7th January | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Seeds (gingers) persist on Zanthoxylum armatum.

Several of the Crataegus species in our new collection are making good headway and becoming established plants.

Still some leaf on 2023 planted Crataegus cuneata which may or may not be normal?

A newly planted Euonymus carnosus appears to be evergreen.

Euonymus huangii would seem to be semi-evergreen but this is its first season in the ground.

Jaimie had dealt with another leylandii casualty from Storm Ciaran.

Carpinus rankanensis still with a fair amount of leaves. Carpinus caroliniana has finally shed all its leaves but only in the last week.

Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ still keeps all its berries and remains a good show.

While Callicarpa shirasawanum has lost all but a few stragglers and has little to offer.

A large bit of the record Laurus azorica has been blown over in the last couple of days. Looks like a root sucker.

Lots of branches broken off an ancient Abies grandis below Tin Garden.

The end of an elderly Magnolia salicifolia or kobus which was nearly dead anyway.

Just to prove that the largest Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’ has no hint of colour at all (mentioned yesterday).

The original 1932 Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’ not yet out below Donkey Shoe but this Camellia reticulata seedling above the Aucklandii Garden is rather large and good. Well worth its position.

2023 – CHW
The last flowers on the ancient Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ on the top wall. Little sign of any pink in these now so I guess what we saw 2 days ago in the Rockery was also s. ‘Narumigata’.

The Hedychiums have been frosted and some have now collapsed back to their ground level rhizomes.

First flowers showing on Narcissus triandrus by the Dining Room window.

Camellia x vernalis ‘Dawn’ now full out. This plant has been heavily pruned over the years and is a thick bush with some leaf variegation.

Its neighbour is 15 feet tall and unpruned. A bit straggly in fact and the leaf variegation is less pronounced and more irregular on older growth.

The 1897 planted Magnolia stellata has shed the outer coating over its buds. In around 1906 it was out at Christmas in those ‘global warming’ years!

The 2 ancient Camellia x vernalis ‘Dawn’ and the, equally ancient, Magnolia stellata.

2022 – CHW
First flowers have been out about a week on Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’ – a faint but pleasant smell.

First flower on Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ but not yet on the one on the castle wall.

Magnolia lacei (Michelia pachycarpa) is clearly an evergreen despite the rather un-Michelia-like shape of its leaves.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ is often one of the very first out but no real sign of the buds swelling yet.

Gorgeous scent on the first flowers of Camellia ‘Cinnamon Candy’.

Excellent pruning behind the largest Schefflera taiwaniana.

A few lower branches off the Quercus acuta to facilitate visitors underneath and to try to stabilise the tree from collapse due to the weight of its branches.

2021 – CHW
It has been dry enough this week to start to leaf blow the main paths in the garden and dig out the drains. We can open on time on 14th February as planned but only, according to the Lockdown 3 rules, for outdoor exercise around a historic house and not as a ‘leisure’ or ‘recreational’ activity. I read that as being free entry as things appear to stand at present. In other words a gesture to the local community and not for tourists or visitors from further afield. How do we stop visitors from further afield I wonder? If they paid to park at Porthluney Beach I suppose that would seem a fair deal all round.

Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ (as it is now called rather than Betula albosinensis) is getting established. The bark matures to coppery red after peeling to reveal creamy white bark flushed grey and pink. A little of all the bark forms is shown here.

We left this old yew tree in the Isla Rose Plantation to try to grow climbing roses up it. Two failures so far in dry summers. The bark has all dropped off and it looks a bit odd in the evening light.

Berberis xanthoclada has some good red winter colour on parts of the bush. A quick growing and robust species here in the teeth of the wind.

Another young beech tree now nicely pruned up to make a decent, upright shade and windbreak tree one day.

Azalea ‘Hoo’ with a few rogue flowers. ‘Hoo’ is pale pink with a white throat but these rogues are clearly pure white which is rather a surprise. Perhaps a branch or two have sported?

Cyclamen hederifolium foliage has a wonderful marbled appearance. Large clumps all over the bank now but the earlier autumn flowers were not as impressive. Perhaps our late grass cutting removed some of the blooms.

2020 – CHW
I have noticed a few ripe cones on Cedrus libani falling to the ground with viable seed for Asia. The dogs have been chewing them up and bringing them into the house to make a mess recently. The bigger question is whether this tree on the bank is Cedrus atlantica (the ‘Atlas cedar’ from the Atlas mountains in Algeria and Morocco or the ‘Cedar of Lebanon’). C. atlantica is thought to be a subspecies of C. libani.So a bit of research and I conclude that I am still not really sure since both have similar barrel-shaped cones and both can have green leaves. On balance I think the leaves are more grey-green than green to I plump for C. libani which is what I bought it as 25 to 30 years ago.Some cones are ripe and dropping while others are still hard and maturing having only formed last summer.

Have a look at these pictures and correct me if need be!?

2019 – CHW
A young (planted 2012) Quercus canariensis has had some major storm damage in Kennel Close. One of the principal side branches has split badly and the tree has had to be completely reshaped with the whole side branch pruned out. In fact, as you can see, the small young tree now has a better leader and will become a far better tree as a result.

Serious rabbit damage to the base of a large 10 year old multi-stemmed Sorbus commixta which has now been surrounded (again) with rabbit netting. Fortunately they have only bitten through the outer bark and not penetrated to the bare wood so the tree should be able to recover. The roots as well as the trunk were attacked. At this time of the year rabbits do attack bark on trees as the grass seems not to have adequate nutrients for them. A bloody nuisance. However unsightly the rabbit netting is this is what can so quickly happen when you remove it!

2018 – CHW
Lindera obtusiloba will soon be breaking bud. A deciduous species of great merit. There is an elderly plant near the house at Rosemoor.

Mahonia leschenaultia is just coming into flower.

Still the odd flower on Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’.

Flowers soon to emerge on Aextoxicon punctatum.

A magnolia flower out in every month continues to be a reality. Here a Magnolia grandiflora hybrid.

And the seed head which we thought earlier might actually be setting seed (which is unheard of here for M. grandiflora) is still looking good. Asia needs to monitor it until fully ripe which may well be soon.

Stewartia sinensis continues to lean alarmingly. I wonder if we could not tie it back to a dead yew tree above it?

Just see how the bark formation has changed since we last looked at the trunk of S. sinensis which was then peeling at the base. Now splitting and fissuring to reveal different colours beneath.

Huge numbers of old seed pods remain on the S. sinensis tree. They all appear to be sterile on inspection.

Alarmingly early new growth on [???]. Some other leaves still there.

Totally dormant but healthy is Pentapanax verticillatus with rhus-like bark and buds.

Athrotaxus laxifolia looks to be dying from a distance but close up the new growth tips are green. Wind damage or on the way out? Not sure.

Mahonia japonica now full out with its lemon yellow flowers. In bud about two to three weeks ago.

Still plenty of young leaves on the banksian rose hard pruned last spring to revive it.

2017 – CHW
Stachyurus chinensis full of hanging flower tassels. The odd drop of rain still hangs there looking like an early flower but not quite yet!

Rhododendron lindleyi with huge buds to flower in April. Very swollen already.

2016 – CHW
The garlic is in full growth a good month early under the largest Magnolia veitchii. Not the common one – this one is a stinker!

Camellia ‘Jurys Yellow’ is full out on the bank above.

As is Camellia ‘Lady Clare’; perhaps the second japonica variety to show. The old one by the front door is not out yet but many of its buds have been blown off in the wind.

1968 – FJW
David picked first snowdrops of year.

1967 – FJW
Cold started.

1963 – FJW
Few flowers on Nov Pink – no sign of anything else. Snow but we missed the big blizzard.

1934 – JCW
Just as in 1932 C speciosa gives us the best flowers now but no Rhodo’s.

1932 – JCW
Caucasicums good again after late frost, Speciosa first open in the wood ( note, not quite over on May 12th), then on the wall new planting C speciosa, latest of all, Hamamelis are better than ever.

1930 – JCW
Late year C speciosa nice in the wood not on the wall. C sasangua over, Coums are late, mucronulatum good, lutescens fair, Erica hybrida fair.

1924 – JCW
Rather behind 1922, Coums are starting but most things are a fortnight later.

1922 – JCW
Hamamelis and mucronulatum v g, some Camellias are nice, C speciosa particularly so, C Coum is showing, C sasanqua is over, a few snowdrops.

1921 – JCW
Hamamelis and Erica hybrida are near their best and very fine. R mucronulatum is only fair. None of the 1912 stuff is good.

1912 – JCW
Aconites showing colour. Camellia sasanqua is yet very good, Coums nice, Ericas good, the first seedling trumpet show colour.

1907 – JCW
Measured Tree Fern frond broken by recent wind 10 feet 6 in by 3 feet 6 in.

1901 – JCW
Another Camellia, several roses about, frost for two nights.

1900 – JCW
I saw the first Lent Lily breaking ground – several roses going now, a snowdrop or two.