2021 – CHW
I forgot to mention that I last saw a swallow or a house martin here on 20th September. Our swallows in the dog kennel only fledged a very few days before that.
A small lead valley to replace above the Georgian Hall where we had a bad leak into the archive room in the spring.


Strangely a five minute radio interview with Radio Stoke about how to grow magnolias!
The Chinese state TV have sent us a copy of the film (in English) which they made, partly here, about Camellias (CGTN Signature Flowers of China 1). You can view it here (one hour) by clicking on https://s-url.cgtn.com/m/DefJAA. There are four other programmes in the series of Signature Flowers of China which cover rhododendrons, roses, chrysanthemums and paeonies.Work is proceeding apace at The Hovel. We have a site meeting with Bill Collings of W F Collings who is clearly ‘a character’.
Amazingly early though it is the first flowers on Rhododendron nobleanum. I would not expect these out until November. The two flowers may have been blown open prematurely in the wind as the colours are very pale.
Our tree felling in Dry Walls in nearing completion with quite a pile of firewood to go into the compound at Trewolla. It may be that it only gets moved out next spring as the forecast now is (at last) for some decent rain.
Amazingly the taller growing form of garlic which lives under the biggest Magnolia x veitchii is already showing above the ground. Staggeringly early I think. Normally it would not show until January.
A botanical trip of some duration around the garden with the youthful but hugely keen and knowledgeable James Garnett from the Botanic Gardens in Nantes. James is ‘one of us’ when it comes to rare trees and it will be interesting to observe his career which I suspect will be spectacular in the horticultural world. He went away with loads of seeds and cuttings and just a little wine.Lithocarpus pachyphyllus was laden with seed pods several of which had already dropped. We ought to sell a crop as substantive as this.
2015 – CHW
Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance Elliott’ has grown rampantly in a Camellia sasanqua on the castle wall. It will flower on until the first frosts and has been out for months already. Rather tougher and more vigorous than Passiflora caerulea and something to cherish although it comes from Brazil and Argentina.
2000 – FJW
Very wet September. Now turned to storms. No Sasanqua yet to be seen. Neighbours corn not cut yet. 50 years ago we would have left the harvest.
1940 – CW
Eucryphia mooreii very good and has been for a week. This year probably the finest harvest known for years but plants have suffered badly.