2024 – CHW
The first named storm of the year looms and the third very wet Saturday in a row. Storm Ashley seems to have been worst in Northern Ireland.
A batch of new (to us) varieties of camellias has just arrived from Stervinou in France. All are large enough to be planted out straight away. Several are new Camellia sasanqua varieties to add to our growing collection here and 3 are already in flower. Strangely none of these varieties are in the recent International Camellia Society book entitled ‘Splendid Sasanquas’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Ile Wrac’h’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Mahe’ has an interesting bicolour flower.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Waterfall White’ – another creeping or groundcover variety.
Piles of brambles removed from azaleas above White Styles.
Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Magical Snowstar’ is newly planted but has decent autumn colour and a single (as yet) white berry.
All the plants above Crinodendron Hedge have had the grass and weeds removed from the base of the plants inside the wire netting.
2023 – CHW
Simon Trudgeon presents his father’s cup at the spaniel Field Trials for the ‘guns choice’. This turned out to be the winner of the trial as well.
Simon Trudgeon presents his father’s cup at the spaniel Field Trials for the ‘guns choice’. This turned out to be the winner of the trial as well.
Competitors and their awards at the end of the day.
We have been missing decent autumn colour pictures of Carpinus betulus ‘Rockhampton Red’ on the Burncoose website. Hilliers states ‘striking shades of bright red and orange’. What I am seeing is hardly this but this is fairly typical of Cornwall’s mild climate and lack of good autumn colours.
Sorbus folgneri ‘Lemon Drop’ with its first fruits. They have yet to turn yellow and this newly planted tree has drought die back.
Cotoneaster rhytidophyllus ‘Ogisu’ is becoming a large shrub with drooping side branches.
A clump of 5 Osmanthus x fortunei flowering well and becoming firmly established in a windy spot. Planted only in 2017.
The drive has been shut for 4 days to retarmac several large stretches and deal with the latest crop of potholes.
2022 – CHW
Jaimie has collected our first ever crop of walnuts from Juglans ailanthifolia
Jaimie has collected our first ever crop of walnuts from Juglans ailanthifolia
Clearing up the stones and bricks from decayed green houses in the Kitchen Garden prior to planting the new Malus collection.
Spaniel field trial awards by the beach – the Cornwall Field Society Trial.
Simon Trudgeon and the winner of the guns choice trophy in memory of his father.
The competitors from all over the county.
The four Caerhays keepers in their suits for the day.
Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’ still just out after weeks the first flower opened.
2021 – CHW
Zanthoxylum armatum (WJM 11.080) properly covered in pepper seed heads for the first time while the leaves are still bright green.
A squirrel’s stash of half-eaten plump Camellia japonica seeds.
The Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ glowing in the sun. Later to turn yellow this year after the wet summer.
I too discover the Madagascan fungus – Favolaschia calocera – on several windblown twigs and branches. I will never remember these fungi’s names.
At last we have a decent Disanthus cercidifolius growing away after many failures to get this properly established. Turning colour but will soon be even better and what I remember as the spectacle at High Beeches.
Acacia boormanii has grown exponentially since I bought it in the Isle of Wight only three years ago.
2020 – CHW
Cornus controversa donning its autumn colours with an Enkianthus in the foreground.
Cornus controversa donning its autumn colours with an Enkianthus in the foreground.
Rhodoleia parvipetala with red autumn colour.
A yellow flower on Illicium oligandrum.
Camellia oleifera is out high up on the tree with masses more globular buds to come.
Nice colouring on Diospyros kaki.
This is a young Frank Matthews grown Malus hupehensis in the Isla Rose Plantation. It is perhaps the same as the right hand tree on Bond Street although the fruits are smaller and it is more of a spreading shrub than a half standard tree as here.
Schefflera delavayi now full out.
Platycarya strobilacea with old and new cone-like fruits.
Sorbus hupehensis with pinkish berries. Hillier’s now calls this Sorbus pseudohupehensis or ‘Pink Pagoda’.
Another picture of the Sorbus/Malus (?) with autumn colour below Slip Rail.
Acer henryi in the sun.
The very last flower on Rhododendron decorum.
2019 – CHW
First and only flower ever on Sizygium smithii which was planted out today by Higher Quarry Nursery in the new clearing. I cannot find this in my reference books but it looks like a large myrtle flower for want of a better description.
First and only flower ever on Sizygium smithii which was planted out today by Higher Quarry Nursery in the new clearing. I cannot find this in my reference books but it looks like a large myrtle flower for want of a better description.
The new clearing with the first batch of plants placed out ready for planting.
Flowers just opening on Callicarpa psilocalyx. Two of these have gone in at Tin Garden near to the other two species which currently have berries colouring nicely. I repeat my comments from yesterday.
We have now planted four cartloads of rare but hardier plants in October rather than next February. Perhaps 120 plants in all. Planting plans to do. It will be interesting to see how well this works with getting new things in the ground in the autumn to avoid losses in another dry summer.
2018 – CHW
More clearing up after the Friday/Saturday storm on the main ride. An Arbutus unedo had split out and I suspect that the stump needs digging out as this shrub is very prone to phytophthora ramorum on its new shoots and growth.
More clearing up after the Friday/Saturday storm on the main ride. An Arbutus unedo had split out and I suspect that the stump needs digging out as this shrub is very prone to phytophthora ramorum on its new shoots and growth.
This is an unusual coloured larva but what will it pupate into? No idea.
2017 – CHW
A trip to check on the early autumn colours on the nyssas on Burns Bank. It turns out to be a bit too early.Nyssa sylvatica ‘Autumn Cascades’ is growing into a nice cascading shape but in the wrong location. It may well be smashing in a fortnight but is just hinting at what it can do.
A trip to check on the early autumn colours on the nyssas on Burns Bank. It turns out to be a bit too early.Nyssa sylvatica ‘Autumn Cascades’ is growing into a nice cascading shape but in the wrong location. It may well be smashing in a fortnight but is just hinting at what it can do.
Nyssa sylvatica ‘?’ also a drooping habit but the label is lost and this is not on the plan.
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Miss Scarlet’ seems smaller and slower growing. Just a bit of scarlet for now.
Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’ is romping away as a vigorous conical tree. Red with a bit of yellow lower down for now.
Nyssa aquatica is still green all over.
2016 – CHW
The seed heads on Viburnum betulifolium are ripe and some have dropped although this plant usually carries its berries well on into winter. The best plants I know are at Trewithen and trained onto a trellis structure.
The seed heads on Viburnum betulifolium are ripe and some have dropped although this plant usually carries its berries well on into winter. The best plants I know are at Trewithen and trained onto a trellis structure.
Rhododendron ‘Norfolk Candy’ has one surprise secondary flower outside the front gate. Another plant in this group is currently dying of honey fungus associated with the decaying roots of a nearby Pinus insignis stump. I thought it would kill them eventually but the next door camellias will be fine as they do not get honey fungus. Well known tip when planting near dead tree stumps!
Wonderful autumn colours on a young Rehderodendron macrocarpum outside the front gates by the ancient ginko. You can see the Pinus insignis stump in the background. A rare plant which has tough pink seed pods in maturity but not here.
Huge flower buds already on Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ on the lawn. Is this the foretaste of another record early January magnolia season? Certainly they are very well swollen and far more advanced than I would have expected in October
2015 – CHW
Back to duller stuff! Quercus stenophylloides was planted in 2003 and is now 12 to 15 feet in a fairly cold location. This is clearly a tender oak collected by Allan Coombes and one he regards highly according to Tom Hudson. Anyway it is thriving here. Collectors’ number CMBS645.
This odd climber growing up a dead yew tree is a bit of a puzzle. It had a Crug Farm label (now lost) saying it was a rhus but can a rhus really be a climber? Perhaps Sue or Bleddyn Wynn-Jones will know? Anyway it has excellent autumn colour and insignificant flowers (perhaps even a second flowering?) which I suppose just might be rhus-like even if the leaf is not. Some of the inflorescences also have small greenish fruits as you can see. I think the plant has merit whatever it is. Needless to say it is not on the planting plans.
The new liquidamber collection on Sinogrande Walk is still green in leaf with hardly a hint of colour yet. None of the other ancient sasanquas are yet showing colour which is odd for mid October. The newspapers are full of swans arriving early at Slimbridge heralding a hard winter to come. However I still saw several swallows on Friday 16th October. A sighting of the first woodcock would ne1989
On day PMW’s plaque blessed at Gwennap Church, heavens opened and drought really over.
1969 – FJW
Campbell Marshall died.
1932 – JCW
Lapagerias good, fuchsias very good down here and in Tin Garden. Nothing much else. Delavayi’s decorum has been nice.
1912 – JCW
Much as in 1911 excepting the Camellias which are unlikely to flower much. A few daffs moving. Berberis bealei very nice.
1911 – JCW
Roses remain good. Solanum, cassias and lapagerias very good. Top part of Camellia sasanqua is opening.
1899 – JCW
A few seed pans cracking, nothing up in the pans. A few full grown daffs show a bit. I moved in my pollen parents. There has been a great drought.
1898 – JCW
Firebrand and one other of E’s above ground, daff seeds all starting. I parascis above ground.