2024 – CHW
Good Friday and a report of the first swallows from Lizzie. Also a visiting hoopoe in a garden in Gorran Haven. I saw one of these very rarely UK seen birds as a child near the Hovel with Gilbert Anning.
At Burncoose early this morning to sort out the route for the new 3 phase electric supply to the Copper House and Nursery. As we stand discussing where to dig across the back drive a magpies nest is attacked by 2 crows. Despite the two magpies best efforts the crows tear off the top of the covered nest and eat the youngsters before our eyes. Nature at its most barbaric. Magpies of course do this all the time to small birds nests so perhaps poetic justice. Sadly it was hailing at the time so photography impossible.
Jim Gardiner sends me a great picture of Jaimie receiving his RHS Award in London.
The press release regarding Jaimie’s award is included here.
A good young Rhododendron johnstoneanum out far too early.
The rain and hailstorms have even shattered all the flowers on the toughest and most resilient of rhododendrons; ‘Cornish Red’.
Rhododendron ‘Elizabeth’ was spared as it wasn’t out.
Magnolia ‘Diana’ looks a bit better today.
Acer negundo subsp. californicum was planted in 2011. Now flowering well.
Magnolia ‘Toro’ has its first flower which looks interesting. I guessed x brooklynensis hybrid similar to ‘Titan’ but its actually M. acuminata ‘Fertile Myrtle’ x soulangeana ‘Picture’.
Picea alcoquiana var. acicularis has old cones from last year, vivid red new female cones and male flowers. A tremendous show today.
Magnolia ‘Dark Shadow’ is damaged but rather uninteresting in what I think is its first flowering here. Its an old Gresham hybrid of no great note.
Magnolia ‘Strawberry Shake’ not too smashed up in the rain.
There are a group of magnolias in Area 25 in Kennel Close with no labels. I would guess they have all been pinched so I have to try to work this one out from the (rather good) planting plans. I think this is a wind battered Magnolia ‘Flamingo’.
Magnolia ‘Anya’ has been smashed up this year but it’s a good thing. A random seedling raised in NZ.
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’ has also been ruined but it is a good variety and well worth growing.
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’ is a good name for an upright and slightly recurved bud.
Magnolia kobus ‘White Elegance’ has only a very few undamaged flowers.
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’ looks very like M. ‘Toro’ but there we are!
Eucalyptus gunnii ‘Silverana’ is rapidly developing into a tree.
Magnolia ‘Pink Fruity’ grows in an odd way and clearly only a small shrub.
First flower out this year on Magnolia ‘Lemon Star’.
Magnolia ‘Wim Rutten’ looks much better today.
Another Magnolia ‘Phelan Bright’ glows against the laurel hedge.
2023 – CHW
Pouring with rain at Burncoose.
Pouring with rain at Burncoose.
Magnolia (Michelia) ‘Eternal Spring’ is a cross between M. laevifolia and M. maudiae ‘Eternal’. Strangely devoid of leaves but the flowers and new shoots are fine. A new entry for the catalogue this year.
Good plants for sale of Machilus yunnanensis. A rare and unusual evergreen tree.
Some nice plants of Magnolia (Michelia) martinii.
Three new forms of Prunus incisa which are new to the catalogue this year.
Prunus incisa ‘Mikinori’
Prunus incisa ‘Pendula’.
Prunus incisa ‘Oshidori’ not quite out as yet.
Then to Old Park as the rain eased.
Magnolia ‘Anticipation’ (M. cylindrica x ?).
A battered Magnolia ‘Simple Pleasures’ – simple indeed and little pleasure!
Magnolia ‘Fairy White’ is full out and smelling gorgeous.
But Magnolia ‘Fairy Blush’ and Magnolia ‘Fairy Cream’ are still in tight bud.
Magnolia ‘Just Jean’ is a M. soulangeana seedling raised by John Gallagher.
Gigantic Rhododendron calophytums at the bottom of Old Park.
Salix hookeriana has attractive catkins but nothing like as good as ‘Mount Aso’.
2022 – CHW
A welcome bit of rain overnight.Magnolia Pickard’s Hybrid ‘PP7’ flowering here. The plant is destined for the Pickard magnolia collection at Canterbury Cathedral. Similar to M. ‘Pickard’s Schmetterling’ I think (Eisenhut Catalogue Number 499 and only named as ‘PP7’).
Camellia japonica ‘Optima’ by the side door.
Then a long garden tour with Peter & Henny Shotter.
The Korean sourced Magnolia cylindrica full out.
The newly planted Magnolia ‘Summer Lady’ from Germany is not that exciting as yet but different.
Magnolia ‘Tropicana’ with Michelia doltsopa behind it.
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthemum
Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’ full out now.
Magnolia ‘Tikitere’ which is usually out much later.
First flowers on Magnolia ‘Sibille’ in Penvergate.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Fever’ just showing. M. ‘Yellow Bird’ beside it not showing at all.
Magnolia ‘Apollo’ in Penvergate.
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ in Penvergate. Covered in flower on a dwarfish large shrub after 20 years.
Steve Dance sends me these pictures of Citrus ‘Calamondin Orange’ growing happily away outside against a hot wall in Trengwainton garden. Hard to believe it is doing so well outside and with fruits.
2021 – CHW
The amazing Tilia endochrysea just into leaf.
Magnolia ‘A E Bold’ (Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’) with its first flower. We have other plants, but the colour of the bud is superb.
Magnolia ‘Olav Kalleberg’ (Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia liliiflora ‘Holland Red’) still in bud but evidence of the liliiflora flower shape is obvious.
Magnolia ‘Anya’ (Magnolia ‘Iolanthe’ x Magnolia ‘Vulcan’?)
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’ (Magnolia liliiflora x Magnolia ‘Vulcan’) just out. Not perhaps as striking as it was last year.
Magnolia ‘Lili Diva’ (Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x Magnolia sprengeri diva) has been frosted a bit but one decent dark flower. This is going to be an excellent plant in time.
The last few flowers on Magnolia campbellii x sargentiana ‘Treve Holman’.
Camellia reticulata ‘Debut’ flowering well for the first time.
The second time we have seen flowers on the Crûg Farm collection of Magnolia (Michelia) floribunda var. tonkinensis.
Exciting moment! The first time I have ever seen Maddenia hypoleuca in flower. Cherry like leaves and introduced by Ernest Wilson in 1907. It used to grow here but has long since died out.
Another young Magnolia ‘Black Swan’ with decent bud and flower.
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia campbellii ‘Betty Jessel’ is a young plant but not, as yet, that impressive. No specific name as yet.
Berberis xanthoclada in full flower.
Magnolia ‘Blushing Belle’ is a US cross between Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ and Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’. The flowers have more than a trace of yellow as they open.
2020 – CHW
I wonder how many millions of people have a stay at home hangover this morning? Think how the birth rate will go up! Even more Chinese to contend with. It will be interesting to see the USA death rate as compared to ours if Trump does order normality at Easter. He fears armed riots more than we do presumably.A few hours spent taking more ‘this grows nicely with this’ pictures for the Burncoose website. It is incredibly difficult to find photogenic candidates which do grow side by side. Camellias are especially awkward as pairs probably because I am a month late and most are going over.I have been puzzled by this one for some years. We have two plants labelled Magnolia ‘A. Kalleberg’ but Magnolia ‘Aashild Kalleberg’ is a form of Magnolia x wiesneri which this is very clearly not. I wondered if it was a form or cross of Magnolia cylindrica but can find nothing in Mr Eisenhut’s book. His father sold us the plants so I could write to Reto for an answer but his English is non-existent.
I wonder how many millions of people have a stay at home hangover this morning? Think how the birth rate will go up! Even more Chinese to contend with. It will be interesting to see the USA death rate as compared to ours if Trump does order normality at Easter. He fears armed riots more than we do presumably.A few hours spent taking more ‘this grows nicely with this’ pictures for the Burncoose website. It is incredibly difficult to find photogenic candidates which do grow side by side. Camellias are especially awkward as pairs probably because I am a month late and most are going over.I have been puzzled by this one for some years. We have two plants labelled Magnolia ‘A. Kalleberg’ but Magnolia ‘Aashild Kalleberg’ is a form of Magnolia x wiesneri which this is very clearly not. I wondered if it was a form or cross of Magnolia cylindrica but can find nothing in Mr Eisenhut’s book. His father sold us the plants so I could write to Reto for an answer but his English is non-existent.
Another branch has fallen from one of the ancient Magnolia insignis leaving just the rotting trunk and one vigorous side shoot.
I thought I had seen the first beech leaves out but this is actually (I think) a wild cherry growing from a crevice in an old beech tree. It has been there some time and even has a few flowers but they are too high up to see properly.
This is all that is left of our Kunming (reticulata) camellias in Charlie Michael’s old nursery bed. There are three left alive. The seed came from Kunming when an American managed to grab a load of seed out before Chairman Mao took over. No idea how they got here but they were never named. Philip Tregunna moved a few to new locations years ago but they hated the move and withered/died so the remainder were left far too close together where they were. Of the three plants there are only two varieties as far as I can see today. Very good they are too even if some leaves are rather chlorotic.
This startlingly good rhododendron today is hidden away. At a distance I guess a surprisingly early Rhododendron davidsonianum but it is, in fact, one of a clump of Rhododendron siderophyllum. Quite the best colour and largest plant of any we have and I had not seen it full out before.
Just one or two gorgeous flowers left glowing in the sunlight on Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ at Pound Corner.
This is a rather dull species – Magnolia amoena – although I see little difference with the equally dull Magnolia biondii. Both grow at Burncoose but I do not think we have the ‘pleasure’ of a biondii here yet.
Attractive young leaves on a clump of Aesculus parviflora.
Dad’s Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’ nearly full out.
The record Cornish plant of Laurus azorica has an attractive flower for a bay laurel.
Daphniphyllum macropodum var. humile with yellowish new growth and red buds showing.
Despite the mild winter a lot of our older big leafed rhododendrons have hated the winds. They did not grow much in the last two dry summers, over flowered, and now urgently need a wet growing summer. Storm Ciara etc have done this old plant no good at all (Rhododendron sinogrande).
This Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’ had severe dieback last year and I gave it a trim. A hard frost caught it full out with some leaves or perhaps it was the 2018 ‘Beast’. Anyway it has a couple of flowers despite the pruning and should recover. A small growing variety which flowers very early and copiously.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jovey Carlyon’ still has plenty of perfect flowers three months on from when I photographed the first one out at Donkey Shoe.
Along the way I managed only 10 ‘nicely’ pictures which seems incredible but I can only take pictures of plants which Burncoose actually sells (or has sold / may sell). A few care article photographs of Aucuba omiensis too:
A young plant
A young plant
A mature and record sized plant
Flowers
Leaf form
Trunk
The happy news for our casual or zero hours visitor staff is that they can be ‘furloughed’ too and receive 80% of their normal wages if they were on the payroll by 28th February. A load more paperwork but the government will pay the national insurance and pension contributions on top of 80% of the wages. Retribution taxes in next autumn’s budget for sure.
2019 – CHW
Some good new things at Burncoose today in the sun, as well as these video clips of Michelia foveolata, Rhododendron genestrianum and Michelia macclurei
Loropetalum carolina ‘Moonlight’ – very pretty and a welcome addition to our four other pink and purple flowered Loropetalum varieties.
Teucrium fruiticosum ‘Azureum’ – a good blue and much better than the light blue of the commoner form.
Magnolia ‘Royal Purple’ – one final flower. Other than the yellows virtually all the magnolias have now finished flowering in the nursery tunnels.
The new (to us) Magnolia salicifolia ‘Van Veen’. Nice shape to the flower when fully open and a very good scent. The flowers do not flop when fully open like M. salicifolia ‘Wadas Memory’. An introduction from Eisenhut’s nursery.
Telopea speciosissima in full flower. The first time I have ever seen this in the UK let alone the nursery. I have tried to plant this out several times over 30 years but all have failed due to damp and cold despite choosing a very hot position and planting, as recommended for all the Protea family, on top of a mound of soil to improve drainage. You can see pictures of the white flowered Telopea on the Burncoose website as well. Breathtaking flower.
2018 – CHW
To Burncoose to talk through the year end paperwork and likely results. The cold has reduced the number of orders in March by about 500 on last year. Still not as great a reduction as I had been expecting after two bouts of snow and the worst weather since 1979.Amazing how many two year old camellias have been sold in six weeks. One side of this tunnel was completely full in January. We need to propagate more this year.
To Burncoose to talk through the year end paperwork and likely results. The cold has reduced the number of orders in March by about 500 on last year. Still not as great a reduction as I had been expecting after two bouts of snow and the worst weather since 1979.Amazing how many two year old camellias have been sold in six weeks. One side of this tunnel was completely full in January. We need to propagate more this year.
Fothergilla major coming into flower rather later than usual.
A new plant for the website, Melaleuca squarrosa, with small delicate leaves and attractive new growth.
Clematis alpina ‘Blue Dancer’ looking good.
Clematis alpina ‘Francis Rivis’ just coming out which is much darker in colour.
Picea abies ‘Rydal’ with its amazing reddish new growth which I missed last year.
Frost damage to callistemon. Just the tops which now need pruning out. The remainder of the plants are fine and putting on new growth.
Rhododendron burmanicum full out. Larger flowers than you would get outside.
Dicksonia squarrosa hard hit by frost. Will new fronds still emerge? Doubtful.
Photinia x fraseri ‘Atropurpurea Nana’ with superb new growth appearing on this dwarfish shrub. No frost damage here!
Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’ is a new plant in this year’s catalogue and very good it is too. Large flowers on a small plant.
Prunus nipponica ‘Brilliant’ full out in the cash point. It can be a shy flowerer but not this year. The cold has had certain side benefits perhaps.
2017 – CHW
This is the unnamed Symplocus species which Susyn Andrews will hopefully name and identify for us. It is forming a big tree.
This is the unnamed Symplocus species which Susyn Andrews will hopefully name and identify for us. It is forming a big tree.
The Korean bred Magnolia ‘Raspberry Fun’ is just coming out in Kennel Close. This smaller growing magnolia will have great public appeal and is a great improvement on ‘Leonard Messel’.
This is Symplocus dryophylla full out. The flower is perhaps not much different from the earlier unnamed one but the leaf, overall habit and size definitely is. This shrub is only 8ft or so tall.
The New Zealand bred Magnolia ‘Sayonara’ is nice enough hidden away by the Podocarpus salignus clump but easily superseded by Magnolia ‘David Clulow’ or Magnolia ‘Lotus’ which are much bigger whites.
Real bluebells – the first I have seen with perhaps just a hint of Spanish influence on the bank in thick grass and full sun above the front door. Early again.
I am pretty sure I photographed flowers on this Fuchsia magellanica var molinae after the leaves had dropped last November. Here it is again in late March with new flowers coming out as the leaves re-emerge. Amazing even for a fuchsia. Yes Fuchsia exorticatica would be out well before now but a South American species too from Chile and Argentina?
This salvia (or could it be a buddleia?) species came from Burncoose but we have lost the label. Quite pretty especially in bud. Is it Salvia interrupta as the reference books suggest? Help please. [See Andre´Johnke’s helpful response in the comment section below!]
The newly acquired (from Crug Farm) Aucuba aff. chlorascens is out in flower in the frame. An exotic flower close up which Asia thought initially might be an insect infestation! The leaves do look a bit chlorotic.
2016 – CHW
Planting day at Burncoose from 8am with, for the first time ever, David Williams in attendance. We place out 15 magnolias and a few rare oaks (including Quercus uvarifolius and Quercus myrsinifolia) and some scented rhodos on the drive. Magnolia ‘Burgundy Star’, a new red flowered hybrid from New Zealand, goes in above the tennis court.Camellia ‘Water Lily’ is another good, tall growing, upright x williamsii variety. Not as popular as it was. This one in the Burncoose Lodge garden. Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ is flowering properly by the walled garden for the first time. Bred by Nigel Holman at Chyverton it looks like a good campbellii alba seedling really even if named after Sir Harold. More like the New Zealand Magnolia campbellii alba really and possibly the same! Both have a hint of yellow as the bud sheds its outer coatings.
Planting day at Burncoose from 8am with, for the first time ever, David Williams in attendance. We place out 15 magnolias and a few rare oaks (including Quercus uvarifolius and Quercus myrsinifolia) and some scented rhodos on the drive. Magnolia ‘Burgundy Star’, a new red flowered hybrid from New Zealand, goes in above the tennis court.Camellia ‘Water Lily’ is another good, tall growing, upright x williamsii variety. Not as popular as it was. This one in the Burncoose Lodge garden. Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ is flowering properly by the walled garden for the first time. Bred by Nigel Holman at Chyverton it looks like a good campbellii alba seedling really even if named after Sir Harold. More like the New Zealand Magnolia campbellii alba really and possibly the same! Both have a hint of yellow as the bud sheds its outer coatings.
Our layers of Rhododendron irrroratum from last year have failed and we must try again as this is an excellent form.
The biggest Magnolia sargentiana robusta is full out at the crossroads but then the bloody battery runs out and I do not have a spare.
We did find the first flowering of Michelia platypetala or perhaps it is Michelia macclurii which is what I remember it as (label gone). It has much bigger leaves than the Michelia platypetala which I photographed 10 days ago at Tregothnan although the flower is similar (I stupidly labelled it Michelia foveolata on the day which has a strong rusty red indumentum under the leaves). Whatever the experts may say it is one of three species of michelia/manglietia all planted at Burncoose which are doing really well in shelter. Planted about 15 years ago they are now all nearly 20ft tall.
PM is a meeting with the Environment Agency at Penvergate to view the £20k’s worth (their cost) of new sluice gate to control rainwater runoff in the summer and avoid animal excrement polluting the beach. The problem is that it is 150 yards away from where we all agreed it should go on the map. In consequence the runoff ditches which we have now to dig will not work properly as the sluice is too far downstream. The Environment Agency express no opinion. We also ask how we will get the sluice gate boards in and out properly when the river is in spate? A health and safety issue of course. I suspect this saga has a bit to run yet.
2015 – CHW
The garden party visit Tregothnan in a severe westerly gale. A large piece of scaffolding on the house falls down over lunch (in the excellent pub at Ruan Lanihorne). Evelyn Boscawen has a row with the scaffolders and asks our party if any of their photos show wonky scaffolding.
The Lanarth seedling on the Bowling Green is superb. A gift from my father in 1962 to Evelyn’s father, Viscount Falmouth.
The garden party visit Tregothnan in a severe westerly gale. A large piece of scaffolding on the house falls down over lunch (in the excellent pub at Ruan Lanihorne). Evelyn Boscawen has a row with the scaffolders and asks our party if any of their photos show wonky scaffolding.
The Lanarth seedling on the Bowling Green is superb. A gift from my father in 1962 to Evelyn’s father, Viscount Falmouth.
1970 – FJW
1207 round the garden.
1960 – FJW
Mrs Stirling and her falcon came around the garden. The bird was restless and uninterested.
1958 – FJW
Very like 1928. Big Kobus still coming on.
1935 – JCW
No frost so far. Fuschias moving again. On the day before yesterday Mary saw 3 whales in our bay. Daffs well on.
1928 – JCW
Recovering from the big frost. The early Kobus is over, the late one is opening. Halleana under the nursery is good.
1924 – JCW
Much as in 1921 and 1923. Daffs in front of 1908 and of 1905, also of 1897. Magnolia kobus, the early one, is open and Magnolia halleana by the nursery.
1923 – JCW
Red Auklandii and white starting to open, only a few Reticulata but it is a bad season for them.
1921 – JCW
Big cherries not open, 5-6 of the species show flower. Red Auklandii x at their best. White Auklandii x about five days behind them. C reticulata at its very best.
1912 – JCW
Daffs have begun to wane, though Poets are to come. Cherries 113 are open.
1911 – JCW
A fair lot of colour open in Tin Garden, no real poets. R ciliatum going back. C indivisa very nice.
1908 – JCW
Kin A’s all out, plenty of seedling daffs, am sending several colour things to Dawson for London. M halleana a few open, shilsonii going back. Our show is 8 days off. P Mary well out, Monarch hardly.
1905 – JCW
Weardale, Monarch, Firebrand and White Lady are well out, also a poet or two. The show is on April 4th.
1901 – JCW
A heavy fall of snow, say three inches.
1899 – JCW
Golden Bell, Emperor and Horsfieldii most of them opening, a few Princep M, 116 several, Commodore most, and the early Poeticus, with Dante.
1897 – JCW
Wilsoni, Major and Auratius all out, also Mrs Thompson.
Hello,
the plant in question looks very much like Salvia leucantha in its true form. This is quite a rare plant now, being overshadowed by all its colourful forms that are more widely grown than the species itself. Salvia interrupta is very different. It has large purple blue flowers that open out flat and the leaves are much broader.