Magnolia dawsoniana and Ilex perado subsp. platyphylla.

A large oak log got away from Ross in the field above and rolled through the new Camellia sasanqua planting squashing at least two plants.

The sheep fence is back up and now the main trunk is the wrong side of it.

Another mess in Old Park burnt up but still a dangerous hanging tree further on.

The Bergenia by the front door is nicely out.

Two more owl boxes installed in the Derricks area.

2024 – CHW
Lots of new plants in flower today at Burncoose which we have not stocked before.Prunus nipponica var. kurilensis ‘Brilliant’ looking excellent in the nursery.

Mahonia x wagneri ‘Fireflame’ is new to the catalogue this year.

Pieris japonica ‘Bonfire’ just has a slight hint of pink in its buds but I assume the name refers to the very red new growth.

Grevillea ‘Fireworks’ – new and impressive. I have not seen this in flower before.

Cornus officinalis in flower in a pot which is unusual.

Acanthus mollis ‘Rue Ledan’ looks a dwarfer grower.

Clematis macropetala ‘Wesselton’ is an attractive blue.

Not quite out yet but an interesting colour is Clematis macropetala ‘Purple Spider’.

Magnolia ‘Pink Pyramid’ – first flowering in the nursery.

Magnolia ‘Purple Globe’.

Magnolia denudata ‘Purpurascens’.

Hydrangea obtusifolia (also known as Decumaria sinensis) in full flower with a rather odd and unpleasant scent.

Camellia cuttings callous up in peat free compost on the mist bench but most of the cuttings have failed or are dying as you can see here. Further proof that peat free and camellias is a non-starter!

A peat based compost ensures good rooting! Many thousands here.

Magnolia ‘Venus’ showing the mottling on the inside of the tepals which is so impressive.

Eucalyptus gunnii ‘Azura’ was new to the catalogue last year.

Eucalyptus pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’.

Still berries on Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ which is unusual for mid-March.

Lonicera kamtschatica in full flower and dripping in rain.

2023 – CHW
Unfortunately I was in bed with a lurgy but Jaimie and the team won 4 separate trophies at the Rosemoor Camellia Show over the weekend. We cut earlier in the week anticipating the wet and windy weather at the end of the week.Spring ornamental plants competitionAny three trees or shrubs of different genera in bloom
Acacia longifolia, Stachyurus lancifolia & Corylopsis spicata – 2nd

A tree or shrub in bloom
Prunus campanulatus ‘Felix Jury’ – 1st

Oemleria cerassiformis – 2nd

Any evergreen shrub
Araucaria angustifolia – 1st and the Alun Edwards memorial cup for best exhibit

Early Rhododendron competition

Any three species one truss of each
R. grande, arboreum & macabeanum – 2nd
Any species one truss
R. arboreum – 2nd

Any species one spray
R. moulmainense – 1st
R. arboreum – 2nd

Any species of falconera or grandia one truss
R. macabeanum – 2nd

Any species of triflora one spray
R. siderophyllum

Any hybrid one truss
R. Unknown – 2nd

Any tender species or hybrid one spray
R. ‘Maisie’ – 1st

Early Magnolia competition

Three different species, hybrids or cultivars in three vases
M. ‘Caerhays Belle’, M. ‘Philip Tregunna’ & M. ‘Lanarth’ (Seedling) – 1st and The Lamellen Cup for best exhibit

One species, hybrid or cultivar one vase
M. ‘Philip Tregunna’ – 1st
M. campbellii ‘Alba’ (Seedling) – 2nd

M. ‘Fairy White’

Single bloom any species, hybrid or cultivar
M. ‘Felix Jury’ – 1st and the Brother Vincent cup for best single bloom

M. ‘Valentines Torch’Three different Blooms
M. ‘Lanarth (New Zealand form), ‘Bishop peter’ & ‘Felix Jury’ – 1st

M. ‘Valentines Torch’, ‘Wakehurst’ & ‘Darjeeling’Single spray of Kobus, stellate or x loebneri species or hybrid
M ‘Wildcat’ – 1stCamellia competition
An arrangement of Camellias shown for effect – 1st

Any anemone or peony cultivar of Japonica one bloom
C. ‘Mark Allen’ – 3rd

Any three Reticulata species or hybrids one bloom of each
C. ‘William Hertrich’, ‘Lila Naff’ & ‘Royalty’ – 1st

Any Miniature one bloom
C. Lipstick – 1st

Any Reticulata species or hybrid one bloom
C. ‘Royalty’ – 1st & The Rosemoor award for best exhibit in Camellia classes

Three blooms of the same cultivar
C. ‘Dona Herzilia de Freitas Margalhaes’ – Highly Commended

Royal Horticultural First Class Certificates (FCC) were awarded to Magnolia ‘F.J. Williams’ and Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’.

Our other entries of camellias and Rhododendron ‘Maisie’ (AM) for awards did not receive any further commendation.

2022 – CHW

Camellia japonica ‘Kerguelen’ with its variegated foliage looking better than usual after winter. Only small flowers.

Camellia reticulata ‘Miss Tulare’ with even more enormous flowers than usual.

The yellow flowered Michelia floribunda (as we call it) out high up at about 60ft.

Camellia ‘Gay Baby’ just out.

Magnolia ‘Joe McDaniel’ flowering as well as I have ever seen it above the Crinodendron Hedge.

The unnamed deciduous azalea on the drive which is always out in February to March. Also one at Burncoose. No one has ever been able to name this.

Magnolia ‘Apollo’ out already. Normally April and one of the last New Zealand bred magnolias to flower.

Magnolia ‘Margaret Helen’ just coming out on the drive. The one on Hovel Cart Road is already nearly over.

First leaves showing on a sycamore by the drive fernery that I have seen this year.

2021 – CHW
Everything is rushing on in the warmth and sun. A day makes a huge difference as to what has popped open and if you do not explore daily you will miss many good things.Two 30-year-old plants of what I think are very probably Rhododendron monstroseanum. One is much darker than the other but, as you can see, the flowers fade.

A 20-25ft tall and upright growing Camellia reticulata ‘Buddha’ with blue sky behind it.

A very dark and much pinker form of Rhododendron ‘Crossbill’. Very good and worth propagating just above the Umbellularia californica and lying on its side as a plant (Asia to note please for propagation).

Got the light right to photograph Magnolia ‘Bishop Michael’ together with Magnolia campbellii alba in Rogers Quarry. Normally the bishop is over before alba is showing.

Magnolia ‘Hawk’ out on Burns Bank. Quite similar to Magnolia sprengeri diva really.

The best magnolia by far today is the just open Magnolia ‘Felix Jury’ on Burns Bank. We have two other plants, but this is the most sheltered.

Acacia cultriformis is now nearly full out.

Magnolias behind the castle today!

Camellia ‘Emperor of Russia’ with odd white flecking in some flowers. A very old variety but none the worse for that and late flowering.

Placing out the large rhododendrons from Rookery Nursery into their final planting positions. The huge root balls are carried by two people in an old sheet to avoid damaging the root balls. A job you can only do when the ground is fairly dry, and we normally do not find time to do this job until April. COVID has meant that these plants are in the ground a month earlier with more chance of rooting out quickly in case we get a dry time in May or June.

A Magnolia sargentiana ‘Blood Moon’ with a single flower. Nice enough but not as good or different as some argue.

Camellia reticulata ‘Debut’, a new one to us.

Camellia ‘Sweet Jane’ is really rather splendid. Another new variety from Stervinou.