12th March

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


2024 – CHW

Pam Hayward has come up with a name for the very early flowering orange (deciduous) azalea which grows on the drive here and, also, at Burncoose. We have never had any idea of a name and some years the well-established 80? year old clumps have actually flowered in January. Pam provides the name Azalea ‘Don Quixote’ which is a Knap-Hill bred variety and the synonym ‘Soho’.

Galle’s gigantic reference book on Azaleas lists pages of named Knap-Hill azaleas but not one named ‘Don Quixote’. Galle does list ‘Soho’ (page 229) but the description is ‘white with vivid red variations’.

While I can quite see that the ‘Don Quixote’ would be a good name for an azalea flowering absurdly out of season I am not sure that we have solved the puzzle yet? If you Google search the name Azalea ‘Don Quixote’ you come up with very little. The.jardins-du-monde.be site has a picture of a yellowish azalea with this name but the colours are nothing like the orange tones of our plants.

The Queen Mother’s 1984 planted magnolia by George’s Hut is looking very fine today just before it rained. Its more or less a pure M. sargentiana var. robusta seedling.

Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta seedling
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta seedling
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta seedling
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta seedling
2024 RHS Spring Flower Show.
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show
RHS Spring Flower Show

2023 – CHW
Decoration at the front door for the Gardening Weekend.
Decoration
Decoration
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ just out in the last couple of days.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x M. ‘J.C. Williams’
Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x M. ‘J.C. Williams’
Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x M. ‘J.C. Williams’
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth Holman’ now properly out.
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth Holman’
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth Holman’
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ just starting.
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’ with a single flower.
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x M. liliiflora ‘Holland Red’
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’ and some of the party enjoying the strong scent.
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’

2022 – CHW

A visit to Tregrehan:

Back at Caerhays.
Roy Lancaster and Mike Nelhams underneath Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’.

Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
John and Isla.
John and Isla
John and Isla
Lizzie and Sue Lancaster.
Lizzie and Sue Lancaster
Lizzie and Sue Lancaster
Michelia martinii has a gorgeous scent.
Michelia martinii
Michelia martinii
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
Camellia reticulata ‘Dr Clifford Parks’
The view from above Hovel Cart Road.
Hovel Cart Road
Hovel Cart Road

2021 – CHW
Off to Burncoose for a day of rather exciting pre year end planning and development meetings. I cannot ever remember being in the pleasurable position in the nursery of agreeing to spend £100k on new equipment in one day in 40 years in the business. After the pandemic we can afford it and the volume of business continues to grow while plant stocks run ever shorter and so much on our website is sadly ‘currently unavailable’.

I have written two website news items today. One seeking new staff for the nursery and one apologising for but explaining that it takes time to grow more plants to meet demand! The whole nursery industry is short of stock and garden centres are too.

We have improved our packing shed and computer systems in 12 months more than we could have expected to do over five to seven years.

All one can do is have a nice look at all our plant production coming on as we move into warmer weather in the spring. All these pictures are in the growing area of the nursery which the public do not see.

Agapanthus for the summer rush.

Agapanthus
Agapanthus
Lavenders aplenty recently potted and ready very soon.
Lavenders
Lavenders
A huge range of shrub liners now happily potted on – saleable from May.
shrub liners
shrub liners
shrub liners
shrub liners
The next crop of pittosporum varieties.
pittosporum
pittosporum
Plug liners now potted on – mainly herbaceous.
Plug liners
Plug liners
Plug liners
Plug liners
The climber growing tunnel with canes in place for the new growth.
climber growing tunnel
climber growing tunnel
climber growing tunnel
climber growing tunnel
Camellia and rhodo liners in their thousands ready to pot on.
Camellia and rhodo liners
Camellia and rhodo liners
Camellia and rhodo liners
Camellia and rhodo liners

The Burncoose magnolias in front of the house have been frosted but not as badly as I had anticipated, and yesterday’s gales have done no damage.

Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’ beside the house. As usual some flowers blown open and pale while others are a good ‘red.

Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’
Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’ on the Burncoose lawn. A few dead branches from last summer’s drought.
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
A fallen branch on a ‘curly’ sycamore beside the Burncoose lawn.
sycamore
sycamore

2020 – CHW
Jaimie and the team (now four) have been cutting furiously for the Rosemoor show on Saturday and trying to bring things indoors out of the hailstorms. The magnolia flowers are all individually wrapped in loo paper for the show and one of our (rather few) visitors remarked in a Covid free moment that this was clearly the reason for the spate of panic buying of soft tissue loo paper in Asda in St Austell.

our exhibits
our exhibits
magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers

Karol and I have been trying to work out why people are panic buying loo paper rather than food or aspirin. We could not think of a logical answer which made any sense. Meanwhile four or five group tours, Vean accommodation, holiday let cancellations today. The tip of a sad iceberg we all fear as the economy, tourism and business begin to shut down for the great coronavirus pandemic. The marketing team want a crisis meeting but what is there to say apart from the obvious?

After a very dull CLA forestry conference at Morval the sight of our exhibits is more cheerful. We seem to have entered every class in the show with two entries (no less) for the three sprays of magnolias which is the most difficult class to enter with perfect blooms.

magnolia flowers
magnolia flowers
Camellia edithae is a little known Chinese species with spear like leaves and double red flowers.
Camellia edithae
Camellia edithae
Camellia edithae
Camellia edithae
Camellia edithae
Camellia edithae
This is where visitors are supposed to pose with magnolias in the background to celebrate ‘Spring has Sprung’ in the Great Gardens of Cornwall this year. Not much chance of a real social media impact with so few people venturing out. The square needs moving anyway as this one is over.
‘Spring has Sprung’
‘Spring has Sprung’
‘Spring has Sprung’
‘Spring has Sprung’
A very fine Rhododendron cilpinense at the garden entrance perfect today.
Rhododendron cilpinense
Rhododendron cilpinense
Rhododendron cilpinense
Rhododendron cilpinense
I think this is Boquila trifoliata outside the back yard with buds and copious new growth appearing. It is supposed to flower in the autumn or winter but has perhaps been confused by the absence of a winter.
Boquila trifoliata
Boquila trifoliata
Boquila trifoliata
Boquila trifoliata
Magnolia ‘Cameo’ is one of Vance Hooper’s crosses from New Zealand (Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’ x Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’) and is brightening up outside the Magnolia Tea Rooms today.
Magnolia ‘Cameo’
Magnolia ‘Cameo’
Magnolia ‘Cameo’
Magnolia ‘Cameo’

2019 – CHW
Exciting new camellias and Michelias found in flower today. I am told that my daily diary entries are getting far too long and boring but, frankly, I find this all very exciting as the spring season really takes shape and do not give a ‘fig’ (no ‘u’ in fig!). As we spend hours placing out new things for planting in the garden this week this is the joy of the end result. With our high rainfall growth rates the ‘end result’ can come pretty quickly. The first day for many months that I can spend most of it ‘indulging’ in plants. Put up with it please if you can!Spanish bluebells now full out outside the front gate (in full leaf in the diary in January). An invasive species or so say the Remainers. Brexiteers may have a different view. At least they are not French!
Spanish bluebells
Spanish bluebells
Camellia ‘Primavera’ – new and a good double white japonica. Asia can propagate for the future I hope.
Camellia ‘Primavera’
Camellia ‘Primavera’
Camellia ‘Primavera’
Camellia ‘Primavera’
Camellia ‘Silver Ruffles’ – some flowers seem to have two centres. An even better double white japonica.
Camellia ‘Silver Ruffles’
Camellia ‘Silver Ruffles’
Camellia ‘Silver Ruffles’
Camellia ‘Silver Ruffles’
Camellia “Fire ‘n’ Ice” has been photographed in the diary once before. In the rain I may not have done it justice.
Camellia “Fire ‘n’ Ice”
Camellia “Fire ‘n’ Ice”
Camellia “Fire ‘n’ Ice”
Camellia “Fire ‘n’ Ice”
Camellia ‘Hooker’ – odd new name but some reticulata in the leaves. One must assume the explorer and not the reality? The French label just says ‘hybrid’.
Camellia ‘Hooker’
Camellia ‘Hooker’
Camellia ‘Hooker’
Camellia ‘Hooker’
I had thought that we had lost this rhododendron species but here is what I am pretty sure is Rhododendron scabrifolium above the top wall in shelter. From Windsor 40+ years ago. The other plants in the top of the garden have died of old age and were more pink in flower.
Rhododendron scabrifolium
Rhododendron scabrifolium
Rhododendron grande with a bit of Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ alongside by the greenhouses.
Rhododendron grande
Rhododendron grande
Camellia ‘Christmas Daffodil’ actually out in March and battered by the hail and rain.
Camellia ‘Christmas Daffodil’
Camellia ‘Christmas Daffodil’
Michelia (as I still insist it is) floribunda var. tonkinensis with its very first two flowers! We have tried this more than once but now succeeded in a very sheltered spot. Am I overcome at the sight? Sadly not really but it is a first for us.
Michelia (as I still insist it is) floribunda var. tonkinensis
Michelia (as I still insist it is) floribunda var. tonkinensis
A good red hybrid. Rather better than ‘Cornish Red’ and very near the original clump of Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’.
red hybrid
red hybrid
red hybrid
red hybrid
A newly planted (today) Podocarpus spinulosus which is a very welcome new addition to our national collection. I find a brief reference to this in ‘New Trees’ but I believe this was a gift from Doug Smith who also has a national collection.
Podocarpus spinulosus
Podocarpus spinulosus
The second flowering (that I have seen) of Michelia maudiae below Slip Rail. The ‘tree’ is now nearly 20ft tall and loads of buds this year. Last year it had just a few and all the leaves were battered off by The Beast. Is it better than M. floribunda var. tonkinensis? You decide!
Michelia maudiae
Michelia maudiae
Michelia maudiae
Michelia maudiae
Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’ tries to hide its flowers which face downwards.
Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’
Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’
Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’
Camellia ‘Ruby Wedding’
Rhododendron stenaulum (now Rhododendron moulmainense) out by the greenhouse. The old plant which we pruned hard after The Beast is recovering well in growth terms but has not flowers this year.
Rhododendron stenaulum
Rhododendron stenaulum
The first time I have seen proper flowers on Roy Lancaster’s Aucuba omeinsis. They are pretty special by Aucuba standards.
Aucuba omeinsis
Aucuba omeinsis
Aucuba omeinsis
Aucuba omeinsis
Fallen petals everywhere from Magnolia ‘Caerhays Philip’. Just look at the colours on either side. The gales a few days ago are to blame but what a carpet today!
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Philip’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Philip’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Philip’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Philip’
First very early flowers on Rhododendron veitchianum Cubittii Group.
Rhododendron veitchianum Cubittii Group
Rhododendron veitchianum Cubittii Group
Wonderful new growth on Pittosporum adaphniphylloides.
Pittosporum adaphniphylloides
Pittosporum adaphniphylloides
First flowering with us of Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’. About a dozen flowers and a columnar habit. It looks like a form of Magnolia sprengeri to me and is really well worth its place when you look at the colour combinations in the tepals. I cannot as yet find it in the reference books?
Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘JC Williams’ is showing great promise in its second flowering and certainly worthy of a name and registration. More pictures soon when it is not raining and is full out.
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘Felicity’ – this was named after Jeremy-Peter Hoblyn’s wife and grows by water at Lamellyn where we first saw it.
Magnolia ‘Felicity’
Magnolia ‘Felicity’
Lindera cercidifolia (now Lindera praetissima apparently) is now around 15ft tall and has sped on from looking ‘shrubby’ only a few years ago. Originally a Forrest introduction and rather good and worth growing now but still very rare as I investigate.
Lindera cercidifolia
Lindera cercidifolia
What a wonderful day in the garden! Buzzing with planting ideas for the future and also the planting mistakes which I have made over the years. Gardeners World were filming today but I was not required (thankfully).

2018 – CHW
A day of filming with a Chinese Film Crew making a TV programme for the Chinese about George Forrest’s plant hunting expeditions in Yunnan. We concentrate on camellias and avoid any mention of pillaging the country to fill the gardens of Western Europe! They were an efficient crew but this stuff is tedious and time consuming.Magnolia zenii is full out at last. Relatively undamaged by frost.

Magnolia zenii
Magnolia zenii
Oemleria cerasiformis now full out and nearly in leaf.
Oemleria cerasiformis
Oemleria cerasiformis
Rhododendron ‘Chink’ is now coming out perfectly well with no frost damage.
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Rhododendron ‘Chink’
Prunus ‘Kursar’ has come through the cold undamaged.
Prunus ‘Kursar’
Prunus ‘Kursar’
As has another Prunus ‘Okame’ with just the early flowers browned off.
Prunus ‘Okame’
Prunus ‘Okame’
Prunus ‘Okame’
Prunus ‘Okame’
Is the supposedly evergreen Carpinus Kawakamii really dead?! Don’t think so as the stems are still green. A ‘late autumn’ leaf fall?!
Carpinus Kawakamii
Carpinus Kawakamii
Carpinus Kawakamii
Carpinus Kawakamii
Symplocos dryophylla with rather bulbous and swelling flower buds which will soon be open.
Symplocos dryophylla
Symplocos dryophylla
Symplocos dryophylla
Symplocos dryophylla
Rhododendron calophytum now full out and fading to white.
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron moupinense on Burns Bank. A pinkish rather than pure white form.
Rhododendron moupinense
Rhododendron moupinense

2017 – CHW
A drab day here with heavy rain so here are some other plants from Rosemoor yesterday.

Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila – showing its bark to best effect.

Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp niptiophila
Lindera triloba – out more fully than last year. I fear our large plant below Slip Rail has died.
Lindera triloba
Lindera triloba
Lindera triloba
Lindera triloba
Ypsilandra thibetica better than I have ever seen it before. What an odd bulb? This will catch on and be a major seller.
Ypsilandra thibetica
Ypsilandra thibetica
Ypsilandra thibetica
Ypsilandra thibetica
Ypsilandra thibetica
Ypsilandra thibetica
Disanthus cercidifolius just coming into leaf. We must try planting this here again after three failures. It is very particular about its location.
Disanthus cercidifolius
Disanthus cercidifolius
Disanthus cercidifolius
Disanthus cercidifolius
A fine Fatsia polycarpa like the one here but without the spidery leaves of some newer wild collected forms which we saw in Devon nurseries a month ago.
Fatsia polycarpa
Fatsia polycarpa
Fatsia polycarpa
Fatsia polycarpa
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’ was full out and very fine. A weak plant though and hard to grow well.
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Daphne odora ‘Rebecca’
Pittosporum adaphniphilloides as a mature plant. We have just got this started here although it is listed in JCW’s notes and in the 1964 tree measuring records.
Pittosporum adaphniphilloides
Pittosporum adaphniphilloides
Pittosporum adaphniphilloides
Pittosporum adaphniphilloides
Azara microphylla was plastered in tiny flowers.
Azara microphylla
Azara microphylla
Azara microphylla
Azara microphylla
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’ – vulgar and disgusting perhaps but very saleable.
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Hebe ‘Heartthrob’
Phillyrea angustifolia – again plastered in tiny flowers and better than I have ever seen before.
Phillyrea angustifolia
Phillyrea angustifolia
Phillyrea angustifolia
Phillyrea angustifolia
Phillyrea angustifolia
Phillyrea angustifolia
Rhododendron ‘Praecox’ – a particularly good flowering form although completely deciduous here.
Rhododendron ‘Praecox’
Rhododendron ‘Praecox’
Rhododendron ‘Praecox’
Rhododendron ‘Praecox’
(Heather) Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ – easily the best thing today in the heather beds.
Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’
Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’
Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’
Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticlear’ in full flower.
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticlear’
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticlear’
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticlear’
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticlear’
Osmanthus burkwoodii – excellent in flower as a low clipped hedge.
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii
Osmanthus burkwoodii

2016 – CHW
First day of the RHS Rosemoor Early Spring Show at Rosemoor Gardens. After a frost the last two nights and the north wind this week exhibitors will be struggling to find perfect and un scorched blooms. Indeed they were! Jaimie and Michael plus Rob and Tim all spent six hours setting up on Friday and entering loads of classes. They work hard and do it well with great enthusiasm. An example to other public gardens who cannot be bothered to enter.Our three vases/sprays of magnolias in the main magnolia class looked magnificent when finished. They were this year:

Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ (Jaimie’s hybrid registered last year)

Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’

Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’ (the younger plant where the old ‘Diva’ grew)

Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’

Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’ (from below Slip Rail)

Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’
Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’
Fourth with Magnolia ‘Shirraz’ in the single vase/spray class. ‘Shirraz’ did not really fit with the shape of the other two.

Karol and I took up the (Chelsea) screen for the exhibition room yesterday with a rolling display of interviews and historical information about the foundation of the Rhododendron Society in 1916. There was also an exhibition of old manuscripts etc in a small cabinet and six display boards with copies of historic maps and pictures (plenty from Caerhays). John Marston, the Rhododendron Camellia & Magnolia Group Southwest chairman, in a huge state of excitement but Karol and I sneak off to take photographs in Rosemoor Gardens while there was enough light. There were more visitors at Caerhays Gardens today than at Rosemoor on Friday!Now on to the show itself today. Justin brings up some magnolias early on from Burncoose for a selling table and I give him a hand to set up. Justin is a natural salesman whose lack of plant knowledge is amply covered by his charm and ‘sales technique’ (bullshit). Not since Trevor Wright (insurance salesman who helped at Chelsea for 40 plus years) have we had anyone half as good. A joy to watch him operate.

The magnolia classes were all first (and in some cases also second/third) prize to Caerhays so we retained the magnolia cup which Jaimie received from David Millais, Rhododendron Camellia & Magnolia Group chairman. I think we may have given it to the show in the first place and we have held it ever since.

magnolia cup which Jaimie received from David Millais
magnolia cup which Jaimie received from David Millais

It was not a bad show considering the weather but not as good as previous years. Marwood Hill and Greenway Gardens won cups for camellias and shrubs and Barry Starling for Rhododendron vialli (tender and bright red). It is well run by the RHS and the Hayward sisters, Pam and Sally, for whom nothing is too much trouble.Good gossip in that Jaimie’s mate Harvey is to run Savill and Valley Gardens after Mark Flanagan’s untimely death. Bad gossip that Michael Heathcote-Amery died before his unique oak collection was properly transferred into a new trust at Chevithorne Manor to protect it.

2015 – CHW

Susanna van Veen CHW
Magnolia ‘Susanna van Veen’
MAGNOLIA Caerhays Belle
MAGNOLIA ‘Caerhays Belle’

Magnolia ‘Susanna van Veen’ superb above Crinodendron Hedge although only planted eight years ago. The same parentage as Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ and pretty much identical even though of New Zealand origin. Strange that this hybrid performs exactly the same in both the northern and southern hemispheres when so many others do not (eg ‘Vulcan’, ‘Lanarth’, ‘Ians Red’, ‘Genie’, ‘Red as’)

2002 – FJW
Mag J C Williams, (thanks to CHW’s efforts and skills) secured an F.C.C. Nice flower picked on Acacia longifolia.

2001 – FJW
Early Magnolias well out – a good new one above the wall.

1972 – FJW
Strong easterly wind. Mr Gore full out, also campbellii and robusta and mollicomata hybrids on Georges bank. Donkey Shoe robusta ½ out.


1945 – CW
Some frost and very dry as last year. Daffodils short but more than half out. Magnolia campbellii and some mollicomata almost good. Sargentiana robusta one at its best, Kobus in 40 Acres good and below Engine House. Denudata nearly at its best. Rho lutescens covered as it used to at Greenway. Reds, pink hybrids, Arboreum and single Camellias all at best. Perhaps our best weekend.1944 – CW
There has been a little frost for some weeks which has left things back. Magnolia campbellii good and a big Salicifolia. Sargentiana and Mollicomata both have flowers open but some a little brown – over 50 of the purpurescens quite perfect. Camellias (single) past their best. Daffodils small and want rain. Michelia superba coming out but a bit frosted.

1928 – JCW
Two nights of frost have cleared the big Kobus of bloom and every Rhodo on the place and there was a lot of bloom.

1925 – JCW
(Handwritten note attached to Garden Book page)
Rhodo’s open:
R obtusum
R spinuliferum +
R traense
R albrechtii +
R quinquefolium +
R irroratum o
R decorum +
R lutescens o
R argenteum
R primulinum
R scintillans +
R impeditum +
R hippophaeoides
R moupinense
R arboreum pink and white o
R sulfureum o
R mollicoma +
R raceosum o
R rireii o
R sutchuenense o
R scabrifolium o
R longistylum
R ciliatum
R dahuricum(+ = not open in 1930)
(o = out in 1964)

1918 – JCW
Camellias cuspidata and reticulata opening, some doubles open and the single white. The best Rhodo’s are sutchuenense going over, calophytum well open, barbatum going back, Rho reticulatum and fargesii nice and oleifolium perhaps the best of all. Early scarlets and yellows amongst the daffs are open.

1912 – JCW
Camellia reticulata has had odd flowers open for some days.

1903 – JCW
Seen Dawsons and Ludgvan, hardly anything ahead of us.

1900 – JCW
Some Italian, several Cernuus, most of the G Spur, nearly all the maximus. The first Pallidus P breaks colour.