Even the clumps of Ghent Azaleas are now dying despite the recent mulching.

On a happier note Vitex agnus-castus is out.

Drought die back even on laurel new growth.

A now dead Rhododendron grande.

Severe leaf drop under the Rhododendron ‘Cornish Reds’.

Hedychium greenii? flowering better than ever before.

Hedychium gardnerianum in a pot in the yard.

2025 – CHW

The annual Game and Conservancy and Wildlife Trust clay shoot.

Lizzie got the presentation flowers.

Many many trophies and presentations.

Annie and Sheila read out the awards.

The ladies trophy.

The junior trophy.

Lizzie wins the scurry with Drummer and Buddy is third.

A good crowd for the prize giving.

2024 – CHW
A large rotten ash tree splits out on the road below Tregavarras and it takes the garden team all afternoon to clear the mess. We have had 2 Enforcement Notices from Cornwall Council in the last month to cut down tiny dead hedgerow trees. Strange how this all started after 4th July.

Jaimie is of the view that Hydrangea seemannii is doing too much damage to the pointing in the walls and battlements by the back arch. I fear it has to go and we will now rely on this climbing hydrangea growing up elderly trees.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ starting to turn pink.

Lithocarpus edulis was planted in 2017. Romping away now.

Lots of dark secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Genie’.

The very rare Quercus kiukiangensis shed all its leave in May but, at the time, I thought this not unusual. Now the tree is struggling into growth here and there with massive die back. I fear it will not recover. I have to blame the droughts as it is behaving exactly like the ancient Magnolia nitida which we saw recovering only a day or two ago.

Euonymus carnosus (NMWJ 14515) with seed heads.

2023 – CHW
The islands are the last bit of grass cutting for this year. No wasps nests this time.

Work progresses in the Rookery. A large bees nest has been disturbed so keep well clear!

Despite the recent deluge the drought has finished of Rhododendron pachysanthum.

Sorbus gonggashanica nearly leafless already.

Crataegus horrida is the first of the newly planted species to have ripe seed heads.

Myrceugenia var. paraguayensis now full out above Crinodendron Hedge.

Buddleia heliophila flowering for the first time here I suspect.

This cluster of 4 huge seed heads on Araucaria angustifolia are soon going to snap off the branch they are growing on.

2022 – CHW

Jamie’s new form squirrel traps on legs with 3 holes and 2 traps in each box. We can no longer source the Kania 2000 traps from New Zealand so have had to make up our own. The legs mean that the pheasents cannot stick their necks in to try and grab the nuts/ grain used as bait.

The water meadows have just been cut in preparation for the Charity Clay Shoot on Saturday.

Scaffolding goes up to paint the windows on the towers.

Compare these dry parkland pictures to 1976 and you can see that it isn’t as bad as then.

The lawn has greened up again after the relatively little rain which fell last week.

Eucryphia cordifolia full out.

The weakest of the 5 young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendours’ on the bank has partial leaf drop but the other 4 look well.

In our absence a huge branch has snapped off the Quercus ilex opposite the front door. No fires for a while yet!

A rather drought restricted performance by Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’.

2021 – CHW
A morning at Burncoose where a few new things have recently come back into stock.Abelia x grandiflora ‘Sunny Charms’ is one I had not seen in flower before.

Duranta erecta from Florida to Brazil is clearly a greenhouse plant which forms a bushy shrub or small tree. The yellow fruits look good too in the reference books.

Daphne x transatlantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’ scenting the air around the cash point.