercus buckleyi
Quercus buckleyi
Quercus buckleyi
A seed on a Magnolia grandiflora on the Top Wall which may, in time, contain viable seeds. Only after a hot summer is this magnolia ever likely to set seeds properly in our climate.
Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia grandiflora

2017 – CHW
The Cornwall construction industry training awards dinner at St Mellion golf club – KPK are awarded ‘builder of the year’. The less said about the ‘dinner’ the better!
Cornwall construction industry training awards
Cornwall construction industry training awards
At the dinner I purchase a picture of Ian Botham smoking a cigar in the changing rooms. The great man is here shortly for our charity dinner so I thought we could auction the picture again! If it does not make its reserve we can hang it for posterity at The Vean hopefully with another shot of Sir Ian ‘in repose’!
picture of Ian Botham
picture of Ian Botham

2016 – CHW
Only one unripe seed pod on the young Magnolia globosa. Probably its first ever and well worth Asia collecting in a couple of weeks. This magnolia species flowers in May to June so you would expect the seed to mature a little later than other species which flower much earlier in the year.
one unripe seed pod on the young Magnolia globosa
one unripe seed pod on the young Magnolia globosa
The clump of Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’ is full out at the Hovel turning. A secondary flowering of course (which is normal on this Caerhays hybrid) but I doubt it would ever look better in the spring!
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
A couple of seed pods from the magnolia seedling which the Queen Mother planted beside Georges Hut. Not good enough for a name but these very nearly ripe (and certainly gatherable) seed pods are much larger than any I collected last week. On reflection however they are still quite small and can be twice this length with far more seed in a good seeding year.
seed pods from the magnolia seedling which the Queen Mother planted
seed pods from the magnolia seedling which the Queen Mother planted
Despite all our other ongoing efforts I still managed to eliminate five squirrels today. Saw many more than this carrying off food (ie nuts, fruits and seeds – one with a whole Cornus kousa strawberry fruit in its mouth) in the afternoon sun. It is now a race against rodents rather than time to collect whatever seed is ripening.

2015 – CHW
A new Chinese species to Caerhays awaits planting next spring. Liquidamber acalycina only came to the UK in the early 1980s. It has easily recognisable large three lobed leaves but the autumn colour is still a bit hard to interpret. Said to be a very hardy and vigorous species which will need plenty of room in Kennel Close. Perhaps this liquidamber does not have exciting autumn colour? Time will tell.

Liquidamber acalycina
Liquidamber acalycina
Liquidamber acalycina
Liquidamber acalycina
Liquidamber acalycina
Liquidamber acalycina

1997 – FJW
Housemartins still here.

1959 – FJW
Flower full out on Camellia November Pink.

1950 – CW
Returned today from a very wet season at Glenquoich, same here and a bad harvest. Very good growing season. Yellow Hammer, Auriculatum and one Maddeni a lot of flowers, also Mag grandiflora. Camellia sasanqua outside stables past best. Others becoming nice. Cyclamen and fuchsias very good also lapagerias. Some daffodils up Sol d’Or on terrace 3 inches high.

1934 – JCW
Much as in 1933. Just as in 1933 and there is hardly a flower anywhere.

1933 – JCW
Hydrangea suffered from the lack of rain. Except on Mag delavayi and grandiflora. There are very few blooms. Cyclamen nice.

1931 – JCW
Back from Scotland, a very warm autumn, very little flower except fuchsias and lapagerias.

1919 – JCW
Good flowers on Mag delavayi and grandiflora very good. Hoheria is nice, very few rho’s open. Hydrangeas good, the cyclamen very good. Plants look fair in spite of no rain for August and September. No camellias show yet.

1928 – JCW
Magnolia delavayi has several nice flowers open. Clematis panniculata is good. Camellia sasanqua starts.

1923 – JCW
Very little flower bud on most rhodo’s. 3 big Argenteums dead. No camellias open. No Ericas but mauriana. A few lapagerias , one maddeni in flower a little.

1909 – JCW
No seedlings up in the pans. C panniculata and cyclamen very good. Solanum and lapagerias fair.

1905 – JCW
No seedling daffs up yet in pans or beds, excepting Polyanthus. No frost to cut things yet.

One thought on “15th October

  1. Chestnuts are typical foresttrees here; there are types with larger and smaller fruits, also comercial cultivars, some with only one fruit growing, this are called maroni/marones. The fruits on your tree are all deaf, not fertilized; it needs probably at least a second tree for cross-pollination. For many years already european chestnuts (and american) are plagued by disease like cancer and ink-disease. They killed some trees in my garden, but some are resprouting from the ground. Forest trees are less affected by cancer. Some forest-trees are also severly damaged or killed by drought on rocky soil (granite gravel here), but still the woods produce chestnuts to collect. It is a fast growing, tall tree with durable wood. There are also east asian species like crenata and mollissima which stay much smaller and produce also chestnuts. They are resistant to the beforementioned disease.

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