17th 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
No real frost here although the rest of the country has had a very cold week.

No apologies for again showing you Rhododendron nobleanum just going over. In an early year this is a late flowering for this species. Still a great show today and unfrosted.

Rhododendron nobleanum
Rhododendron nobleanum
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ at its very best and about on time.
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ hardly showing on the drive as we have seen elsewhere.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ still quite excellent near Top Lodge.
Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’
Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’
Camellia japonica ‘Desire’ now properly open but you only really see the pink petals from the side.
Camellia japonica ‘Desire’
Camellia japonica ‘Desire’
Camellia japonica ‘Desire’
Camellia japonica ‘Desire’
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’ sprouting lighter and darker flowers here and there.
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’
The very first flower this year on Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’. Perhaps my favourite x williamsii variety?
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’

2023 – CHW
Cold North wind but no frost yet.Fatsia polycarpa now out. Too big a plant now to photograph easily.

Fatsia polycarpa
Fatsia polycarpa
Another Schefflera rhododendrifolia (CWJ 9075) which I had forgotten about has a very different habit to the others. 8 feet tall with a truss of leaves only at the top. Bare single stem.
Schefflera rhododendrifolia (CWJ 9075)
Schefflera rhododendrifolia (CWJ 9075)
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ covered in flowers but dropping.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Rehderodendron kwangtungense still retains some leaves – nearly evergreen hare n a mild winter.
Rehderodendron kwangtungense
Rehderodendron kwangtungense
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ now full out with many fallen flowers on the path as a results of the strong winds.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’

2022 – CHW
First solitary flower on Camellia ‘Sundae’. None of the other newer varieties on Sinogrande Walk are showing as yet.
Camellia ‘Sundae’
Camellia ‘Sundae’
Acer pectinatum ‘Mozart’ glowing in the sun on Sinogrande Walk.
Acer pectinatum ‘Mozart’
Acer pectinatum ‘Mozart’
A paler form of Rhododendron mucronulatum below the fernery.
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Leaf shoots emerging already on Rhododendron mucronulatum.
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
The larger fernery in the sun – apologies for the poor picture.
fernery
fernery
Acer davidii ‘Karmen’ and Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ – an interesting contrast.
Acer davidii ‘Karmen’
Acer davidii ‘Karmen’
Plenty of buds showing on a Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’.
Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’
Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’
The first bedraggled flower on the Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ on the wall beyond the front door.
Camellia ‘Lady Clare’
Camellia ‘Lady Clare’

2021 – CHW
The elderly Camellia ‘Imbricata’ on the top wall just starting.
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
A small self-sown Camellia saluenensis seedling near a huge clump of Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’ (above Rogers Quarry) is clearly an interesting little cross. It has grown up through a holly tree. I have seen a Trewithen named variety very similar to this but cannot remember its name [I remembered: it is Camellia saluenensis ‘Isadora’]. A great find! Good colour and quite bold and dramatic in the sun. Just one flower out so far.
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ shows the flower shape clearly.
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Deer have nibbled the leaves on our best Quercus insignis.
Quercus insignis
Quercus insignis
First flowering of a cutting raised Camellia lapidea (ex Tregrehan 01/10/18) in the greenhouse.
Camellia lapidea
Camellia lapidea

2020 – CHW
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’ one year on from planting in a border is full out.

Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’ now full out by the side door.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’
First flower on Camellia ‘Lady Clare’. A bit later than usual but the first frost of the winter this morning.
Camellia ‘Lady Clare’
Camellia ‘Lady Clare’

2019 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ has had the odd rather decimated flower as we have seen over the last two or three months but here is a proper one bursting open. Again, we fear what might be coming weather-wise.
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’

2018 – CHW
Rhododendron mucronulatum full out in the sun despite a cold SE wind. A much darker colour on this old plant than on the younger plants elsewhere.
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum
A few days on and the snowdrops at the Four in Hand are nearly out.
snowdrops
snowdrops
snowdrops
snowdrops
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’ which are nicely striped in the sun.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Monica Dance’
Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’ in bud and flower with some wind damage.
Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’
Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’
Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’
Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’
Rather puny flowers (and late!) on this poor form of Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
More odd flowers of Azalea ‘Greenway’.
Azalea ‘Greenway’
Azalea ‘Greenway’

2017 – CHW
The Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ is just out and rather later into flower than last year by the side door. This is a replacement plant for one which died here after 12 to 15 years. A short lived plant. No scent on it yet.
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
The arum lily clump beside it is, as last year, quite untouched by our one night of frost (so far) and the recent hail and heavy rain. Where else in the UK would an arum look like this in January?
arum lily
arum lily
The original Camellia saluenensis (pale and dark) are starting to shed after the hail. The pale pink is a week ahead of the darker pink one. Quite a lot of white on the ground.
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis

2016 – CHW
Another magnolia is out in Bond Street. It is Magnolia Red Lion which is the same cross as Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ and therefore a lengthy flowerer. The colour is perhaps slightly less insipid than ‘Star Wars’ but the tree has a much less upright habit.
Magnolia Red Lion
Magnolia Red Lion

2005 – FJW
Flower on Mag. Bishop Peter – Nobilissima fully out.

1935 – JCW
Just as in 1935.

1932 – JCW
R parvifolium is over but has done us very well since before Christmas day. The double white Camellia has been nice since Christmas day and so the Hamamelis.

1924 – JCW
The best Rhodo’n after mucronulatum is R parvifolium, moupinense is nice, to C coums are fair, the hamamelis are going over whilst the Caucasicums have no buds this year like all the early rhodos. Clematis cirrhosa and snowdrops both open fairly well.

1913 – JCW
A good bit of cold and frost, flowers have been pushed aside rather.

1911 – JCW
Most of the coums open, it is the best thing now with the R nobleanum, some Anenome blanda show colour. Iris stylosa has been on and off since December, several roses going, a Camellia or two, also R barbatum is fair, and white Clianthus, a trumpet has been open 10 days under the big wall.