1st April | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Yesterdays Easter egg hunt in the Rockery with the 4 grandchildren. A cold east wind but not too bad in the Rockery. Heavy rain in the evening and overnight just for a change.

Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ still flowering well in the Rockery weeks after we first saw colour.

A new electric buggy for Lamorna made entirely by her grandfather in his laundry room. Tantrums when the others have a go!

Malus ‘Evereste’ out already by the shop.

April Fool’s Day and finally I see garlic in flower – but not yet much of it as you can see here in a big clump.

Then a look at the 9 birch trees planted above the drive in 2008 starting at the Top Lodge end. Trunk, lower branches and catkins (where they existed today) for each one. I last did this in 2020 I think.

Betula ermanii ‘Grayswood Hill – 1st tree from the top which is unlabelled.

Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii ‘Grayswood Ghost’ – 2nd tree from the top which is labelled. The planting plan has these 2 the other way round but I am fairly certain that this is correct.

Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii ‘Doorenbos’ (‘Snow Queen’) – sadly no pictures but it looks true to name.

Betula costata – easily the largest tree now and the quickest growing in the birch avenue.

Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii ‘Knightshayes’.

Betula pendula subsp. szechuanica ‘Liuba White’.

Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis – the best catkins today.

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii ‘Jermyns’.

Betula utilis jacquemontii ‘Silver Shadow’.

I wonder how many of these pretty similarly barked birches are correctly named or were correctly named when we planted them? Betula dahurica ‘Maurice Foster’ appears to have died. All the name changes in Kenneth Asburner’s book have not helped but the original listings on the planting plan do not quite match the labels on the trees today. I am reasonably confident that these 9 semi-mature trees are pretty close to what they should be based on Kenneth Asburner’s book. The research has taken some time! I have renamed in accordance with the latest reclassification. The planting plan lists B. szechuanica ‘Rubra White’ – this is correctly today Betula pendula subsp. szechuanica ‘Liuba White’ which was a Roy Lancaster introduction named by Thornhayes Nursery.

2023 – CHW

Several house martins over the lawn and around the house today. About a week earlier than usual.

The final Michelia cutting yesterday afternoon before 12 hours of strong wind and rain overnight. We were lucky to get everything cut in the day.

Michelia maudiae with a gorgeous scent and silvery undersides to its leaves.

Michelia floribunda var tonkiensis. Despite its name the smell of the flowers is far from attractive.

This a natural hybrid between Michelia doltsopa and Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’. Well worth a name and quite outstanding. It will perhaps be the best thing flowering in the exhibit unless it drops overnight. Very silvery undersides to the leaves. We must propagate this next autumn.

This is the conventional Michelia doltsopa which Michael Levett grew from a seed and is now 30-40 feet tall in the Rookery. The undersides of the leaves not so silvery. There are 4 seedlings Michelias in the Rookery with different leaf forms and flowers.

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Champaign’ flowering for the second time in Old Park as we cut Michelia ‘Fairy White’ which is nearby.

Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’ with rounded flowers and so many that the branches are bowed over with the weight of them.

Michelia doltsopa x Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’

The Michelia doltsopa at Donkey Shoe which has red indumentum on the undersides of its leaves. Previously called Michelia manipurensis until Dandy reclassified it in the late 1920’s. To my mind this is still properly M. manipurensis or M. doltsopa var. manipurensis as I argued in a recent RMCG Yearbook article on Michelias. Yellowish in bud; opening white.

Around 30 cut Michelia species and hybrids piling up ready for the CGS Wadebridge Show. I doubt anyone has ever exhibited as many Michelias at a show in the UK?

The Michelia stand completed with Michael, Paul and Rob.

On the stand Michelia floribunda – as we have always known it. Yellow in bud but less yellow this year than last. Is it floribunda? Tom Hudson says just another form of M. doltsopa.

Michelia cavaleriei (not M. macclurei as we had previously thought).

Michelia doltsopa x Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’ – Jim Gardiner says worth an FCC award which he will support. This was a seedling raised by Michael so he needs to name it and then we try to register with the Magnolia Society International.

Michelia maudiae.

Michelia ‘Fairy White’.

Michelia cavalieri.

Michelia doltsopa.

2022 – CHW

Rhododendron sutchuanense still in full flower six weeks later than normal as evidenced in this diary.

Azalea ‘Yorozuyo’, one of the Wilson 50, on Rookery Path. Semi evergreen and out early this year. Huge clumps growing in nearly full shade. Branches spread laterally and flat as you can see.

Above the Green Gate is what I suspect might be Azalea ‘Oino Mezame’ – another old original plant from the Wilson 50. This is subject to checking by Polly Cooke in due course who is the authority on the Wilson 50 story.

Another aged and declining azalea in the original Wilson 50 planting area. Could this be Azalea ‘Ima Shojo’? Semi evergreen.

And what is this one which is nearly on its last legs nearby? A semi-evergreen white but with a very different habit to ‘Yorozuyo’? Could it be ‘Hachika Tsugi’? Doubtful. Upright habit.

I do not know why we have not had Camellia x williamsii ‘Les Jury’ in the collection here until recently. Certainly one to add to the propagation list. An excellent red.

Camellia reticulata ‘Larry Piet’ with full size flowers for the first time here. Good but not that different. Plenty of cutting material here already.

Camellia reticulata ‘Lovely Lady’ – less like a conventional reticulata variety perhaps but nice enough.

Magnolia ‘Felix Jury’ and Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’ both nearly over.

This is very probably not a Wilson 50 variety but in the same clump on Burns Bank are two other azaleas which have yet to flower. One is, I think, Azalea ‘Hoo’, or that is what I have always known it as. None of the Wilson 50 appear to have erratic stripes in their flowers as does this one.

2021 – CHW
A one-hour webinar on magnolias for a gardening group or club based in Norfolk. 140 viewed the talk and, they hope, a further 700+ on YouTube. Ten minutes of magnolia chat, 35 minutes of a magnolia slideshow and 15 minutes of real magnolia flowers in front of the screen. Only two questions from participants so started at 7pm and finished at 8.10pm. A lot of work and effort to prepare. Quite draining especially as not being able to see any of the participants you have no idea if they are enjoying it or not. Feedback positive!

A visit to Trewithen to see the major new projects in the garden. A generational change and major revamp of the main garden, lakes, and farmyard / former nursery area.

The row of Ilex cyrtura are virtually leafless except at the very top of these 50-60ft trees.

A record Nothofagus cunninghamii.

Laurelia serrata with an even more trailing habit than ours. A wall of trailing green.

Kerrya japonica ‘Pleniflora’ (‘Flore Pleno’), the double flowered form which we used to stock at Burncoose and should do again. It used to be a popular border shrub but has recently fallen out of fashion.

Quercus salicina in the Coronation Planting. Two rather different forms of this attractive evergreen oak which were a gift from Tony Kirkham and Kew. A holly like leaf and a dense mounded habit to this unusual evergreen oak. Perhaps a cutting or two one day?

An extraordinary wisteria growing up into a plane tree although its roots and trunk are yards away. Presumably, the wisteria once grew up a nearby but now long-gone tree. A huge trunk.

The new series of three lakes which have just been installed.

Back at Caerhays the best Rhododendron macabeanum is just out.

Magnolia x veitchii from Cholipo planted above Green Gate.

2020 – CHW
A gentle, happy day planting out rhododendrons from Rookery Nursery Bed. Many scented ones and some species which mainly came here three to four years ago as small bare root plants from Glendoick nursery. The trouble with their mail order stuff is that you have to have the facilities to grow it on to a size where you can then plant them out. Even then you do lose quite a few. All are destined for the very best places in the garden. Scented rhodos are very short lived and need to be in total shelter where they can be seen usually by a path. Not easy to find space and the excellent plants of Rhododendron griffithianum and Rhododendron fortunei have to go to Old Park where there is still plenty of room for large growing rhodos to be planted 5m or so apart. The more obscure and new rhodo species (including Rhododendron yuefengense) will fill the space left in the old orchid house nursery.

The contractor who digs out dead stumps etc has turned up today as well with his mini digger so this part of the annual routine can be completed too. He may create some more planting spaces but we have now put out just about everything sizeable enough to go out already for this year.

I suppose the garden team ought to be growing vegetables but where? We have cancelled the work to clear the old kitchen garden this spring (sadly) and the new, adjacent, pheasant pen to save cash. However I suspect that with Pengelly Farms and Southern England Farms growing potatoes and veg on the estate we will not go short of either locally.

Lots more friends and acquaintances ring and email with good and sad news about their predicament. My daughter, Serena, was in isolation having been abroad recently but has now been ‘furloughed’ although, I suspect, still doing some work. John and Katie are holed up in Bristol and the grandchildren are enjoying having daddy home all the time but asking why they cannot come down here. The two cancelled weekend visits earlier in the year (mainly due to sickness by both in the car) now look a mistake.

Rhododendron suoilenhense just coming out.

Some smellies being placed out for planting.

The hedge of Camellia x williamsii ‘Brigadoon’ very fine in the sun. It does not seem that long ago since we cut this whole lot down to provide buds and sprays for a Dutch contract but I guess it is 10 years now.

Berberis wilsoniae just coming out below Slip Rail.

Amelanchier lamarkii growing as a tree and just coming out in full flower.

Lindera triloba looking quite pretty but you could easily miss it.

Brock and part of Nicky come between Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’ and Tetrapanax papyifera which is just now in leaf.

Our huge Stachyurus chinensis (longer flower tassels than Stachyurus praecox) is now full out and splendid. I fear it will soon die from over flowering and over seeding which it does every year.

Some good young plants of Rhododendron arboreum ‘Sir Charles Lemon’ with their first flowers at least that I have seen.

Magnolia ‘Genie’ is now coming out properly with only a few premature windblown flowers frosted. The start of the typical white edging on the petals can be seen here which is another plus alongside the very dark colour. So much better than ‘Black Tulip’!

Camellia reticulata ‘Red Crystal’ is one I have seen before. Nothing like as good as the double flowered Nuccio’s Nurseries varieties growing in the Tregothnan reticulata collection but probably worth Asia propagating.

The first native bluebell I have seen (half) out.

A few dullish new and rare conifers planted in 2017 in the Isla Rose Plantation.

Callitris oblonga – feathery new growth.

Thuja koraiensis – nice silvery undersides to the branchlets.

Cupressus austrotibetica – a new introduction in ‘New Trees’.

Taiwania cryptomeriodes – we have two others now of this drooping conifer.

This is another first flower (unimpressive) on Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x ‘Betty Jessel’ (2017 planted). Doubt it is true to name.

Rhododendron edgeworthii x leucaspis full out by the greenhouse.

Asia’s cuttings of Michelia ‘Mixed up Miss’ have prospered. Now in 3L pots and already flowering well.

Beautiful young growth on Koelreuteria bipinnata in the frame.

Aesculus glabra ‘April Wine’ living up to its name with leaves and flowers coming already.

Still a few faded flowers on Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ two and a half months and many storms since it first showed colour. Amazing for a magnolia to last this long this early in the year.

Still decent flowers tucked away on the Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba Group’ seedling at the bottom of the Auklandii Garden.

The huge Drimys winteri var. latifolia nearby is full out.

2019 – CHW
It is getting very dry here now and we all need rain – especially the newly sown farm crops. Thomas and Fia Williams on a garden tour with their children Mia and Alfie. Tom and Fia will move into Werrington in the next year. A few gardening tips perhaps for management of the Chinese Garden at Werrington in the future. No doubt we will be competing against each other at the Cornwall Garden Society show at Wadebridge next weekend.Dad’s last (dark red) rhododendron hybrid. Sadly unnamed. I must look up the parentage or ask Jaimie. A Rhododendron griersonianum hybrid by the look of the leaf indumentum.

Dad’s last (dark red) rhododendron hybrid

First flower on Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ at least a month early. Scent gorgeous in the sun.

Lizzie with ‘the pack’ below Burns Bank. Rio and Billy are both nearly 14 but Billy has just been invited to be a Daddy for the first time so spring is in his step!

Mia and Alfie still ‘standing’ after their first two hour garden tour!

Several video clips of plants in the garden for my vlog this week, Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’, Podocarpus salignus & Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ a cross by our Head Gardener Phillip Tregunna in the 50’s.

2018 – CHW
It is not an ‘April fool’! The magnolias are finally performing as expected after the first 30% were wiped out in the cold. Today the two Magnolia x veitchii ‘Peter Veitch’ are a stunning hundred foot high spectacle. The whole garden is shaking off ‘The Beast’ now rather quickly and there will be more for the Savill Garden show next weekend than I thought even 48 hours ago. It is still cold overnight but the forecasters were wrong about yet more snow here over the Easter weekend. The evergreen azaleas are just starting and might even make Chelsea in this now late season.White and pink forms of Rhododendron siderophyllum have ridden the frost well in several places.

White and pink forms of Rhododendron siderophyllum

Another rhododendron species puzzle. Not on the planting records of course but the closest I can see to it is Rhododendron vesiculiferum or Rhododendron floribundum? I may well be wrong. The leaves hang down a bit like Rhododendron coeloneuron but the flower is not what I know.

Rhododendron vesiculiferum or Rhododendron floribundum

A late flower on a Rhododendron grande seedling. The rest all frosted.

Magnolia ‘Albatross’ is nearly full out and totally unblemished by the cold. The second best magnolia in the garden today by Georges Hut.

Magnolia ‘Atlas’ is showing colour too further along the path. No damage!

Surprisingly the big leafed Rhododendron suoilenhense is opening fast. This may make the show bench on Friday. A bit early in fact after all this cold but the Rhododendron sinograndes are moving fast too now.

Magnolia ‘Crystal Chalice’ has a very faint pink tinge in bud and the tips of the flowers curve away from upright. No sign of frost damage.

Magnolia kobus ‘White Elegance’ has some frost damage but most of the buds are just about to break so no problem here either.

Prunus ‘Umineko’ is starting to come out but plenty of huge buds still breaking. A cherry tree of great merit which is a cross between Prunus incisa and Prunus speciosa.

Magnolia ‘Princess Margaret’ is poor. Small flowers blown open and damaged in the cold but we should be grateful for any tree magnolia producing something. Nothing like the real thing in size or colour.

2017 – CHW

A trip to look at more magnolias flowering for the first time but many distractions!

Rhododendron edgeworthii x leucaspis – the rhododendron season is rushing on and we rush to see it all properly!

Magnolia ‘March-till-Frost’ with its true flowers at the proper time. Much darker and muddier in colour in the second autumn flowering.

Camellia reticulata (white) flowering for the first time by the greenhouse. Entirely genuine and entirely new to us. We never knew there was such a thing as a white reticulata.

Stapylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’ with more flower than I have ever seen before on such a small tree. Fourteen years from planting.

One of the two old original Magnolia salicifolias full out. Poor picture I fear in drab light.

A fine Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ reigning above a rhododendron at its absolute best even without the sun. One of several seen in the garden today.

A young Magnolia ‘Yakeo’’s second flowering in Kennel Close. The 25 year old original plant is half dead as of last summer. Over flowering as it’s a ‘twice a year’ performer I expect.

Magnolia ‘Angelica’ – entirely new to me in its first flowering in Kennel Close. Nothing startling I fear.

Magnolia ‘Apollo’ – probably our largest plant of this in full display.

Magnolia sprengeri ‘Daisy Diva’ – we saw this last year with only the odd flower and were unimpressed and doubtful if it is actually a sprengeri but I am probably being rude to a magnolia breeder I know and like so shut up! Not a showstopper this year either.

Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’ – another new one to us. Make your own mind up?

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Lucy Carlson’ – another variation on a theme which I have done to ‘loebneri death’ in the last few days. Pinkish in bud but is it really different enough to merit a name?

Are you utterly sick of new magnolias yet?

Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’ is improving with age and at least deserves its name.

Carpinus japonica – first ever ‘catkins’ on this 10 year old tree which had good autumn colour featured on this blog last year.

Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ in full flower and not seen like this before.

The view of the various michelias from Donkey Shoe.

Rhododendron ‘Anne Teese’ from Glendoick just coming out. The ‘smellies’ are early.

AND now to the closing meet of the Four Burrow Hunt at the beach. Saw the first house martin by the big tower at 7.15pm. A day or two earlier than last year on a sunny day with brief heavy showers.

Here is our three vases of magnolias entry which came second and predictably/deservedly so at Boconnoc. No cup this year! Well done to those who finally beat us to it!

Cornwall Garden Society flower show at Boconnoc

2016 – CHW
Camellia x williamsii ‘Elsie Jury’ should be added to the list of genuinely excellent upright growing x williamsii varieties suitable for pots or growing as a hedge. That makes six photographed in the last few weeks or so.

Rhododendron grande is coming out genuinely late this year here and at Burncoose. It is often out in mid February. The Rhododendron sutchuanense hybrids alongside it are just going over and have been out for five weeks.

The same Magnolia campbellii Alba seedling does not look nearly as fine as yesterday without a blue sky to go with it. The close ups show just a hint of pink and a very campbellii alba shape.

Magnolia ‘Kews Surprise’ with M campbellii alba seedlings behind it is similarly drab today but what a setting!

The young Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’ is looking at its peak today. As I have said before, slightly darker in colour than our old plants.

The granite boulder from Penryn Granite arrives at the cashpoint / entrance to the garden with the KPK trailer and Jonny Cann. Arthur Broom and the fore end loader on the tractor are on hand to move it into place. A square in the boulder has been cut to hold the Christie’s/HHA Garden of the Year plaque which is to be presented to us on Tuesday. Hope it fits! This operation goes rather more smoothly and easily than I had expected or feared with the strapping holding up and only one bit of fiddling about to get it into the perfect position. Apparently the first boulder which Lucinda selected in the quarry was even bigger with a smooth polished face but, as the plaque square was being cut out, it split in two so what we actually have is a replacement. Hopefully rather cheaper than the £600 originally quoted which seems a little excessive for a bit of granite delivered by us.

I wait in vain for four hours for the visit of Ian Baldick, a renowned magnolia breeder from New Zealand, and a Dutch magnolia nurseryman who were due to arrive ‘soon after lunch’. No sign of them at 6pm and no phone call. Sadly half of planned garden visits at this time of year end up being hours of hanging around for people who are late! They eventually turn up at 9.50pm having inadvertently gone to Burncoose first! When do they eat ‘lunch’ in New Zealand?Lizzie has today had the original painting by Barbara Oozeerally which she gave us recently wonderfully framed. It is a life size Magnolia sprengeri Diva var Burncoose, accurate in every detail to the plant (52 years old) growing beside the conservatory at Burncoose and bred by Arnold Dance. A wonderful gift from a most remarkable magnolia artist. I doubt it will photograph properly but visitors can see it now on the castle tours (which I have to say are also a remarkable pain in the arse if you try to live and work amid them).

Jaimie, Michael and the team are off to stage our exhibits in the Cornwall Garden Society Spring Show at Boconnoc. One van breaks down on the way back which means a long day but Jaimie says the magnolia entries are ‘nothing special’ (apart from one I hope!).

Then Jim Pascoe, Chairman of the Fourburrow Hunt Supporters Committee, turns up to check out the dos and don’ts for tomorrow’s hunt meet at Porthluney beach. Do not go in the garden or Old Park we say (as usual) knowing not all the 100 or so riders will take any notice but there we are. It will be quite a spectacle for the unwitting garden visitors tomorrow and perhaps the New Zealanders too!

I saw the first house martin returning from Central Africa tonight on the lawn. A few days earlier than some years. Lizzie saw a kingfisher on the watermeadows yesterday and heard a skylark on Tuesday. Spring is here!

2015 – CHW

Planting of the new fernery goes well in Cheshire despite a strong gale. 11 specimen tree ferns planted in specially prepared stone troughs in part of a quarry alongside a dozen other varieties of fern, some evergreen and some deciduous. The fernery now requires water to trickle down through it to create the damp microclimate they all need but this is being sorted by a Dutch expert in water features who comes from Norfolk. Further planting of specimen trees and hamamelis along the entrance drive but all placed out by 12pm leaving James and his team to complete the planting before the bank holiday weekend.

1997 – FJW
Very fine Easter spell – Magnolias have been excellent but over.

1995 – FJW
Magnolias past their best – evergreen azaleas progress – camellia very good.

1990 – FJW
Very dry, very warm March. All deciduous Magnolias out at once – brozzoni, campbellii.

1973 – FJW
1 flower still on lapageria.

1972 – FJW
P.M.W died.

1970 – FJW
Snow – enough to whiten the ground – taking down Diva, Diva seedling in O.P, white Robusta, dark red Pieris and Charles Michael.

1960 – FJW
First cuttings taken out of electric frame – 57 Cam ‘Caerhays’ out of 52 put in. Some roots 15” long after 8 months.

1947 – CW
(Typed postcard attached to Garden Book page)
Award of Merit given to Camellia ‘St Ewe’ by R.H.S.

1941 – CW
The big storm of March 31st took down the Macrocarpa in cutting and several trees below drive and end of Old Park.

1933 – JCW
The daffs have never been better. Camellia speciosa most blooms of any plant. Magnolia sargentii is the best of all the magnolias open.

1931 – JCW
Daffs about their best. Magnolia’s speciosa, stellata and kobus open. Kobus is the best excepting Wilson’s big Denudata.

(Handwritten note attached to Garden Book page)
About March 1st, 1 Cam speciosa to P.D.W; 15 Cam speciosa to Michael, Caerhays; 5 to G.H.J.
28362 Mulinensis, 28365 Pulchella; 28366 Brevifolia; 28524 Meconopsis horridula; Gentiana nigescens.

1912 – JCW
An Auklandii flower open, nearly a record.

1899 – JCW
Narcissus Plemp open and 131.