2024 – CHW
Storm Ashley has smashed up most of the flowers on Camellia sasanqua No. 3 with its darker pink flowers by the ladies loo. The plant is 16 feet tall with a spread of 13 feet and a depth back to the castle wall of 8 feet.
2023 – CHW
Two swallows seen near the church.
A tour of the garden with Tony & Sally Kirkham.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ well out already.
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2022 – CHW
The Kitchen Garden is greening up. Stones and roots all now in piles and all ready for planting.
Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ in full flower. Even the buds have a picotee edging. The same plant from which we gave cuttings to Tregrehan a fortnight ago.
The first flowers this year on Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’.
Pay rise review at Burncoose today. From 14th December a new law has been introduced by the UK regarding the need to put a ‘plant passport’ on all plants sent out by mail order or sold by garden centres or in the trade. We hear about this only in the trade press and not directly from government. Our local plant health inspector knows nothing about it and Andrew finally ended up speaking to the child support agency when he tried to ring the plant health HQ in York on a government ‘helpline’! It will take 12 months to put a passport on every plant label in the nursery. If this was European bollocks we might understand it as plant traceability is clearly important to avoid importing diseases. My guess is that it is a European initiative which the UK have told Brussels that they will comply with as the Brexit drama has unfolded. You cannot comply with a law if the government is incapable of telling you the detailed rules. The Horticultural Trades Association members are in uproar. Small businesses fear for their existence but it will, as usual, all be fudged in reality for many months yet.Protea nerifolia ‘White Night’ (imported from France with, as yet, no passport) with its first flower bud about to open.
Autumn colours on Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Aureomarginata’. Not nearly as good a yellow as L. tulipifera itself further down the drive.
This is what Hurricane Ophelia did to the sand on the beach at Porthluney.
Horrid, very ripe bindweed seed outside the back yard, hidden, until now, in an azalea.
A clutch of new bought in magnolias from Magnoliastore. This is the list with several nice new things:Magnolia acuminata ‘Seiju’Magnolia Kobus ‘Isis’ ® (Maráczi)
Magnolia Chameleon (‘Chang Hua’)
Magnolia ‘Charles Coates’
Magnolia ‘Crystal Tulip’
Magnolia ‘Flamingo’
Magnolia ‘Fukuja’
Magnolia ‘Pink Charm’
Magnolia ‘Purple Eye’
Magnolia ‘Purple Star’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sybille’
2015 – CHW
Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry) on the lawn still has some leaves but the large white marble like berries are already forming. This used to be a much larger clump under the yew tree but my mother and I dug it up to make room for a swing some 50 years ago. This whole area was once covered by a huge Pinus insignis which I remember being felled. The indentation in the lawn where the stump was burnt and then covered with earth is still clear.
Just inside the gate in a corner is Sarcococca saligna now in full flower. This is a less well known species of Sarcococca with no scent and suckering stems up to about four feet and attractive narrow leaves. Quite tender and prone to being cut to the ground in a very cold winter.
1982 – FJW
Two flowers on smaller C williamsii in Big Quarry.
1957 – FJW
Picked flowers Cam oleifera, 1 flower Burmanicum, Yellow Hammer good for a long time. Lapagerias and fuchsias excellent. Sasanquas flowering well having had last year off. Picked 3 ½ opened buds November Pink.
1943 – CW
Double white Camellia below Engine House out – also some Cornish Scarlet and a lot of Yellow Hammer – Sasanqua in full flower on wall. Mag delavayi and grandiflora both have flowers, also Nigra and Conpsicua.
1934 – JCW
Some Mag delavayi is in flower and perhaps more to come.
1932 – JCW
Magnolia delavayi has no flowers now, but Mag grandiflora has a number. The hydrangeas are good. C panniculata is V.G.
1928 – JCW
Camellia sasanquas start. Hydrangeas start, some blooms on Mag delavayi and grandiflora.
1927 – JCW
Clematis panniculata good. R moyesii fruit, also not much bud on Camellia sasanqua.
1922 – JCW
A late cool dry period for the last 3 weeks. Hydrangeas, roses, cyclamen, R moyesii (fruit) are all good.
1900 – JCW
Some Polyanthus up. Many good roses on walls and in beds. Belladonna V.G.