2026 – CHW (images to follow)
Sad news – the curator of Logan Botanical Gardens, Richard Baines has been killed by a falling tree near his home.
The end of Magnolia ‘Theodora’ on the drive.
Another fallen oak tree above the new planting on the drive.
Dead bamboos set alight in Old Park.
A fallen sweet chestnut was blocking the bridge to the top moor.
The Beatrice Fleur Camillia sasanqua bank is looking good today and taking shape
Camellia sasanqua ‘Bonanza’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Elfin Rose’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hiryu’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Versicolor’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Mignonne’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Belinda’.
Quercus rubra with a little autumn colour.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ – a very large pure white.
2025 – CHW
No internet connection for 6 days! A lorry or a tractor hit the wire on a pole by Battery Walk. Quite why two Open Reach vans failed to find this on an earlier visit beggars belief.
Pruning of Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ to encourage it to reshoot and develop its wonderful red new growth. Before and after pictures.
Seeds on Magnolia rostrata still not ripe.
Autumn tints on a Stachyurus.
Slip Rail laurel clearance complete.
Malus prattii has got a bit scorched by the bonfire but should be fine.
Now for the rest of the laurel hedge below Slip Rail.
2024 – CHW
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ still with some colour near the top of the drive. What excellent value from this clump planted in 2009.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ still with some colour near the top of the drive. What excellent value from this clump planted in 2009.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Amber Glow’ just starting to perform on the drive. Metasequoia ‘Gold Rush’ has yet to get this far.
Acer palmatum ‘Inazuma’ catches the sun. With us this variety is best in the autumn.
Cornus kousa ‘Doubloon’ is also especially good today beside ‘Inazuma’.
Strangely, after what we have seen elsewhere, there are as yet no flowers on the record sized clump of Camellia x williamsii outside the front gate.
As usual a few rogue flowers showing colour at the very top of a nearby Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’.
The white Camellia sasanqua No. 2 now at its absolute best.
2023 – CHW
Hedychium coccineum flowers very late here. This is a Crug Farm form called ‘Was to Ziva’ which presumably refers to the site in which it was collected.
Hedychium coccineum flowers very late here. This is a Crug Farm form called ‘Was to Ziva’ which presumably refers to the site in which it was collected.
A bit of digger work here to do on the drive to prepare a decent sized new planting area for the spring.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Blush’ at its best just above Red Linney.
Jaimie has uplifted the Pseudopanax laetus near Donkey Shoe beside the ‘White Nun’s’.
The unnamed x williamsii camellias below Tin Garden are always a splendid early show and provide plenty of cut material for the church and house. A week ago nothing but, today, a decent show in the sun.
2022 – CHW
Daffodil planting in the Kitchen Garden last week (10,000 bulbs). Still a few more Malus varieties to arrive here before we can begin to set out the Malus planting plan based on ultimate size and shape etc.
Daffodil planting in the Kitchen Garden last week (10,000 bulbs). Still a few more Malus varieties to arrive here before we can begin to set out the Malus planting plan based on ultimate size and shape etc.
Azalea luteum and Cotoneaster franchetii in the sun below the tower.
A few secondary flowers on Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’.
5 new water butts for collecting and storing water in the garden for the next drought.
Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’ showing colour but no flowers out quite yet. A couple of days away from the start.
Several Rhododendron ‘Cornish Reds’ with plenty of secondary flower.
Camellia ‘Gay Border’ and wasps in the sun and showers.
2021 – CHW
The tail end of the flowers on Hydrangea sargentiana with massive slug and snail attacks on its skeleton leaves. Rather magnolia-like.
The tail end of the flowers on Hydrangea sargentiana with massive slug and snail attacks on its skeleton leaves. Rather magnolia-like.
The female flower cones are now even larger on Araucaria bidwillii. No sign of any male flowers so our tree is very probably a female.
Isla and Bea inspect the blueberries but the pheasants have eaten the lot already. The crab apples are not quite ripe either.
Serena, Katie and Neil with Lamorna strapped in for her first visit to the Isla Rose Plantation. All three grandchildren together!
