12th 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
A youngish (30 year old) Pinus insignis has fallen over the bridge at the top of the lake.

Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
I hear back from Trengwainton that their earliest ever flowering of Magnolia campbellii (in 25 years with them) was 21st January but no colour at all yet this year. Tregrehan also report back that they have no magnolias in flower. Caerhays is genuinely a front runner but in this week of frost not a ‘record’ which will probably last very long.
Rhododendron dauricum ‘Mid-Winter’ in a nursery bed.
Rhododendron dauricum ‘Mid-Winter’
Rhododendron dauricum ‘Mid-Winter’
Rhododendron dauricum ‘Mid-Winter’
Rhododendron dauricum ‘Mid-Winter’
Another interesting historical discovery.

2023 – CHW
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’ is out early with quite a variation in the colour of its flowers as you can see here. Some redder and some pinker. Pinker ones turn redder before dropping.
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
Camellia japonica ‘Volunteer’
First flowers just showing on the yellow form of Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’.
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
Camellia japonica ‘Hatsusakur’a (‘Dewatairin’), a Higo camellia, now well out.
Camellia japonica ‘Hatsusakur’a (‘Dewatairin’)
Camellia japonica ‘Hatsusakur’a (‘Dewatairin’)
The first flower out on Camellia japonica ‘Adelina Patti’ is a single red sport but then I find also a white frilled pink flower which is the true form.
Camellia japonica ‘Adelina Patti’
Camellia japonica ‘Adelina Patti’
Camellia japonica ‘Adelina Patti’
Camellia japonica ‘Adelina Patti’
The back of the laurel hedge below the Main Ride nearly finished.
laurel hedge
laurel hedge
A rather battered and poor first flower or two on Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance'
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’
First flowers out high up on Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’.
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia grijsii at its absolute best today and well scented. One side of the bush is a bit windblown but the other side perfect!
Camellia grijsii
Camellia grijsii
Camellia grijsii
Camellia grijsii

2022 – CHW
The sun has attracted large flocks of gulls of several species to enjoy the warmth. The swans seem unperturbed in their midst.
gulls
gulls
gulls
gulls
However a solitary Canada goose keeps its distance.
Canada goose
Canada goose
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’ and Tropaeolum ciliatum still in full growth.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’
Acanthus mollis in full leaf with Daphne bholua ‘Gurkha’ in full flower above it in a border.
Acanthus mollis
Acanthus mollis
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ can be smelt at, at least, 50 yards. Gorgeous today in the sun but Lizzie says she hates the smell which makes her sneeze. Hay fever in January – surely not!
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’

2021 – CHW
A depressing overcast and drizzly day to match the depressed mood of everyone you speak to on the telephone or by email. Even harsher lockdowns still are threatened by the government which presumably means a curfew and even less people at work. I really do wonder if we will be able to open the gardens on 14th February. The National Garden Scheme have today closed and cancelled all their garden openings for a month at least. The end of this misery still seems a long way off.So a look at some leaves and bark on evergreen oaks above Crinodendron Hedge.This is one of Lady Anne Palmer or Alan Coombes’ Mexian evergreen oaks; or so I thought! Planted in 2008 with a very distinct habit and bark colourings. Large leathery leaves and when I look further into the plans it is actually a Schima wallichii which I had forgotten about. We do have four separate species of Schima (khasiana, argentea and superba).
Schima wallichii
Schima wallichii
Schima wallichii
Schima wallichii
Quercus morii (CMBS 249-2003-1091) has grown very slowly and has some scorching. Planted 2009.
Quercus morii
Quercus morii
Quercus stenophylloides also has interesting bark. 2008 planted and evergreen.
Quercus stenophylloides
Quercus stenophylloides
Quercus stenophylloides
Quercus stenophylloides
Quercus stenophylloides
Quercus stenophylloides
This appears to be Lithocarpus corneus (CMBS 640-2003-1122) and also has interesting bark. It is however a different leaf shape from the L. corneus above the greenhouse. Lithocarpus lepidocarpus (CMBS 2003-1115) beside it is still tiny and has hardly grown at all. Struggling! (No photograph)
Lithocarpus corneus
Lithocarpus corneus
Lithocarpus corneus
Lithocarpus corneus
Lithocarpus corneus
Lithocarpus corneus
A young Quercus acuta bought in with rather larger juvenile leaves than our older plants. Bought in from Holland. Doing well.
Quercus acuta
Quercus acuta
Lithocarpus glabrata came from Crûg Farm and was planted more recently but is making good progress.
Lithocarpus glabrata
Lithocarpus glabrata
Lithocarpus glabrata
Lithocarpus glabrata
Quercus gregii (also Alan Coombes) is making good headway as a multi stemmed evergreen oak.
Quercus gregii
Quercus gregii
Quercus gregii
Quercus gregii
A clump of my father’s camellia hybrids which we always forget about from the late 1950s or early 1960s. Need to revisit when properly out.
camellia hybrids
camellia hybrids
Illicium anisatum will be out quite soon. A very ancient small tree grown in too much shade today.
Illicium anisatum
Illicium anisatum
Magnolia ‘Plum Pudding’ has only a few buds this year. Frosted in flower last season.
Magnolia ‘Plum Pudding’
Magnolia ‘Plum Pudding’
Magnolia ‘Susanna van Veen’ is shedding its outer bud coverings.
Magnolia ‘Susanna van Veen’
Magnolia ‘Susanna van Veen’
Magnolia ‘Genie’ is covered in bud.
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
The pruning of Nothofagus fusca is complete.
Nothofagus fusca
Nothofagus fusca
Daphne bholua ‘Darjeeling’ now full out.
Daphne bholua ‘Darjeeling’
Daphne bholua ‘Darjeeling’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’ beside it also.
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ still just coming.
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’

2020 – CHW
We are now switching to using sunflower seeds in the squirrel traps as the maize is not attracting them any more.

sunflower seeds in the squirrel traps
sunflower seeds in the squirrel traps
sunflower seeds in the squirrel traps
sunflower seeds in the squirrel traps
A blackbird with white markings seen in the village.
blackbird
blackbird
This is a camellia gall at the tip of a twig and not a flower!
camellia gall
camellia gall

2019 – CHW
First flowers on Osmanthus yunnanensis. Only a few bits of the old pollarded tree survive.
Osmanthus yunnanensis
Osmanthus yunnanensis
Laurus azorica covered in bud.
Laurus azorica
Laurus azorica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica full out on the lawn. A bit later than last year I suspect. The reference books say C. var. balerica has pale yellow flowers. These are yellowish in bud but fading to white.
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica
Clematis cirrhosa var. balerica

2018 – CHW
More evergreen azaleas out on the Main Ride. A clump of my father’s hybrids which are unnamed and quite dark in colour but not really that good.
evergreen azaleas
evergreen azaleas
evergreen azaleas
evergreen azaleas
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’ with its variegated foliage and single dark red flowers. Not to everyone’s taste but good today if you like your camellias a bit different. A good article in the yearbook of the International Camellia Society on camellias with variegated leaves this year.
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Camellia ‘Reigyoku’
Lindera triloba has suddenly ‘joined the dodo’. No obvious reason why after a good 15 years of growth here. No damage to the trunk at ground level and does not look like honey fungus. It was just starting to flower well.
Lindera triloba
Lindera triloba
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’ is nicely out but only just two years from planting.
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’
Xanthocyparis vietnamensis looked yellow and sick in the summer but is now flourishing again. Typical of some of the more unusual conifers before the new growth emerges? Here the new growth is still happening but frost risks severe. Easy to root from cuttings.
Xanthocyparis vietnamensis
Xanthocyparis vietnamensis
Xanthocyparis vietnamensis
Xanthocyparis vietnamensis

2017 – CHW
Very heavy rain all day. Cold north wind and snow up country. I think that the plants all knew this was coming and hence why, despite the mild autumn, everything is well behind last year. The garden has not moved at all from Christmas really and the camellias are definitely late overall.

2016 – CHW
Despite the thunder, hail and torrential rain over the weekend the magnolia outside the back yard continues to come out despite some damage. Now about a dozen flowers.

Magnolia outside back yard
Magnolia outside back yard
Magnolia outside back yard
Magnolia outside back yard

1997 – FJW
Thaw came and produced very mild weather.

1987 – FJW
The coldest day I have seen. 10° frost (10 a.m), 18° frost (10 p.m), moderate snow.

1978 – FJW
Fine unspoilt blooms of Trewidden Grande brought in by Philip.

1964 – FJW
Charles picked first snowdrop.

1935 – JCW
A few Lutescens, the best of the mucronulatum killed on Jan 11th.

1914 – JCW
Coums at about ⅓. Flowers are open on the following species of Rhodoⁿ chrysanthum, keysii, yunnanense, lutescens, blood red Arboreum, mucronulatum (vg), Fargesii, 2 or 3 Camellias.

1902 – JCW
Coums at their very best. The first Soleil D’or open.