A pigeon’s nest now visible in a 2010 planted Prunus incisa in Kennel Close.

We have been watching Carpinus rankanensis for weeks to observe the late leaf fall. Still plenty of green leaves today on the 2010 planted tree.

Callicarpa pilosissima (NMWJ 14508) still fully evergreen.

Callicarpa (TH 2754) with its first berries on show.

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

The horrid remains of a drought starved rhododendron.

2023 – CHW
To the Top Lodge down to Red Linney to see which camellias are out here.Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’

Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxy’

Camellia japonica ‘Carter’s Sunburnt’ – one battered flower only.

Camellia japonica ‘High Hat’

Camellia japonica ‘Alba Simplex’ a bit battered.

Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’ above OHN looking superb.

Camellia ‘Cornish Spring’ with its early flowers hidden inside the bush. Earlier than usual.

2022 – CHW
The 1897 planted Magnolia stellata has once or twice come out in January. The buds are swelling nicely but I doubt that we will see colour this month.

The Spanish bluebells are now showing up vigorously.

Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ has been battered by the rain but is now attempting to come out properly.

Camellia ‘Yuletide’ almost over and rather battered too.

Massive flower drop under the record sized (unnamed) Camellia x williamsii outside the front arch. There will still be a few flowers left until April if it is a ‘normal’ spring.

2021 – CHW
A few more rogue flowers out on the Rhododendron davidsonianum hedge behind Donkey Shoe.

A large flowered Camellia reticulata which should probably have had a name hidden away near the new species of Rhederodendron. Predates the camellia planting just above/behind Donkey Shoe by the look of it. Before my time!

A young Schefflera aff. pauciflora from Crûg produces ripe berries for the first time. Never saw the flowers.

Then a viewing of the evergreen oaks above the greenhouse to marry up with those photographed recently above Crinodendron Hedge.
Lithocarpus corneus (label missing) Multi stemmed with bark much more like young Lithocarpus pachyphyllus.

Quercus wizlizenii with attractive bark. Planted 2007 and now 15-18ft tall. Similar to Quercus agrifolia in the Rookery.

Quercus unknown and not on the plan – annoying. More or less evergreen.

Lithocarpus lepidocarpus (CMBS 2003-1175). Planted 2009.

Lithocarpus corneus with deer damage to the stem. Does not look quite the same as the ones photographed earlier but in more shelter.

Another larger Lithocarpus lepidocarpus which has had more shelter. Attractive bark again. Planted in 2009 and now 12ft or more.

A good show on Camellia x vernalis ‘Yuletide’.

Circa 1980 planted Acer kawakamii (syn. caudatifolium) is dying in the Auklandii Garden and the rotten branches cut out but the rest will die soon. Another infection of a snakebark maple. Tedious but now a regular occurrence in older snakebarks in many woodland gardens.

The supposedly record sized Pittosporum eugenoides ‘Variegatum’ in the Auklandii Garden. It is now crowding out a patch of once layered rhododendron hybrids of my father’s (taken from the Rookery) but we dare not cut it down now.

Lithocarpus species currently in the Caerhays collection:
L. cleistocarpus | One elderly original. One 40 years or so old from a cutting from the original.
L. hancei | Donkey Shoe – original introduction
L. pachyphyllus | Several of varying ages – some original
L. uvariifolius | Original
L. variolosus | Nigel Holman wild collected
L. edulis | A sucker from the original tree survives – identity has been queried
L. corneus | Alan Coombes. Identity needs checking – see New Trees.
L. lepidocarpus | Alan Coombes
L. glabratus | Crûg Farm or Pan Global but looks different to one at Rosemoor?Need to find:
L. kawakamii | Tregrehan have
L. densiflorus
L. dealbatus
L. henryi

2020 – CHW
This is what the fallen tree mess looked like at the Green Gate yesterday.

A bit of a tidy up in the Auklandii Garden – a few dead things and a bit of pruning.

First flower out on Rhododendron ririei. Again this is a little later than in recent years.

2019 – CHW
The first Michelia doltsopa is now showing colour: The first flowers have appeared on large plants which were planted out in 2010 when they were about four to five years old anyway. Frost is forecast for next week so this may be the last we see of them.

2018 – CHW
Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Aureomarginatus’ is making a nice show amid the showers. Not a bad ornamental plant for a dark corner. Here it is being enveloped by a podocarpus.

This oak limb quickly cut up and sorted after the gales.

The moors (water meadows) are heavily flooded today. The pampas grass on the islands in the lake seems to be floating on the (invisible) islands. Cock pheasants fight each other amid seagulls, ducks and oyster catchers. The swans are up in the water meadows with 200 or so gulls including a few horrid black-backed gulls. Clearly resting inland after the many recent gales. A pity I do not have a lens for taking better distance photos. With no more rain the flood will quickly subside when the tide is out.

2016 – CHW
The unusual New Zealand Fuchsia exorticatica is more or less full out with its odd and rather hidden green and purple flowers protruding from the stems. A spring flowerer normally.