7th May

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Not a single person to be seen in the garden on a glorious day with the scent of rhododendrons everywhere. Is woodland gardening now considered too colonial or unwoke to be of interest? In an early year like this there will not be much to see in a fortnight when the Chelsea Flower Show is then all over the BBC for a week and prompts people to think about their gardens.

Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ now in leaf below the tower.

Buddleja colvilei shooting from the base after being flattened by a fir branch. The two rhododendrons beside it are not looking so promising on the reshooting front.

The view below the 4-in-Hand and the Trewarthenick rhododendron hybrids performing well as usual.

First flowers on Rehderodendron macrocarpum beyond the Fernery.

A decent white flowered Rhododendron yunnanense to remember for cuttings below Hovel Cart Road.

Rhododendron’Mi Amor’ just out by George’s Hut. I forgot this yesterday on the ‘smellies’ tour.

Rhododendron ‘Moonstone’; a darker Exbury form than the one created here which I will photograph shortly.

Delighted to see Rhododendron rothschildii planted in 2010 finally performing. Beside it are Rhododendron eximiums which are very similar! (All bought in plants from Glendoick).

Our young replacement Schefflera macrophylla has started off well. Should we stake it to avoid another disaster? I think not!

I have again been too late to see Magnolia ‘Raven’ properly. Dwarf habit.

Magnolia ‘Flamingo’ still performing in Kennel Close.

Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ is another victim of cold or hail or wind while we were away. I doubt this plant will reshoot as all the new growth in like this.

Magnolia ‘First Love’ is new to us and certainly an unusual mix of colours (Area 27).

Magnolia ‘Illini Gold’ has been recommended as a very good yellow and indeed it is. Not pure yellow though. First time performer here (Area 27).

Crataegus chlorosarca flowering here for the first time and a very attractive species in flower it indeed is.

Rhododendron loderi ‘Pink Coral’ extends our range of named loderi forms.

As does Rhododendron ‘Helen’ which is, today, nearly over. So far all these new loderi plants are settling in well.

2023 – CHW
No coronation hangover and a gentle trip to look at new things. Another new plant to us and definitely one for Asia to propagate and Burncoose to sell is Olearia floribunda. Quite a show at a young age. It looks like a tree heather and comes from Tasmania. Growing now in the heat of the Isle Rose Plantation.

Carpinus betulus ‘Rockhampton Red’. It’s the autumn leaves which go red.

Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’ is one of my favourites which I first saw on a stable wall at Llanover garden in Momouthshire.

Malus hupehensis without that many flowers this year. It needed restaking and that is probably the reason.

Trochodendron aralioides – Taiwanese Form – in full flower and impressive. Burncoose now stocks this form as well as the commoner one.

Rhododendron makinoi – narrow leaf form in the old Orchid House Nursery bed.

Rhododendron wallichii (EX 20583) which I do not remember flowering before.

Rhodendron smirnowii has flowered before.

Rhodendron orbiculare – at last a young plant with large leave like our original Forrest collected species (now long dead) above the Main Quarry.

2022 – CHW
The echiums have taken over in the Lower Rockery.

Swallows in the Gunroom.

Magnolia ‘Honey Liz’ has an excellent flower out in Kennel Close and more to come. (M. acuminata subsp. cordata ‘Miss Honeybee’ x M. ‘Elizabeth’).

Rhododendron luteiflorum full out.

First flowering of the double flowered Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme Antoine Buchner’ on Hovel Cart Road.

New things in Higher Quarry Nursery bed to go out next spring.

Rhododendron ‘Tibet’ (Rh. ‘Bismark’ x Rh. williamsianum) – five plants.

Rhododendron ‘Bow Jingles’ – three plants.

Rhododendron augustinii ‘Exbury Form’ – extremely large flowers – five plants.

Rhododendron decorum (5882) with unusual pink stripes at the back of each flower in the trusses. A totally different take on Rh. decorum.

Then to Kennel Close to see what is new and interesting.

First flowering of Sorbus yuana Clone 1 (Roundabarrow).

Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’ – good name!

Carpinus heterophyllus ‘Quercifolia’ leafing up. Cannot trace this name in reference books?

Magnolia ‘Green Bee’ in bud and flower – just as good today as ‘Lois’?

Newly planted and new here is Viburnum ichangense.

Aesculus pavia ‘Atrosanguinea’ – a superb small growing tree.

First flowers out on Magnolia ‘Southern Belle’.

Impressive new growth on Abies spectabilis.

Populus wilsocarpa ‘Bolonii’ – I assume a cross between P. lasiocarpa (which it resembles) and P. wilsonii.

Magnolia ‘Maxine Merril’ is modest by comparison to other yellows.

Rhododendron kiusianum with the nice darker stripe in its clustered flowers. One to remember to propagate.

Rhododendron ovatum and its gorgeous new growth just out together.

2021 – CHW
A CASTANOPSIS hunt today. These are evergreen trees with (eventually) prickly fruits like those of a sweet chestnut.This 2008 planted tree is labelled Castanopsis chinensis. It is not evergreen as you would expect a Castanopsis to be. However, there is winter dieback again as the new growth struggles to come out 12-18” from the tips of last year’s twigs. The few old leaves on the ground do look like Castanopsis.

Next to it in slightly more wind exposure is Castanopsis sclerophylla (also 2008 planted). Also, leafless but with minimal dieback and its new growth is much further advanced. New Trees says that Castanopsis sclerophylla is better known by its synonym which is Castanopsis chinensis! So, the two plants may well be the same thing. In the US New Trees says C. sclerophylla has tolerated -9°C as an evergreen. Our plants may be rebelling against the cold east winds in February this year? It has been collected in China in broadleaved forests but at low altitudes of 200-1,000m above sea level.

This may explain the position of our two plants. New Trees (published 2009) says no trees in the UK then.

I now need to go and look at our fairly young Castanopsis sieboldii which came from Burncoose (via Sandeman Seeds in France as seedlings) and the nursery has had a few plants for sale since circa 2016/7. This certainly is an evergreen species with us as you can see.

To try to complete the Castanopsis collection here:This is apparently a veteran tree of Castanopsis orthacantha which Forrest collected in Yunnan (F26848 or F24758), so it is stated in New Trees although I have never heard this name before! We used to have Castanopsis cuspidata and Castanopsis concolor as veteran trees. I am never sure if this is cuspidata or another species. Philip Tregunna argued that we once had Castanopsis chrysophylla (today Chrysolepis chrysophylla) as a third species, but I have my doubts as this is a species originating from the USA rather than China.

This Castanopsis concolor was planted in 2001 and has tried unsuccessfully as yet to form prickly seedpods. A rabbit has had a go at the base of the trunk but could not get its teeth through the bark entirely.

2020 – CHW
Good heavens, a mobile phone app which can trace your movements and tell (as yet on the Isle of Wight only as a trial) where you are and who you have been near to to report your COVID symptoms. The Big Brother is watching fraternity and the civil liberties people will hate that and claim Chinese style state control.

All nonsense of course because your phone (when on) can be traced by the police and security services anyway as has been the case for some time. In theory they need a warrant to do so and some phones have upset the police when encrypted. Of course GCHQ has been tracking extremists on their phones for years presumably without a warrant. So what is actually new about all this?

Fortunately mobile phones largely do not work here, and not indoors without a good Wi-Fi connection, so we do not bother and will not be part of the government hoped for 60% signup to the new scheme by mobile phone owners. I wonder if the government will achieve that or if the conspiracy theorists will put many of us off?

On another tack the unions, and rail unions in particular, are not keen on any easing of lockdown and actually having to go back to work. None of the NHS sentiment here about carrying on and doing the job. They have enjoyed their time off and see no reason why that should not continue on full pay doing nothing. The trade unions are going to become even more irrelevant as forced redundancies and bankruptcy fears inflict every business. What can they realistically say to British Airways about the 12,000 redundancies? That is why lifting lockdown will not be good news for union members.

Jaimie has found another large stick insect on a jasmine. Not the first but perhaps earlier in the year than usual.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’ being blown about a bit in the wind so that it shows off the colour on the undersides of its leaves even better.

Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ nicely into pinkish leaf after the heavy rain.

Buddleia salvifolia full out. The clump is 15ft tall and equally as wide.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Zlatia’ has soft yellow leaves at first (as here) but they turn green later.

I am assuming this is the copper leaf coloured form of Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ so ‘Purpurea Asplenifolia’ I assume? Not listed in the new Hillier’s.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Asplenifolia’?

A young Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ at the top of the bank above the old dog kennels.

As last year a good sized flower on a Rhododendron sinogrande tucked away at the top of Old Park.

Immediately after a wet few days the bracken is leaping up.

I had not realised that we had another good clump of what looks very much like Rhododendron ‘Assaye’ in Old Park. Very fine today.

Rhododendron ambiguum (CFN 6056) is almost over.

Corylus avellana ‘Red Majestic’ just coming into leaf. Green shoots from below the graft to remove.

Although I planted this tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) about 30 years ago it has suffered from losing its leading shoots in gales over the years and has therefore become multi-stemmed.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck’, the green ‘pencil’ or ‘flame’ beech, was given to us by Trevor Green. Here it has reached 25-30ft.

Echium pininana blown over and uprooted in the east wind on Tuesday despite being in flower.

2019 – CHW

In our absence Jaimie has installed the two paths to the shed in Tin Garden. We have used chipped bark supplied to us by the tree surgeons trimming trees to facilitate the installation of fibre optic cable to 37 properties on the estate. Soon we too will have Superfast broadband with speeds of (hopefully) 70mbs rather than the current 2-4 which makes work with pictures on social media and our website so time consuming and difficult at the moment.

A granite post is also in place for the commemorative plaque to Dad.

2018 – CHW
A trip around the garden with some shooting friends and clients from St Tudy. No prizes for guessing which rhododendron we had to seek out!Rhododendron davidsonianum ‘Caerhays Pink’ at its best in the Auklandii Garden.

Rhododendron davidsonianum ‘Caerhays Pink’

Here is the more normal colour for comparison.

The second and proper spring flowering of Paulownia tomentosa ‘Lilacina’. A very gentle blue with a yellow throat.

Rhododendron williamsianum x callimorphum. Nicely pink in bud opening lighter.

Inflorescences on Acer henryi.

The true Enkianthus cernuus rubens with its anther and stamens showing below the bell which is the key distinctive feature of this species.

A striking clump of the double flowered Azalea ‘Melina’. New to us and superb.

Rhododendron rubiginosum ‘Ted Millais’ flowering for the first time.

As fine a blue as anyone could find! Rhododendron augustinii ‘Penheale Blue’.

Rhododendron zaleucum nearby is rather paler!

Rhododendron ‘Saint Tudy’ to complement the colour range and satisfy the guests. The plants in their garden have been chewed by rabbits up to 18in.

Rhododendron ‘Veryan Bay’. These plants are 12-15ft high, over-mature and on their last legs. Propagation urgent of this valuable Caerhays hybrid.

Rhododendron johnstoneanum; a fairly pale form.

Rhododendron ‘Nancor’, a dwarfish Caerhays hybrid coming into its own today.

Fallen petals galore under Camellia mathotiana ‘Alba’. Another Chelsea feature over.

2017 – CHW
Some gentle rain over the weekend but not enough!Fagus sylvatica ‘Aurea Pendula’ glowing with its new leaves. This tree was grown by Less & Co and once went to Chelsea. We pruned the nearby camellia last year to give it more room.

Styrax odoratissimus (veitchiorum) is now full out with its huge leaves. I started my article today on styrax so these pictures will be invaluable. Normally it is out and over during Chelsea week so I do not have good shots. Note how the original trunk has partially fallen to one side and new stems grew from the base.

Lithocarpus lepidocarpus is making progress with attractive red new growths.

Orchid House Nursery was emptied of plants in April. Now the digger has cleared the old fence. We plan no longer to use this as a rhodo nursery bed but extend the bed in the Rookery. Instead we will plant the very best rhododendron species here next spring.

The Taiwanese form of Trochodendron aralioides is very different to the Chinese version which we know well and have a record size tree. This plant, from a Crug collection, has grown exceptionally well.

My grandfather (A M Williams) bred this griersonianum cross called Rhododendron ‘May Day’. It was out on time! So heavy are its flowers that these shrubs are half collapsed.

Next door is the small growing Caerhays hybrid called Rhododendron ‘Nancor’. Sister to ‘Saffron Queen’ and named after a farm on the estate.

2016 – CHW

Evergreen Azalea winner Wisley show 2016

The centenary rhododendron show at Wisley was not as large as at Rosemoor but had a superb range of species. Caerhays won the evergreen azalea section with ‘Caerhays Lavender’ and Windsor won the centenary cup with a superb vase of Rhododendron schlippenbachii. Then onto the Wisley tour with the group led by Jim Gardiner. We looked at late flowering and yellow magnolias. Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’ and Magnolia ‘Phelan Bright’ were the best of what we saw. It is rather obvious how slowly trees in general grow on this poorish and very dry soil and we have to be thankful that our magnolias have a freer range to grow rather taller. We did see a nice Magnolia sargentiana which Jim said had been grown from a Caerhays scion.

Magnolia 'Phelan Bright' — Magnolia ‘Phelan Bright’

The best thing today at Wisley were the matsumae Japanese cherries. When will these become more widely available to the trade? The best we saw were:

Prunus matsumae – hayazaki

Prunus matsumae – yaemiyams

Prunus ‘Asagi’

Prunus ‘Ichiyo’

Prunus ‘Shizuka’

These would make a major impact on the drive and rival JCW’s purchase of cherries from Japan on Collingwood Ingram’s advice. I have yet to research all this but the Japanese names will be a torture and I see that the botanists have been ‘at it’ here too; Prunus ‘Shogetsu’ was formerly Prunus ‘Shimidsu’. Probably there are new books on cherries to discover.

Jim Gardiner recommended a new US book on magnolias by Andrew Bunting. It shows a Magnolia officinalis var biloba with bright red flowers. The Wisley plant we saw had large and very pale creamy flowers. Ours in Penvergate on Thursday was a nice pink but this appears to be a real red. Photoshop?Staying at the Runnymede on Thames hotel is far from dull. Every sort of activity beside the river which made us all look our age but the food was rather better than expected.

The best exhibits in the show yesterday were:

Rhododendron calophytum (a Keith Rushford collection with gorgeous striping – 142)

Rhododendron kesangiae

Rhododendron ‘Cornish Cross’

2015 – CHW
Election day. I suspect no other castle has a polling station in it. Under the Rabbit Warren infact with two lady returning officers who are going to be bored rigid by 10pm as there are only about 75 electors at Caerhays and a fair few have already voted soon after 7.30am. The liberal candidate (our current MP) had a surprising victory last time round with Tower Hamlets type allegations about the last few ballot boxes counted – or so it is rumoured. Thank heavens I am no longer High Sheriff and do not have to stay up all night to formally announce the result. I am corrected by the returning officer who says we have 146 electors and our area covers more than the parish of Caerhays.

Saint Tudy 1 — Rhododendron ‘Saint Tudy’

So we had better photograph something nice and blue – Rhododendron ‘Saint Tudy’(augustinii x impeditum) and hope for the best!

Nearby is Rhododendron ovatum; a rather insipid pink with nice bronze new growth. Perhaps a colour more reflective of the likely outcome. Less boring anyway than the political crap on the radio which I gave up listening to weeks ago.

Ok, let us balance things up! Three reds:

Rhodendron 'Halfdan Lem' — Rhodendron ‘Halfdan Lem’for the socialist and ooh and aah brigade

Rhodo oldhamii — Rhododendron oldhamii – nice hairy foliage

Rhodo neeriflorum 1 — Rhododendron neeriflorum – – used to be a huge clump of this which flowered much earlier than these new plants which are still only flowering sparsely.

To complete the election set here are two very yellow liberals (surprisingly perhaps) which were Caerhays bred.

Rhodo Michaels Pride 1 — Rhododendron ‘Michael’s Pride’
(burmanicum x dalhousiae)

Rhodo Saffron Queen 1 — Rhododendron ‘Saffron Queen’
(xanthostephanum x burmanicum)

Planted together they make a nice election poster but hopefully not the balance of power.

2004 – FJW
Fair amount of rain, but main falls have missed us and passed by on eastern side. Some good Big Leaved Rhodo’s flowering on Rookery Path.

1928 – JCW
Loder’s White as in 1926. No Factum. Mag Wilsonii ⅓ open. Mag nigra good. Not 6 pips of Maddeni hybrids to be seen. Some Azaleas good.

1926 – JCW
Loder’s White in the Rockery is by far the best thing now, Auklandii are nearly over. The first Factum opened 10 days ago, it is very fine indeed. Double Avium is open in the 40 Acres. Baileys Maddeni is nearly open.

1923 – JCW
Maddeni hybrids are at their best and have been nice for a month or more. Auklandii good but a short crop of flower. Azaleas starting but not much flower bud.

1912 – JCW
Auklandii have begun to wane, Mrs Butler lovely, Azaleas good, Clematis montana poor this year. Berberis stenophylla good. Falconeri really fine for the first time. Azalea amoena V.G.

1905 – JCW
Recurvas nearly all open, and picked my last seedling today, just about 1898.

1902 – JCW
Most of Recurvas open, but not the back bulbs.

1899 – JCW
Just at the above, I picked a pod of ripe Triandrus indoors. I have been moving a lot of seedling daffs.

1898 – JCW
Clematis montana well out, Maples at their best, P recurvas well open. Altaclarence open,Doronicums quite good, several I lortetti.

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

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