19th 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

I may have seen a swallow in Caerhays Barton Yard but unable to verify in the rain.

Why is this plant of Quercus phellos evergreen whereas the other two here are not? I guess because this isn’t Quercus phellos but actually Quercus myrsinifolia? (This is the oak just by the lower gate post at the entrance to White Styles).

Quercus phellos
Quercus phellos
Prunus ‘Snow Showers’ has a wonderful weeping habit and is just getting going in Kitchen Garden. We still need to replace the two weeping willows that used to grow here.
Prunus ‘Snow Showers’
Prunus ‘Snow Showers’
Another newly planted Lunaplant import flowering for the first time. This is Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’. Not terribly green really even in bud and not so different from M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’ which was called M. ‘Sunrise’ originally here. I need to go and look at the mature plant at the top of Burns Bank and see if there really is a difference?
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’
The equally new Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’ is now full out. Still small, immature flowers but the marbling is now evident. This is an excellent new variety.
Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’
Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’

Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’

Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’
Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’
Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’
Magnolia ‘Miss Marble’
A young Magnolia ‘Avalon’ with just one small flower as yet. Not exactly like the other 2 we have which are from the same cross and may or may not actually be ‘Avalon’.
Magnolia ‘Avalon’
Magnolia ‘Avalon’
Suddenly the Spanish bluebells are out. Saw nothing yesterday.
Spanish bluebells
Spanish bluebells
I can see no difference whatsoever between what we have always called Magnolia ‘Sunrise’ but now, apparently, correctly named as M. cylindrica ‘Lu Xing’. The Magnolia Society International Register now comes into its own. I discover that Magnolia ‘Green Diamond’ is another name for ‘Lu Xing’. The name ‘Sunrise’ was used against the wishes of the introducer and therefore is no longer a recognised name. Nor is ‘Green Diamond’ an accepted name either. Clearly we have just been sold a dud and taken in by a supposedly ‘new’ name!
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
M. cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’
Stachyurus macrocarpus (BSWJ 14678) flowering properly behind its deer protection. Roe deer seem to adore all species of Stachyurus.
Stachyurus macrocarpus (BSWJ 14678)
Stachyurus macrocarpus (BSWJ 14678)
Flowers on a young Osmanthus suavis.
Osmanthus suavis
Osmanthus suavis
Rehderodendron indochinense (BSWJ 12115) now flowering profusely well before the leaves appear. Buds in lower branches opening before those higher up.
Rehderodendron indochinense (BSWJ 12115)
Rehderodendron indochinense (BSWJ 12115)

2023 – CHW
The Cornwall Air Ambulance lunch here for 25 people (& garden tour) sponsored by St James’s Place.
Cornwall Air Ambulance lunch
Cornwall Air Ambulance lunch
Jaimie’s Rhododendron ‘Maisie’.
Jaimie’s Rhododendron ‘Maisie’
Jaimie’s Rhododendron ‘Maisie’
The view from Donkey Shoe back towards the Ririei Opening.
view from Donkey Shoe
view from Donkey Shoe
Fallen petals under Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ (NZ form).
Fallen petals under Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Fallen petals under Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Camellia x willaimsii ‘Caerhays’ on Burns Bank.
Camellia x willaimsii ‘Caerhays’
Camellia x willaimsii ‘Caerhays’
M. cylindrica x M. campbelli ‘Darjeeling’ flowering for the first time.
M. cylindrica x M. campbelli ‘Darjeeling’
M. cylindrica x M. campbelli ‘Darjeeling’
Laying in the new water pipe (and tank) above the greenhouse to give us free water from our own spring below the church.
Laying in the new water pipe
Laying in the new water pipe
A new young Magnolia kobus ‘Isis’ battered by the wind. Is this really any different to M. kobus borealis?
Magnolia Kobus ‘Isis’
Magnolia Kobus ‘Isis’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’
Camellia reticulata ‘Fiesta Grande’ in its third year of flowering after planting.
Camellia reticulata ‘Fiesta Grande’
Camellia reticulata ‘Fiesta Grande’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’ flowering properly here for the first time and a very dark colour.
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia sprengeri ‘Westonbirt’
Magnolia campbelli ‘Trelissick’ is not quite pure white.
Magnolia campbelli ‘Trelissick’
Magnolia campbelli ‘Trelissick’
The hybrid of ours on the drive which was made by PCT but we have lost the records. We can never decide if its good enough to name.
The hybrid of ours
The hybrid of ours
The hybrid of ours
The hybrid of ours
A carpet of fallen flowers under Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’.
carpet of fallen flowers
carpet of fallen flowers

2022 – CHW

A cold east wind is not doing the magnolias any favours for the impending visit of 31 RHS Fellows next week who are staying here for their tour of Cornish gardens.

Hot news from the propagation department and Cressy Knuckey. The Freylinia cuttings are growing roots after only 10 to 12 days in the hydroponic propagator.

Freylinia
Freylinia
Here are four of Jaimie’s pictures of the first flowers on his new magnolia cross which we hope to register and name next year as Magnolia ‘Leonora’ after my aunt whose 80th birthday it was when it first flowered.
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia ‘Leonora’
Magnolia x veitchii grown from seed from Chollipo Arboretum in Korea above the Green Gate is already making a major show.
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Tony Shilling’ in the Rookery.
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Tony Shilling’
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Tony Shilling’
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Pegasus’ very splendid in the sun.
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Pegasus’
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Pegasus’
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Pegasus’
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Pegasus’
Two of the three Michelia doltsopa seedlings above the camellia foliage plantation are flowering well but with very different sized flowers and leaves. Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’ has clearly crossed up with the first one but not the second.
Michelia doltsopa seedlings
Michelia doltsopa seedlings
Michelia doltsopa seedlings
Michelia doltsopa seedlings
A good Rhododendron macabeanum seedling below Rookery Gate Path.
Rhododendron macabeanum seedling
Rhododendron macabeanum seedling
Rhododendron ciliicalyx just out.
Rhododendron ciliicalyx
Rhododendron ciliicalyx
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ at its best.
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’

2021 – CHW
A quick trip to Burncoose to get quotes from tree surgeons for work at The Copper House.

Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’ alongside Rhododendron ‘Wine and Roses’ at the cash point.

Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’ alongside Rhododendron ‘Wine and Roses’
Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’ alongside Rhododendron ‘Wine and Roses’
A flower just coming out on Magnolia ‘Venus’ in a tunnel.
Magnolia ‘Venus’
Magnolia ‘Venus’
Parriotopsis jacquemontiana in flower – such as it is.
Parriotopsis jacquemontiana
Parriotopsis jacquemontiana
A new variety for us – Leucodendron ‘Burgundy Sunset’ with its very dark foliage.
Leucodendron ‘Burgundy Sunset’
Leucodendron ‘Burgundy Sunset’
One always thinks of spiraeas as summer flowering but Spiraea thunbergii is just coming out now.
Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii
Spiraea thunbergii
Mukdenia rossii ‘Karasuba’ just into flower which I had not seen before.
Mukdenia rossii ‘Karasuba’
Mukdenia rossii ‘Karasuba’
A magnificent Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ at the garden entrance from the nursery.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’
And alongside it an equally fine Magnolia ‘JC Williams’.
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
Magnolia ‘JC Williams’
A well grown young Rhododendron calophytum on the opposite side of the drive. About eight years from planting out here.
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Purple and white forms of Primula denticulata side by side.
Primula denticulata
Primula denticulata
Mike Chegwidden clearing the base for a new additional water tank above the borehole with a mini digger.
Mike Chegwidden
Mike Chegwidden

2020 – CHW
A day at Burncoose where I photographed a few plants which have just gone live on the website. Mail order orders continue (thankfully) to flow so we have not had to make any layoffs although a few elderly or pregnant staff are, quite rightly, staying away. I find common sense not panic under Andrew and Steve’s wise and careful management. Richard has the accounts well under control and we are still paying our suppliers as we would have hoped to do in a normal spring.Pachyphragma macrophylla – long leaf wax flower.
Pachyphragma macrophylla
Pachyphragma macrophylla
Eriostemon myoporoides
Eriostemon myoporoides
Eriostemon myoporoides
Eriostemon myoporoides
Eriostemon myoporoides
Magnolia maudiae (Michelia maudiae)
Magnolia maudiae
Magnolia maudiae
Calothamnus quadrifolius – one-sided bottlebrush.
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Calothamnus quadrifolius
Agathosma capensis – aniseed buchu – highly scented foliage.
Agathosma capensis
Agathosma capensis
Phylica arborea – island cape myrtle.
Phylica arborea
Phylica arborea
Phylica arborea
Phylica arborea
Phylica arborea
Phylica arborea
Tristanopsis lauriana – water gum, kanooka.
Tristanopsis lauriana
Tristanopsis lauriana
Tristanopsis lauriana
Tristanopsis lauriana
These plants are mainly new and unknown to me and I will enjoy learning about them, seeing them flower, and perform later in the year.
A last flower on Magnolia campbellii ‘Betty Jessel’ at the garden entrance.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Betty Jessel’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Betty Jessel’
Rhododendron ‘Emma Williams’ is semi deciduous but looking a good colour today. Not too bad for a former wife!
Rhododendron ‘Emma Williams’
Rhododendron ‘Emma Williams’
Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chyverton Red’ on the drive is now, finally, flowering rather well after many years of sparse underperforming.
Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chyverton Red’
Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chyverton Red’
Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chyverton Red’
Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chyverton Red’
Two sick scots pine have been dismantled by the KPK offices (our building business).
scots pine
scots pine
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’ beside the KPK offices was planted in circa 1990.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’
The very rare and little known Magnolia macclurei flowering again, albeit sparsely, on the drive. Perhaps the first UK flowering of this species was four or so years ago here.
Magnolia macclurei
Magnolia macclurei
Magnolia macclurei
Magnolia macclurei
Rhododendron valentinianum full out; also on the drive.
Rhododendron valentinianum
Rhododendron valentinianum
Rhododendron valentinianum
Rhododendron valentinianum
Rhododendron bauhiniiflorum in a similar state nearby.
Rhododendron bauhiniiflorum
Rhododendron bauhiniiflorum
Rhododendron bauhiniiflorum
Rhododendron bauhiniiflorum
To end the day we had a (regular) Burncoose staff meeting where nobody coughed and absolutely nobody smoked despite all being outside (untrue!). I told them that BBC were reporting that the army was moving onto the streets of London but Boris has delayed shutting down the capital as we later gathered. About 20 staff turned up while some manned the phones and the landscape team unsurprisingly ‘no show’ as they are flat out trying to catch up on work after months of rain. My brother has moved all his family from London to Burncoose House where they were all working. Good job we have fast fibre to the premises now! His youngest, Tom, is having A-level lessons online throughout the day. Food deliveries for our elderly neighbours and former staff in hand. A war footing, as Boris says, but when will he take state control of and nationalise the BBC to stop them pumping out hysteria which is forcing the economic shutdown. We all do not want to be shut down!
Burncoose staff meeting
Burncoose staff meeting
On a more cheerful note KPK take a new photograph of the three directors and part of our current office team for their new improved website (with magnolias and rhodos behind us). I am not wearing the correct KPK logo clothing of course! The building business (circa 25 staff) is holding up but we are being prevented from working on some small ticket jobs in public places (hospitals and the university). Conversely, now that the schools are shut, summer work on school premises may well be brought forward. A meeting with the county council education department on Monday.
KPK
KPK
KPK
KPK

2019 – CHW
Some wonderful flowers on Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlase’ which is genuinely bicoloured in the same way as Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’. I see that there is a picture of Peter holding identical flowers in Jim Gardiner’s book on magnolias. Strangely it is the very last of the campbellii forms to flower with us and well out after all the others. It is growing within the teeth of the wind, facing north, which makes this even more surprising. A really excellent plant that ought to be more widely propagated.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlase’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlase’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlase’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlase’
In the rain: Rhododendron fargesii full out.
Rhododendron fargesii
Rhododendron fargesii
Rhododendron fargesii
Rhododendron fargesii
Rhododendron lutescens just emerging.
Rhododendron lutescens
Rhododendron lutescens

2018 – CHW
More heavy snow overnight. About 4-5in. The main A30 road out of Cornwall is shut for 50 miles from Bodmin to Exeter with 91 cars stranded at Okehampton. Chaos again!We had expected 106 people from Bexley on a house tour but, unsurprisingly, they have rescheduled. This gives us more time to lay the druggets and ropes for house tours which was threatening to be a rush after the gardening weekend.A radio interview about the VMH and Isla Rose Plantation at Radio Cornwall.On my return from Truro the snow had nearly all gone.
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone
snow had nearly all gone

2017 – CHW
The tour party visits Tregothnan for a very jolly trip around the arboretum and (of course) drinks in front of the house.

Acer pygnanthum in flower. Not seen before.

Acer pygnanthum
Acer pygnanthum
A very fine Rhododendron sinogrande near the ponds. See the colours in the individual flowers within the truss.
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Very early flower on Embothrium coccineum.
Embothrium coccineum
Embothrium coccineum
Magnolia ‘Marj Grossler’ – an American hybrid was superb. We eventually found it in the reference books as from Michigan.
Magnolia ‘Marj Grossler’
Magnolia ‘Marj Grossler’

2016 – CHW (photos to follow)
A chaotic gardening day with our weekend guests including the Stephenson Clarkes from Borde Hill and Koen Camelbeke from Arboretum Wespelaar who combined with a party from Tregothnan (am) and the Carew Poles (pm). The Carew Pole party included Tom Hudson, Maurice Foster and Jaimie Compton. So a plethora of horticultural experts to contend with and five and a half hours of garden tour. Someone had a pedometer and we covered nine kilometres in all. Quite a bit of champagne too and sixteen to lunch plus six for drinks.The michelia species question is now resolved; by the experts anyway. The three 1928 michelias above the greenhouse are now believed ALL to be forms of Michelia doltsopa and not Michelia floribunda or Michelia champaca as had been suggested by others. [Photo caption: What we thought were Michelia floribunda now identified as widely differing forms (to our other three) of Michelia doltsopa] Tom Hudson brought pieces of M floribunda in flower and, although the flower was pretty similar, as was the leaf and silvery underside to the leaf (slight difference), the crux of the argument was the length of the leaf petioles. Twenty centimetres in the case of M floribunda and fifty centimetres for M doltsopa, so case closed, these experts say.They also say that the yellow flowering Michelia floribunda at the top of the garden is ALSO a form of Michelia doltsopa and not M floribunda at all. So all seven of our enormous michelias are all the same species. Mighty odd that only one michelia species has survived 80 to 90 years here but there we are. Were they collected and named in China from different areas incorrectly to start with? Did the other seedlings of other species really all die out before maturity here? Why have so many new species of michelia been found in the last 30 years in China from the same places that Wilson and Forrest collected from? No one can answer that one!Then, to cap it all, Maurice Foster says he believes the record tree Michelia doltsopa below Donkey Shoe is in fact Michelia manipurense which may or may not be a species in its own right or it may be a subspecies of M doltsopa. This he attributes to the velvety orange or purple indumentum on the undersides of the leaves which are quite pronounced on the leaves of this tree. This is a new one to us anyway and rather adds to the confusion rather than resolving it. Such are experts and what fun we all had.

2015 – CHW

MAGNOLIA Caerhays Splendour close up
MAGNOLIA ‘Caerhays Splendour’
Jaimie’s Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ is just coming out at the top. Around 40 buds in its third or fourth year of flowering. This is a very unusual deliberate three-way cross between Magnolia sargentiana var robusta, Magnolia campbellii subsp mollicomata ‘Lanarth’ and Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’. The colour of the flower really is a mixture of the colours of its three parents and it is this which makes this hybrid unique and different. Well worthy of formal registration with the International Magnolia Society (IMS) which it now has been as ‘Caerhays Splendour’.
Magnolia sargentiana robusta Magnolia lanarth hybrid
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta x ‘Lanarth’ hybrid

Philip’s 1985 hybrid between Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta and Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ is full out at the top of the garden with 150+ flowers set against a perfect backdrop of a blue sky. Breath-taking even if you have to go well off the main route to find it. Today this is the best magnolia in the garden but probably only for today and tomorrow when set against so many scores of others. It is a lightish and translucent pink but quite different from Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ or Magnolia ‘Kew’s Surprise’. Again this needs formal naming and registration. ‘Caerhays Majestic’ seems appropriate or perhaps ‘Caerhays Philip’?So off to Old Park to plant magnolias. Around 20 are unnamed Caerhays hybrids from 5 to 6 years ago which may well take 10 to 15 years to flower and reveal if we have something genuinely new. Jaimie and Michael made 23 separate deliberate crosses on a warm still day (like today) and, amazingly, around 19 produced seed. Quite how many have grown on to be large enough to plant out needs checking as some are still too small but at least half a dozen today.

Also going out are various crosses from seed obtained via the IMS seed list over several years and grown on at Caerhays. Most of these crosses are unnamed and perhaps we will get lucky with something genuinely new and different in the next decade. The planting lists and plans (to do in the summer) will make interesting reading and further research.

Far end of old park
Far end of old park

We had planted around 25 magnolias in Old Park in the newly cleared bank facing the drive in 2013 and 2014. Sadly these faced an unexpected disaster last summer. The bracken growth on the bank and some rushes/brambles were strimmed off and it was decided to burn up the residue so that stones could then be picked and cleared to make grass cutting easier in future years. As it turned out the fire went well and spread quickly scorching the leaves in some 20 magnolias and, in some cases, incinerating the plastic tree guards too. Death and destruction but all now replaced and fenced properly with rabbit netting up to four feet to try to keep the roe deer off as well.We should be doing more cross pollination today but no time for any of that with the flowers for Serena’s wedding on Saturday now taking precedence.

In all we placed out about 60 magnolias today and there is still an enormous amount of space for planting at the far end of Old Park.

The Sister seedling
The Sister seedling to Jaimies ‘Caerhays Splendour’
Now that Old Park has been cleared a couple of magnolias stand out today. The sister seedling to Jaimie’s ‘Caerhays Splendour’ is full out on the bank above the old dog (hunt) kennels. It is nice enough but nowhere near the same colour as the real thing. Fortunate again that the best of the four seedlings got planted in the best/correct place. The third seedling is on the drive. A superbly shaped plant which flowered first in 2013. Tiny buds, hidden within the tree and a muddy off white colour on first showing – utter crap and the tree may have to be chainsawed unless it performs better this year. The fourth plant from this seed batch grows in Jaimie’s parents’ garden in St Stephens. It is the second best of the four but still not the real thing. Such are the perils and delights of magnolia hybridisation many years after the cross itself was done.
MAGNOLIA Lanarth seedling
MAGNOLIA ‘Lanarth’ seedling

Finally one could not visit Old Park today without pausing to admire yet another superb Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling (one of two) on the top path below the gunnera bed. Not as red as Magnolia ‘F J Williams’, a much larger flower than the true ‘Lanarth’ and not quite as good (today) as ‘Bishop Michael’. However it is quite some magnolia and well worth propagating/naming. Perhaps a third ‘bishop’? The second plant above the path is not out yet.Came upon Robert Vernon of BlueBell Nursery in the garden in exactly the same place as I met him last year and in 2012. What are the mathematical chances of that? Cannot stop to talk much as Karol is now taking 360° panorama shots of the garden with his new camera. All will be revealed on the website shortly.


1966 – FJW
End of fine week in Garden. Camp seedlings A.G xx ½, Penvergate xxx, Diva seed above Engine House xxxx, Mound seedlings xx, also crino hedge xx.1959 – FJW
In middle of good plant up – 7 Albas and 5 Robustas above Rookery Path – 2 Albas and 2 Robustas above Hovel – 2 more Magnolias to go into the Beech Walk. Mosers Marson, Buergeanum and aberconwayii received from Hillier.

1933 – JCW
R lutescens and R argenteum are all very good. R sutchuenense ciliatum at their best. Camellia speciosa has been very good since Christmas, Ciliatum is very good. Barbatums are good. Magnolia denudata and a big Mag kobus show colour.

1926 – JCW
Could find bits of 40 Rhodo species, Corylopsis veitchiana at its best, others a week later. Camellia speciosa has been very good for some while. R ririei is very good now and has been open a month since January 28th.

1924 – JCW
A good deal of Ciliatum has been open and frosted. Daffodils much as above. Hippophaeoides is very nice. Big stuff had very few buds and then frosted. Osmanthus delavayi in the sun is good.

1909 – JCW
Much as in 1904, and a good few Jonquil’s open, also KA x Cyc. A good lot of Camellias, a few Arboreum show colour. No Ciliatum open the cold ( a fortnight of it) left us two days ago.

1904 – JCW
Sirius, Artemis and various seedling incomp open, Torch, I picked a bud of, King A shows colour, 337 is opening, a great move in a few days, Sirius open.

1898 – JCW
G mundi opens, also G of Leiden, several Van Thols and Graf tulips show colour. Golden Bell and Sirius out, half Emperor and Emprep only just, many seedling trumpets.

1897 – JCW
[?] open, Weardale, G of Leiden, C J Backhouse, Monarch, B conspicuus, all the Emperor and Emprep. Tulip gregii and most of the Van Thols.