9th January

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955


2024 – CHW

The first daffodils largely eaten by pheasants.

first daffodils
first daffodils
The first flower is out on Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’. Surely an all time record for early flowering?
Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’
Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’
Another mature plant of Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ looking at its very best.
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
A week on and Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’ is suddenly full out beside George’s Hut. No colour a week ago.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’

2023 – CHW
First flowers showing on Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
First flowers just out on Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’. A bit later than usual.
Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’
First snowdrops just about out 2 days ago. The big clumps on Bond Street are much further on already.
snowdrops
snowdrops

2022 – CHW 
Everything sodden but little damage in the garden after yesterday’s deluge.The start of the laurel cutting on the way to Rookery Gate.
laurel cutting
laurel cutting
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ is still not fully out unlike all the other bholuas which are at their absolute scented best.
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’
Rhododendron mucronulatum rather battered but still a good show today in the sun.
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
A rather unnoticed clump of snowdrops above Bond Street are the first clump to be fully out this year.
snowdrops
snowdrops
The near white flowered Camellia x williamsii bred by my father with its first few flowers. A little pink in the buds.
Camellia x williamsii
Camellia x williamsii
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’ just starting.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’

2021 – CHW
Frosty but clear. A little ice still on the lake but only on the periphery. The two swans have reappeared and taken back their territory. Their one cygnet sulks in a corner.

Still plenty of flowers out on the ancient Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ on the top wall.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’
The vireya rhododendron species Rhododendron sororium is nearly over in a greenhouse. Yellow flowers with red stamens.
Rhododendron sororium
Rhododendron sororium
A youngish and new Camellia ‘Volunteer’ is full out. The flowers fade as you can see here and change colour. As good an early red camellia as ‘Takanini’.
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
Camellia ‘Volunteer’
First colour on the yellow form of Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’. About on time despite the cold spell.
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
This large and rare Symplocos dryophylla has been dying slowly over the last few years above Rogers Quarry. Dry summers probably but our other plants are nestled in even more shelter. The last bits of green leaves at the top have gone and it is for the bonfire and stump digger now this spring. Seedlings are coming on.
Symplocos dryophylla
Symplocos dryophylla
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’ now out below Donkey Shoe.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’
The Caerhays raised and registered Camellia ‘New Venture’ just out (japonica x ‘Gauntlettii’). A large flower which will open out flatter.
Camellia ‘New Venture’
Camellia ‘New Venture’
Camellia ‘New Venture’
Camellia ‘New Venture’
Rhododendron lutescens now has plenty of flowers but they are quite sparse on the old bushes.
Rhododendron lutescens
Rhododendron lutescens
Just one decent flower on Camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’ below Burns Bank so far.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’

2020 – CHW
With more time today I examine new things in and around the other greenhouses.Rhododendron nobleanum ‘Album’ bought from Millais in the autumn is just coming out. Pink in bud though! Tregothnan had this form on the main drive and Lord Falmouth often showed it over the years at autumn Garden Society dinners.
Rhododendron nobleanum ‘Album’
Rhododendron nobleanum ‘Album’
Rhododendron nobleanum ‘Album’
Rhododendron nobleanum ‘Album’

New things for us to plant out in the next two years:

Persea indica (BSWJ 12535) – another new and hopefully hardy species.

Persea indica (BSWJ 12535)
Persea indica (BSWJ 12535)
Quercus chapensis – seed from the 2015 oak conference in China and gifted (as a plant) to us by Margaret Miles in 2018.
Quercus chapensis
Quercus chapensis
Quercus chapensis
Quercus chapensis
A new species of unnamed Eriobotrya from N. Vietnam – also a gift from Margaret Miles. Very red leaves which may or may not hold through the winter.
unnamed Eriobotrya
unnamed Eriobotrya
unnamed Eriobotrya
unnamed Eriobotrya
Turpinia formosana – a gift from the Taiwan Forestry Institute. It would seem Asia has already taken cuttings!
Turpinia formosana
Turpinia formosana
Turpinia formosana
Turpinia formosana

New things which are coming on for sale on the Burncoose website.

A nice batch of (I assume) seed grown Michelia maccleurei. Perhaps Asia has won the propagation battle here?

Michelia maccleurei
Michelia maccleurei
A batch of Magnolia nitida.
Magnolia nitida
Magnolia nitida
Our stock plant of Camellia transnokoensis. We have lost plants outside in cold spots here before and during the 2018 ‘Beast’. Trewithen’s old plants have survived in more shelter.
Camellia transnokoensis
Camellia transnokoensis
A whole batch of new (to us) Podocarpus species from which we sold a few small plants at Hampton Court.
Podocarpus species
Podocarpus species
A nice batch of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus seedlings.
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus

An even better batch of Berberidopsis beckleri cuttings.

Berberidopsis beckleri
Berberidopsis beckleri
An already saleable batch of Bletharocalyx cruckshankii grown from seed from Tregrehan in only autumn 2018.
Bletharocalyx cruckshankii
Bletharocalyx cruckshankii
Another batch of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus seedlings one year older with distinct bark markings.
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus
Lithocarpus pachyphyllus

Along the top wall today.Newly bought in magnolias from Belgium and all new varieties to us. They need another year’s growing on in these frames before planting out and have recently been potted on.

magnolias from Belgium
magnolias from Belgium
Another batch of larger named magnolias to go out into the garden in the next two months. All neat and tidy!
larger named magnolias
larger named magnolias
Hydrangea serratifolia shows up well on the top wall as a vigorous evergreen but no flowers on this plant as yet. It looks quite different in leaf to the Burncoose one or the one in the recently fallen palm tree in the Chilean Garden area at Tregothnan. A variable species. This one bought in from Mark Bulk.
Hydrangea serratifolia
Hydrangea serratifolia

Jaimie has planted out five new Hedychium varieties along the top wall. Three are still in leaf today.Hedychium flavum (from the nursery)

Hedychium flavum
Hedychium flavum
Hedychium greenii (from the nursery)
Hedychium greenii
Hedychium greenii
Hedychium [?] (a gift from Jaimie’s garden before he moved to Spring Cottage recently)
Hedychium [?]
Hedychium [?]

2019 – CHW
Squirrels have been biting off camellia buds on one specific plant on the drive then dismembering them on the ground to get at the flowers and nectar/pollen therein. Fairly unusual but I guess one would seldom notice unless it was this obvious beside the tarmac. A few days ago I saw similar bud drop under a laurel which I wrongly assumed was wind damage.

camellia buds
camellia buds
First poorly shaped flowers on Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’ by the Four in Hand.
Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’
Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’
First actual flower buds on a wild daffodil. Sadly nibbled.
wild daffodil
wild daffodil

2018 – CHW
Polyspora longicarpa (WWJ 11604) is now full out and looking very fine for the time of the year.
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
Myrtus communis seedlings have germinated in a stack of conifer wood.
Myrtus communis
Myrtus communis

2017 – CHW
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ full out at Tin Garden but the flowers have been bruised by rain.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’

Camellia ‘Takanini’ (seen two to three weeks ago) is now full out in Kennel Close.

Camellia ‘Takanini’
Camellia ‘Takanini’

2016 – CHW
I had been meaning to see if any of the Michelia doltsopa were out following a prompt by Pam Hayward and the Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group website before Christmas. Now there are a few on the plant which gets the most wind to the north of Georges Hut. Normally out in March or April these few flowers have clearly blown open. Nevertheless they look fine but no scent although I did see some flies moving during my trip today.

Michelia doltsopa
Michelia doltsopa
Michelia doltsopa
Michelia doltsopa
The first time I have seen Tetrapanax papifera in flower although most of its leaves have blown off in the gales as usual. Hillier’s say it is supposed to flower in the autumn so not an early bird! The plant is right beside Georges Hut between the two big michelias. Certainly an oddity which confirms my dislike of these plants from Taiwan.
Tetrapanax papifera
Tetrapanax papifera
Tetrapanax papifera
Tetrapanax papifera


1982 -FJW
A very stormy and wet winter – moors more a river waiting to go to sea than anything else. But Blandfords Garden had 3ft of snow. The weather keeps him going whatever time!1958 – FJW
A V early year, most of Saluenense Camellias out – Nobleanum good. Mucronulatum by Red Linny excellent. Sutchuenense Hybs above Mary Christian nearly over. Magnolias too far forward.

1925 – JCW
Clematis cirrhosa has a few flowers, a very few Coum, bits of Rho’do as in 1917. R mucronulatum is the best and then R venustum. H mollis is really the best thing, snowdrops showing since Christmas.

1920 – JCW
Just as the above but less of excepting for the Hamamelis which is better. Cotoneaster salicifolia is nice and Bob’s heath is opening.

1917 – JCW
Some C Coums open, Hamamelis mollis very good, bits of R Lutescens, dahuricum mucronulatum, Thomsonii, nobleanum, Venustum and Racemosum section, Thomsonii x Arboreum are starting. The Engine House Camellia 1 flower out.

1915 – JCW
Coum is fair, some nice blood red Arboreums on the Beech Walk side, R mucronulatum is nice, snowdrops show, some Lapagerias left, a few C sasanqua, one or two trade Camellia including the early white near the Engine House which has been out a month.

1914 – JCW
Some Clematis fasciculiflora open, nice lot of Coum, Cirrhosa very good, not much else.

1900 – JCW
Some Aconite up.

1899 – JCW
Victoria breaking ground.