2021 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’ with its first flower here in Tin Garden. Not named as yet as far as I know. Nothing especially good as yet.

Magnolia ‘Aphrodite’ (Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Deep Purple Dream’).

Magnolia ‘Antje Zandee’ (Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Deep Purple Dream’).

Magnolia ‘Petit Chicon’ just coming out. The first of the (vaguely) yellows this year.

Carpinus japonica with catkins.

Magnolia ‘Tinkerbelle’ is not at all bad.

Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ has been frosted. Supposedly this is Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’. The pictures on the Burncoose website are quite wrong and need replacing as are the pictures I have seen on bought in magnolias named this. I think we have the correct plant but have not yet seen it perform properly.

Magnolia ‘Anne Leitner’ (Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’) is a fantastic plant on Hovel Cart Road and now flowering properly.

Magnolia ‘Margaret Helen’

The two enormous trees of Magnolia kobus var. borealis in the Rookery looking splendid.

Laurelia sempervirens in full flower back from Rookery Gate. Strongly aromatic leaves when crunched up but little scent from the flowers.

Rhododendron ‘Cillicalyx’ just coming out.

Magnolia ‘Genie’ just out in flower below Tin Garden.

The chocolate smell of Azara microphylla ‘Variegata’ is overpowering.

2020 – CHW
At the start of the pandemic we had the unusual experience of being told to wash our hands by no less than the Prime Minister. Then social distancing and much talk of death, doom, and more death. Nobody in government or (especially) the media saw fit to circulate, publicise or talk about the disease itself and what you can really do to avoid it. The simple missive (attached) which Jaimie obtained from a nursing friend does all these things. Some of it is pretty obvious but much of it was new to me and very relevant to all of us. How could the media have missed this? Panic, newsworthy panic, BBC left wing blame panic of course. Panic before common sense or a cure.One day readers of this diary may be amazed to discover something as obvious as having a hot drink, or any drink, to move the virus from your mouth or tracheae to your stomach where enzymes will destroy it. But, by then, we will have a cure or at least an inoculation system we hope. Or will we? We all get the flu and old people have been dying in large numbers from flu related problems for generations. The miracle cure which Boris hopes our scientists will find may be as simple as the flu jab which many of us have every year when prompted or, as we wish, in a free society.[I am now told that the missive is entirely ‘fake news’ so here is a link to the relevant response for you to make your own minds up. Holding your breath for 10 seconds to see if you cough does not sound as fake as all that to me but probably I have been suckered!]A number of emails about the absurdity of self-isolating in a castle (but it has its upsides) and so off to Old Park Wood to see what has not been frosted last night. The sun is up so early that all signs of frost quickly vanish.The very last of the new Camellia sasanqua collection has flowers. This is Camellia sasanqua ‘Marshmallow’. Does not look much like a sasanqua leaf but I suppose the flower might be despite the timing. Quite pretty but a red marshmallow?

The frost has certainly battered the gunneras.

But one group escapes in the shelter of kitchen garden wall by the dog kennels.

As expected all the magnolia flowers lower down the hill in Old Park have been wiped out.

Higher up the hill Magnolia ‘Livingstone’ has survived.

These are magnolia flower heads which have dropped to the ground either unopened or totally black under a large Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling on the top ride.

A Cornish Red (type) shows up well.

A half decent young pure white Rhododendron arboreum.

But a rather frosted pink one further on.

Magnolia ‘Early Rose’ is no longer early or rose-like.

A good young clump of Rhododendron racemosum from wild sourced seed.

Jaimie has used the public’s absence to cut back all the hydrangeas by the green gate.

Ross is dragging his timber trunks out of Dry Walls on his own with a swing shovel. I guess the demand for his firewood is increasing and he could well be deemed as a ‘key worker’.

Lizzie put the rubbish out herself yesterday (new first!) at the top lodge and it seems it was collected by the council. Surprising perhaps that this is still happening.I meet a dog walker who works (now at home) organising lorries for a haulage business. She says that only animal feed lorries will be on the road from the business. The others hauling stone/concrete etc are packing up as building sites are all rapidly closing. I am however told that the council is doing night time major roadworks which seems sensible.

Now that Boris has ‘got it’ what drama next? I fear for the occupants of Windsor Castle who I suspect are not as isolated as us!