2022 – CHW
An exciting development. Jaimie has discovered a self-sown Camellia x williamsii seedling near Crinodendron Hedge which has bicoloured flowers and is markedly different from any other x williamsii variety growing or bred at Caerhays. Is it worthy of registration and naming? We think so but judge these three pictures for yourselves. Now we need to consider an appropriate name to try to register it as. Camellia x williamsii ‘Bicolor’? Or ‘Isla Rose’ after my eldest granddaughter? It is growing reasonably near the Isla Rose Plantation. Isla Rose not a bad selling name once we get this into propagation next year at Burncoose but other suggestions welcome.

Zanthoxylum armatum (NJM 11.080) continues to surprise. Ripe and red pepper seeds still in evidence and this species is an evergreen. Some of the nastiest prickles or spines you could wish for as well. Looks to be a large upright tree eventually which other species growing here are not.

2021 – CHW
Filthy wet day but much milder.This is a graft of Magnolia campbellii subsp. mollicomata ‘Lanarth’ which was taken from one of the original wild collected Lanarths growing at the top of the lawn at Lanarth near St Keverne on the Lizard where I expect it is also out today. This small tree is a beauty with the stunted growth of its parent, smallish rather rounded leaves, and true ‘Lanarth’ coloured flowers. The five or six original Lanarths at Lanarth are all slightly different in colour but not in habit. Most are in the walled garden there. Small spreading trees in old age from the 1930s which never have that many flowers but what a colour! Jaimie spotted this, our fourth magnolia to flower this year, above Orchid House Nursery bed. A better colour than the seedling Lanarth above Crinodendron Hedge but identical to the one on the bank outside the Georgian Hall whose buds still look tight which was planted in the mid-1950s and has only flowered three or four times.

After Helen Chen’s statement that Phyllostachys nigra ‘Megurochiku’ was very rare in cultivation and, in her view, one of the very best bamboo varieties I thought I had better photograph the canes and clump again. There seems to be a bit more running and spreading from the original planted clump than one usually sees in P. nigra itself. The canes are clearly still immature but the older ones are developing darker colouring just below the node. This is brownish-black with a hint of red at present. An attractive foliage effect too and planted in a good place for visitors to see and enjoy it in the future.

2020 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ is finally showing colour. I have checked this once a week since Christmas.

Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ now full out above the greenhouse. Rather late this year.

First flowers on Rhododendron ‘Golden Oriole var. Busaco’.

Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ full out.

Tillia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ stands out well in heavy rain.

2019 – CHW
Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ has sprung open, probably as a result of the north wind, since it was showing nothing three days ago. Jaimie has cut an excellent flower and brought it into the house as you can see.

2018 – CHW
Wind damage to the Schefflera taiwania seed heads which have blown onto the ground while still green and far from ripe.

A flower from Magnolia delavayi also blown from the tree in the gales

New growth well developed already on the evergreen Carpinus kawakamii.

First flowers at the top of Rhododendron ‘Crossbill’.

Likewise on Rhododendron ‘Bo-Peep’ (yellow form).

2016 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Tessa’ has a few flowers of a poor colour beside the clump of Rhododendron ovatum. Normally a semi evergreen but not this ‘winter’!