Lizzie & Audrey Williams.

Gage Williams.

Robin and the speeches.

JPW and Giles Clotworthy.

At the nursery a secondary flowering on young plants of Magnolia soulangeana ‘Alba Superba’.

2025 – CHW

Hydrangea involucrata flowering in the greenhouse.

Eucryphia cordifolia just out.

Our new clump of Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’ making its first decent show.

A particularly dark Dierama by the Old Playhouse.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’ – the first flower to come out now turning pinkish.

Clethra peleoletii (FMWJ 13401) nicely in flower.

Ilex x meserveae ‘Casanova’.

2024 – CHW
Cudrania tricuspidata, now properly Maclura tricuspidata, the Chinese silkworm thorn, with its yellow fruits. I have never seen these before on our 2014 planted shrub.

Flower heads forming on Schefflera delavayi.

Rhododendron serotinum (6282) is remarkably similar to Rh. decorum and Rh. diaprepes but looking closely at the leaves and you see the reddish petioles. This was a gift from Tom Hudson.

Viburnum betulifolium has suddenly died.

Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ is not looking very well either. Honey fungus from a nearly beech stump I assume?

Hydrangea ‘Taube’.

Hydrangea ‘Joseph Banks’ was cut down to the ground last summer but still plenty of flower.

Hydrangea ‘Fireworks Blue’.

2023 – CHW
The striking pink form of Magnolia delavayi which Tom Hudson gave us 25 years ago. It has done well beside the Kitchen Garden and we must now propagate one to give back to Tom who has lost his original.

One gigantic puffball under shelter belt fir trees in Kennel Close. This is, I think, Calvatia gigantea. Something has been eating it – pheasants? Odd to see a puffball of any sort in July but, after a fortnight of rain on baked soil, all the fungi may get out of kilter and appear early?

Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’ with its secondary flowers which are an excellent colour.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ on Hovel Cart Road. We pruned 2 huge plants here 3 years ago but only one decided to reshoot.

You need to look closely to find the now nearly ripe seeds on the ancient Camellia sasanquas on the Castle wall.

Kitchen Garden now all cut and only 5 casualties amongst the 165 Malus planted in January. One group of 3 never sprouted so only 2 were drought deaths which is quite a surprise as we never got to watering any of them. Die back in only a couple more Jaimie reports. A pretty good result validating planting in January.

2022 – CHW

Another attempt to sort the Knapweeds outside the front door now that they are all full out and a delight on the new uncut backs.

I think this is Centaurea scabiosa or Greater Knapweed. One big clump on its own.

I think this is perhaps Centaura nigra ss. or Lesser Knapweed. Possibly the new species seen here by Colin French?

This may be Centaurea debauxii rather than nigra or it may be that my pictures above are a hybrid between the two or it may be that the whole lot are Centaurea debauxii based on the hairs around the scales on the seedhead?
I don’t think we have Centaurea jacea or Brown Knapweed in Cornwall.I am really not knowledgeable enough to sort this out.

Seed forms quickly on Styrax wilsonii only a month or so after the end of flowering.

Clethra monostachya nearly over on most flower panicles. The one below the ash pit is spreading in habit but this one more upright.

First flowers out on Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’ from the USA. A suckering and expanding clump.

Trees to fell next spring and camellias to clear for our new rhododendron planting area.

The Berberidopsis corallina which once grew on the fence around Orchard House Nursery bed was dug out but stray rooted suckers have grown up through the adjacent camellias where they now flower away nicely standing proud to the camellias.

Lomatia fraseri with its first flowering in the garden here. We now have 4 or 5 specimens of Lomatia here.

2021 – CHW
A wonderful night’s rain to refresh the garden after the earlier heatwave but strong winds have caused damage too.A large branch off a Magnolia campbellii seedling on the drive.

All the flowers blown off the Rhododendron ‘Harrow Hybrid’ on Hovel Cart Road.

Catalpa duclouxii blown over.

The supposedly pink Magnolia delavayi in flower by Georges Hut. A mere hint of pink as the bud opens.

Plenty of fat seeds on Styrax hookeri.

Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’ with a very late flush of secondary flower.

Rhododendron prunifolium just coming out.

This is the real and best pink form of Magnolia delavayi by the Kitchen Garden. Only fleetingly pink in bud as you can see.

Eucommia ulmoides growing away well beside it.

The first Eucryphia nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ blown open a week to 10 days earlier than normal.