A flower on the Magnolia delavayi on the drive.

Copious seed heads on Magnolia sieboldii.

The drought has not been kind to Emmenopterys henryi on the drive.

The yellow magnolia planting has done surprisingly well in Tunnel Field despite the drought.

Seed tassels on Tetracentron sinense.

Few casualties in last autumns planting but a second grass cut needed.

Good growth on a newly planted Catalpa bungei f. duclouxii.

Dead rhododendrons by the old walled garden.

Horrid squirrel damage on young sycamores.

Our planting from 3 years ago above the tree fern largely untouched by drought.

Need to layer this branch on the best Rhododendron macabeanum.

Digger clearance around the sides of Tennis Court.

Dead clumps after the seeding of Phyllostachys nigra.

The Burncoose pond now as devoid of water as I have ever seen it. In the first week of August it was nearly full.

Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Pendula’.

Multicoloured Cyclamen below the stables.

Dead rhododendrons on the back drive.

2025 – CHW

The first seed collecting day – many magnolias were ripe – ‘F. J. Williams’, ‘Caerhays Splendour’, ‘Princess Margaret’, sargentiana var. robusta and cylindrica.

Styrax wuyuanensis not ripe.

Styrax faberi not ripe.

Styrax formosanus not ripe.

Styrax hemsleyanus – the ripe seeds were rotten and mouldy inside.

Styrax wilsonii not ripe.

Styrax wilsonii with secondary flowers.

Styrax japonicus ‘Fargesii’ not ripe.

Schima khasiana just out.

Styrax hookeri was ripe and collected.

Cladrastis kentukea with early autumn tints.

Styrax japonicus ‘Emerald Pagoda’ almost ripe. Collect in 7-10 days.

Also collected were Symplocos paniculata, Crataegus combyi and Crataegus chlorosarca. No haws on C. schraderiana this year. No seed on Paulownia kawakamii.

2024 – CHW
A Great Gardens of Cornwall meeting at Trewithen and then promotional videos to put together for the 30 year celebration next spring.The walled garden where filming took place.

Dahlia imperialis still a long way off flowering.

A fine clump of Acidanthera (Gladiolus ‘Murielae’) which has a fine scent.

Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ a good replacement for box edging.

The water feature.

The Japanese anemones are already nearly over. Very much earlier than usual.

2023 – CHW
Hydrangea aspera – a gift from Lord Howick in 2018, has become a fine plant. We must now have 10 or more different forms of H. aspera. No name on this one.

A bud nearly out on Magnolia tamaulipana and one more to come much later. Two flowers earlier at the start of August.

To answer an enquiry from Germany the undersides of the leaves on Magnolia ‘Princess Margaret’ are clearly hairy/ velvety.

Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Pendula’ now full out.

Ilex cornuta with more fruits than I have ever seen before. They will turn red.

Liquidambar orientalis has struggled to get going but is now on the way after some watering in the last two droughts.

Quercus trojana was a gift from the IDS after a 2019 visit. It too has now made good growth for the first time.

2022 – CHW
A visit to a tenant farmer on the property of the estate where the existing tenants son has a right of succession to the farm tenancy. It was like going back in time by at least 50 years, probably more. There were two traditional stone barns in an appalling state of disrepair and dilapidation as you can see here. One used to house a water wheel for milling corn in the 1920’s an still serves as a grain store today despite the roof falling in.The main source of income is a farms shop in a nearby village and the tenant owns another farm himself. A classic case for getting planning permission to turn both barns into dwellings or holiday lets over time. A new hamlet in the countryside rather than this shambolic dereliction of a farmyard. Major investment though of £750k or so to do the work properly. In another 5-10 years both building will be roofless ruins unless something is done. Yet another new project in the pipeline.

2021 – CHW
Schefflera rhododendrifolia has grown to 10-12ft with a good crown and excellent bark. The roedeer are however nipping off the side shoots which would make good cuttings.

A wind battered and cold damaged Magnolia nitida which has lost its crown and had a pruning is forming side shoots from the trunk after the wet summer. So hard to get this tender species established except in total wind shelter on all sides.