10th September

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

Buddleja auriculata nicely out by the Hothead.

Buddleja auriculata
Buddleja auriculata
Buddleja auriculata
Buddleja auriculata
Buddleja auriculata
Buddleja auriculata
Wisteria seeds hang beside yew berries. This 100 year old white wisteria has colonised the yew tree above the front door. An inspired bit of planting.
Wisteria seeds
Wisteria seeds
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’ now well established by the Playhouse.
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’
Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’
Flowers and seed heads on Desmodium elegans.
Desmodium elegans
Desmodium elegans
Desmodium elegans
Desmodium elegans
Another picture of sea mist taken from the Isle Rose clearing. You can just make out the wedding tent.
sea mist
sea mist

2022 – CHW
To Burncoose to organise a large quotation for tree planting for a client next February.Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’ nicely out in flower and well protected in a tunnel form the usual threat of rabbits which adore Mahonia.

Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’
Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’
Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’
Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’
Ceratostigma willmottianum ‘Forest Blue’ has just finishing flowering but still a most attractive blue.
Ceratostigma willmottianum ‘Forest Blue’
Ceratostigma willmottianum ‘Forest Blue’
The Acer palmatum varieties imported from New Zealand in August are very poor this year. Although potted 3 weeks ago they have been pruned for the trip far too hard to be saleable plants for at least 24 months. Obvious die back in many stems already (or what is left of them) and only a very few are actually producing any new growth as yet.
Acer palmatum varieties
Acer palmatum varieties
Acer palmatum varieties
Acer palmatum varieties
Acer palmatum varieties
Acer palmatum varieties
Polianthes tuberosa (the single flowered form) beautifully in flower with gorgeous scent.
Polianthes tuberosa
Polianthes tuberosa
Viburnum odoratissimum with an odd secondary flower in a tunnel.
Viburnum odoratissimum
Viburnum odoratissimum
Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’ with ripe red seeds already dropping.
Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’
Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’
Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’
Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’
Secondary flowers also on Viburnum plicatum ‘Watanabe’.
Viburnum plicatum ‘Watanabe’
Viburnum plicatum ‘Watanabe’
Abeliophyllum distichum with plenty of flowers out although the leaves have hardly coloured up yet. Normally this plant flowers on bare stems in December/ January.
Abeliophyllum distichum
Abeliophyllum distichum

2021 – CHW
A few seed ripening on the elderly Enkianthus cernuus rubens.
Enkianthus cernuus rubens
Enkianthus cernuus rubens
More flowers on another Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’. A little paler than the proper ones in spring?
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’
Late new growth as usual on Camellia gigantocarpa.
Camellia gigantocarpa
Camellia gigantocarpa
Lithocarpus fenestratus is making good growth in a sheltered spot.
Lithocarpus fenestratus
Lithocarpus fenestratus
Seed heads again this year on Magnolia rostrata which will not be ripe for ages yet.
Magnolia rostrata
Magnolia rostrata
Deer damage from a roebuck to the stem of a small rhododendron. Do we really have to cage every plant with wire like this one now? Infuriating. A cull needed!
Deer damage
Deer damage
Deer damage
Deer damage
Mahonia savilleana still not properly out yet.
Mahonia savilleana
Mahonia savilleana
The young Manglietia (Magnolia) insignis which was so covered in flowers in late June / early July has dropped all its seed heads.
Manglietia (Magnolia) insignis
Manglietia (Magnolia) insignis
A young Magnolia thompsoniana doing well behind some rhododendrons with which it will soon be conflicting. My poor planting again!
Magnolia thompsoniana
Magnolia thompsoniana
Sorbus needhamii making good growth.
Sorbus needhamii
Sorbus needhamii

2020 – CHW
Visit to Burncoose to undertake the annual tree health survey.The restocked climber tunnel looks good. Unusual to see so many clematis out in September.
clematis
clematis
Small plants of Strelitzia reginae in full flower.
Strelitzia reginae
Strelitzia reginae
Strelitzia reginae
Strelitzia reginae
Still several flowers on Magnolia sieboldii.
Magnolia sieboldii
Magnolia sieboldii
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ is perhaps a week or 10 days later into full flower than the Caerhays trees.
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’
Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’
Good reshooting from the half fallen over and pollarded Eucryphia cordifolia.
Eucryphia cordifolia
Eucryphia cordifolia
The Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ which also fell over has been successfully pollarded, uprighted and tied into place.
Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’
Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’ dropping its many flowers into the pond.
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Pendula’
Aesculus turbiniata appears to be dying. This was once a gift from Squadron Leader George Witherwick who owned Trelean garden.
Aesculus turbiniata
Aesculus turbiniata
Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Strawberry’ with early autumnal colours or is it sickly? Not sure.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Strawberry’
Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Strawberry’

2019 – CHW
Time to take a look for seed for Asia to collect now or shortly and enjoy some early autumn colours in the late afternoon sun.Nyssa sinensis showing its first dark purple hues. Soon it will be purple all over.
Nyssa sinensis
Nyssa sinensis
Nyssa sinensis
Nyssa sinensis
Some newly peeled bark on Prunus serrula tibetica glows red in the sun. Wonderful!
Prunus serrula tibetica
Prunus serrula tibetica
Unusual shaped seed pods not yet quite ripe on Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’.
Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’
Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’
Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’
Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’
Likewise chubby seed pods on Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’. Well worth collecting shortly. Planted in 2013 and perhaps the first flowering this spring of this cross. Who knows what these seedlings might produce? Certainly worth a try.
Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’
Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’
Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’
Magnolia ‘Atlas’ x ‘Vulcan’

2018 – CHW
A planning meeting last Thursday for our Chelsea 2019 stand which will be themed on an alzheimers garden.Clerodendron bungei with a sucker flowering well in shade beside the Burncoose mist houses.
Clerodendron bungei
Clerodendron bungei
One of the wooden glasshouses used for propagation has been recovered in polythene with metal supports. This has cost £200 plus labour. About half what it has cost to point the structure every three years since it was erected in 1964.
wooden glasshouses
wooden glasshouses
wooden glasshouses
wooden glasshouses
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’ just starting to turn to its wonderful autumn colouring in the nursery.
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’
Cornus florida well on the way to autumn glory in early September and quite a sight today.
Cornus florida
Cornus florida
Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’ with large numbers of strawberry fruits after the dry summer. Some leaves have reverted to plain green on this large plant at the entrance to the Burncoose Garden.
Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’
Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’
Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’
Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’

2017 – CHW
Jaimie and his team have been cutting the trash on the islands. They came upon the swans’ nest with five addled eggs. The swans hatched off only two chicks but sadly only one has survived to near maturity.
grass cutting on the islands
grass cutting on the islands
The Caerhays ‘yacht’ tied up after completion of the grass cutting on the islands. A nasty job with lots of wasp nests. Some of the pampas grass clumps are flowering pink, some white. All the geese have gone which is good!
Caerhays ‘yacht’
Caerhays ‘yacht’

2016 – CHW
Hydrangea aspera subsp robusta outside the front gates is now fully out. The florets are a pure white and stand out well at a time when there is little colour in the garden and autumn is around the corner.
Hydrangea aspera subsp robusta
Hydrangea aspera subsp robusta
Hydrangea aspera subsp robusta
Hydrangea aspera subsp robusta
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group, conversely, is over. The flowers have faded to a dull pink here and gone brown elsewhere. This is a very variable plant in flower and most are short lived. Of the three mature plants from the 1990s above the Four in Hand only part of one still survives. Hydrangea sargentiana lives rather longer.
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group
One forgets just how attractive the leaf arrangement is on Ginko biloba even before the brilliant autumn yellowing. Just look at how intricately these leaves interrelate and combine together.
Ginko biloba
Ginko biloba
Ginko biloba
Ginko biloba

2015 – CHW
A group of three newly planted hypericum are flowering very late with oddly shaped light yellow flowers. It seems that this species will make quite a decent shrub in time.

hypericum
Hypericum
hypericum
Hypericum

Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’ has lovely yellow emerging new foliage in spring but its autumn hues are not at all bad either. Growing it in full sun seems to improve the colour of the foliage although, in the past, we always thought of metasequoias as bog plants to be planted near water. At Tregrehan they have actually planted three right in the lake and they are thriving.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’

2004 – FJW
Fairly wet early to mid August – fine first ten days of September until rain today.

1969 – FJW
Long dry spell finished – still 4 acres of corn out – garden does not look too dry.

1916 – JCW
The following rhodo’s are in flower – R flavidum, R hippophaeoides, R scintillans, R racemosum, R radicans, R fastigatum, and bits of flower are open on R decorum, R ungernii and R intricatum. The roses are very good indeed in the 3 beds.

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