2023 – CHW
I have nearly missed Rhododendron emarginatum (CW & T6278).
A young Rhododendron arboreum dying after the drought.
Deer damage to a main stem on Rhododedron royalii with consequent reshooting.
Interesting that after the recent rain Rhododendron excellens (AC 5615) is producing more young new growth while still retaining a few viable seed heads.
Harvey Stephens 2015 gift of Mahonia savilleana has drought die back but also a few flower heads.
A rare secondary flower on a young Rhododendron ‘May Day’.
2022 – CHW
One limb twisted off our Maackia chinensis in the recent gale. When things are in full leaf and also drought tensile such damage is inevitable. Leaf litter everywhere under magnolias in the garden.
One limb twisted off our Maackia chinensis in the recent gale. When things are in full leaf and also drought tensile such damage is inevitable. Leaf litter everywhere under magnolias in the garden.
Autumn cut back Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’ after the drought. One survives and one dead.
One of the original Magnolia dawsoniana virtually defoliated in the drought. This tree has previously been pollarded to rejuvenate it as you can clearly see here.
A young Rhododendron sinogrande has survived but the yellowing in the older leaves is obvious drought stress. It should, however, be fine.
This is a huge, old branch near the ground on Michelia doltsopa which birds, animals and our dogs well know usually offers a drink. The first time there has been water in this cleft for 2 months.
The other half of the mature Gevuina avellana has been blown over in the gale.
Flower buds well formed on the Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’clump. It won’t be that long!
Even after half an inch of rain this young rhododendron is far from recovered. Some more rain every day this week the forecasters promise but we will see.
2021 – CHW
Daphnephyllum teysmannii (Japanese) with lots of new growth.
Late secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’.
Cornus controversa covered in fruits.
Still catkins on Salix fargesii on secondary or tertiary new growth.
Seed heads far from ripe yet on Magnolia obovata.
Podocarpus henkelii loaded with unripe podocarps.
Magnolia mollicomata with few seed heads and plenty of flower buds.
A huge clump of fungi on an exposed root of a now fallen beech tree.
2020 – CHW
Grass cutting nearly finished in Old Park.
Grass cutting nearly finished in Old Park.
Another set of fungi in Old Park to try to identify in my new book. Perhaps Hydropus floccipes.
Clethra pringleyi nicely out in the nursery.
Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’ making a good show. Larger flowers than the one in the garden here.
Vitex agnus castus just out. Our large plant near Slip Rail has still to show.
Acer campestre ‘Evenly Red’ showing autumn colour of no great note as yet.
Callicarpa kwangtungensis in full flower.
Sycoparrotia ‘Purple Haze’ just turning.
Diospyros lotus laden with fruit in a pot in the nursery. I have not seen this before.
Oxydendrum arboreum now out in flower. Slow to come out from when we last saw it.
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’ with great colour already and may drop soon in pots.
Weinmannia trichosperma in flower in the show tunnel. I think it normally flowers in the spring. I have seen it out at Tregothnan in May. It may actually be Weinmannia racemosa?
Sorbaria sorbifolia flowering late in the show tunnel.
2019 – CHW
Another Sorbus gonggashanica in Kennel Close with more developed and larger fruits than the one we looked at a week or so ago.
Another Sorbus gonggashanica in Kennel Close with more developed and larger fruits than the one we looked at a week or so ago.
Crataegus schraderiana with a few fruits more in the lee of the wind than in the face of it where the flowers were probably damaged in the spring. I have spent quite some time trying to find this plant recently as it is not with the rest of the Crataegus species in the new collection. About 5-6ft tall now with perhaps 30 to 40 fruits which are still far from ripe. I had a response in the diary a year ago from someone wanting to know about the fruits which I need to look up and now respond to. The leaves are downy and grey green. This species comes from Greece and the Crimea.
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’ is one of the most regular second flowerers of any magnolia but the slugs have not helped.
Aesculus woerlitzensis with just a few conkers. Asia propagated some of them last year when there was a bigger crop. Single conkers usually; occasionally doubles.
Acer campestre ‘Elsrijk’ is suckering hard from the roots but is making a fine tree. Planted in 2009 this Dutch named selection makes a conical feature tree as it is here.
Two Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’ with plenty of seeds just below Tin Garden. Worth Asia trying these as we might conceivably get a new hybrid from them.
Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’ still has just a few decent flowers left.
An even better secondary show on another clump of Rhododendron ‘Blue Tit’.
Viburnum rhytidophyllum now nearly full out but no butterflies feeding yet.
2018 – CHW
More pottering about in Kennel Close.Aesculus woerlitzensis has a few seed/conker pods swelling away. Asia may have grown some from seed last year.
More pottering about in Kennel Close.Aesculus woerlitzensis has a few seed/conker pods swelling away. Asia may have grown some from seed last year.
In a year when there are almost no magnolia seeds after The Beast a surprising find on a young Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’. Note ripe yet by any means.
Aesculus californica also has a few smallish seed pods as it did last year. For Asia to observe and collect when ripe.
Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’ with just a few fruits. The only one of our six new Crataegus species to fruit this year. Same reason as the magnolias!
Quercus mongolica has late new growth with smallish leaves while the older ones are huge in immaturity.
See how pathetic these Gunnera are after the drought albeit self-sown on a dry bank with no shade or water. Last year the leaves were 4-6ft tall.
2017 – CHW
Seed hunting in Kennel Close.Second flowers on Magnolia ‘Yakeo’. This seems to be normal as we have three youngish plants all flowering again hard!
Seed hunting in Kennel Close.Second flowers on Magnolia ‘Yakeo’. This seems to be normal as we have three youngish plants all flowering again hard!
Sorbus gonggashonica with berries. We may have seen the first seeds last year? What a name!
Sorbus commixta aff. var. sachalinensis with bright red-orange berries hidden within the tree. Only 10 years from planting.
Crataegus schraderiana ‘Fire Ball’ with its first berries. The only one of the half dozen new species of crataegus to produce berries since planted two years ago.
Sorbus japonica with fruits forming amid the silvery leaves. Odd colour to the fruit but I expect it will change although most leaves have already fallen.
Sorbus unknown on planting plan. Seems familiar in leaf form?
Aesculus woerlitzensis with conkers nearly all in pairs only at the top of the old flower stalks. Well worth Asia collecting in a couple of weeks. Oddly shaped and coloured too. I am not sure if I got pictures of this new species (to us) in flower? Slow growing but seeding at a very young age. Very rare and not in Hillier’s.
2016 – CHW
We travel to look at magnolias in Old Park and Forty Acres and are in for a few nice surprises: Magnolia sieboldii still has tail end flowers although there are seed pods set and turning a ripe pink on the same young plant. Extraordinary.
We travel to look at magnolias in Old Park and Forty Acres and are in for a few nice surprises: Magnolia sieboldii still has tail end flowers although there are seed pods set and turning a ripe pink on the same young plant. Extraordinary.
Two zanthoxylum species with an attractive display of fruit. The smaller one may be Zanthoxylum simulans. Horrid prickles.
Tilia henryana just coming out in Penvergate. Plastered in flower. However the plant on the drive has none this year.
Stewartia pteropetiolata covered in seedpods alongside a fine Stewartia rostrata which was covered too.
Magnolia officionalis biloba, which flowers in March, has several small secondary reddish flowers alongside one huge seedpod. I have never seen secondary flowering on this species before.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Fever’ has many pleasant secondary yellow flowers on its new growth. Some seem larger than the spring ones in size. Again a first for me. Alongside the elderly Magnolia soulangeanas here have plenty of secondary flowers but this is normal!
2015 – CHW
Two young clumps of Rhododendron ‘Blue Tit’ have secondary autumn flowers which are sparse but still attractive albeit a much paler colour than in the spring. This brings our tally of second time flowering rhodos to four with plenty of time for more.
Two young clumps of Rhododendron ‘Blue Tit’ have secondary autumn flowers which are sparse but still attractive albeit a much paler colour than in the spring. This brings our tally of second time flowering rhodos to four with plenty of time for more.
A good crop of seeds on Camellia ‘Leonard Messel’ which are worth harvesting since the plant grows alongside a nice clump of wild form Camellia reticulatas (?1931 planting) one of which is as near red as any I have seen. I have an article on Burncoose about propagating Camellia seeds.
1991 – FJW
All harvest in – yield as good as we have ever had.
1989 – FJW
Still very very dry and no rain forecast. Bad weather has come from north over Scotland and peetered out.
1978 – FJW
All grain in – yield good.
1968 – FJW
All grain in.
1967 – FJW
Charles had first shots with airgun at a tin – 2 hits / 3.
1964 – FJW
Definite signs of drought – young firs (1 by Green Gate, 1 Penvergate) seem dead. Leaf ripped off magnolias – Soulangeana Penvergate (furthest plant) has many flowers.
Hi there, I was wondering what has been your experience with the Crataegus schraderiana fruit? Does it taste good? I Live in Australia and would like to buy some seeds if possible.
Thank you
Marcus
Sadly after our drought summer there are no fruits this year on C. schraderiana.
It is a young plant which only had its first few fruits last autumn.
I will try to remember next year!
Charles
Hi Charles,
Thanks for your reply. Wishing that you all get some relief from your summer heat. We’ve had some issues with drought down here too, there has been extended drought in much of the East and it has been quite hard on many of our farmers.
All the best,
Marcus