2025 – CHW
A meeting at Porthpean House enabled a late season tour of their camellia collection.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Lanarth’ is a really good single red. Registered 1960 as a seedling of C. ‘Kimberley’. I suspect this is not the same as the single pink Camellia ‘Lanarth’ that we know from Lanarth.
Camellia reticulata ‘Pagoda’ is a large tree at Porthpean.
Camellia japonica ‘Dear Jenny’ still full out.
Camellia japonica ‘Arch Duchess Augusta’.
Camellia japonica ‘Elegans Splendour’ (very different from ‘Elegans Supreme’) – a gentle pink.
Camellia japonica ‘Comte de Gomer’.
Camellia japonica ‘Mathotiana Rubra’ (otherwise known as ‘Te Deum’ or ‘Grand Sultan’ – but this is not one in the Trehane camellia book!)
A great clump of white Fritillaria meleagris (Snake’s head fritillary).
Camellia japonica ‘Pink Tinsie’ – this is the pink in bud opening near white form of C. japonica ‘Bob’s Tinsie’ – very good and compact/ small growing it was too.
2024 – CHW
An article written by my great grandfather in 1923 about new rhododendron species is attached. Tom Hudson brought it to a recent meeting.Frankie replanting the camellias below White Styles.
An article written by my great grandfather in 1923 about new rhododendron species is attached. Tom Hudson brought it to a recent meeting.Frankie replanting the camellias below White Styles.
The Battery Walk Arch has become rather grown in and covered in ivy. This week the problem was sorted out.
Prunus ‘Jo-Nioi’ at its best by the garden entrance.
Magnolia ‘Royal Splendour’ with its first flower at the sales point.
Rhododendron ‘Wee Bee’ and Rhododendron ‘Patty Bee’.
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’ just coming out.
Rhododendron morii at its best.
Rhododendron augustinii just coming out.
Rain damage in Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’.
Staphylea trifolia just out.
Syringa x diversifolia flowering better than ever before.
Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’ just out.
Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ below Tin Garden.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ badly marked by rain and hail.
2023 – CHW
The Easter Egg Hunt in the Rockery with Isla, Bea and Zara.
The Easter Egg Hunt in the Rockery with Isla, Bea and Zara.
Pink bluebells outside the Rockery.
Grandchildren feeding the cattle with increasing confidence.
The aged flock of Guinea Foul appear to be all male. Females all lost to foxes when nesting in earlier years?
Swallows in the air but, in the sun, a massive hatch of flies at the front of The Vean.
A Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ looking fantastic on The Vean drive.
2022 – CHW
Some good things out at the nursery today. At last we are again fully stocked post covid but most of the half standard trees have sold already.
Rosemarinus officinalis ‘Pointe du Raz’ making an impressive display.
Rhododendron ‘Taurus’ just out.
Magnolia ‘Golden Sun’ in the magnolia tunnel.
Magnolia ‘Sunburst’
Scabious columbaria ‘Pink Mist’ out in flower already.
Viburnum plicatum ‘Kilimanjaro’ about to flower.
Telopea speciosissima now full out.
Telopea ‘Braidwood Brilliant’ is not that different.
Santolina rosemarinifolia ‘Lemon Fizz’ with its bold yellow foliage is new to the catalogue.
As is Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’.
AND also Pulmonaria ‘Opal’.
Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’ out very early and ahead of all the other Geums.
2021 – CHW
Nursery visits today to try to buy up more stock in what felt like the great escape at the end of the school term. Shops were allowed to reopen, pubs with outside gardens as well, and our holiday lets suddenly become full. The roads were no fuller than of late, but I fear that the M5 will have been full of caravans. Certainly, I saw/suffered a few on the trip.Daphne pontica with more pointed and elongated flowers than in some forms.
Nursery visits today to try to buy up more stock in what felt like the great escape at the end of the school term. Shops were allowed to reopen, pubs with outside gardens as well, and our holiday lets suddenly become full. The roads were no fuller than of late, but I fear that the M5 will have been full of caravans. Certainly, I saw/suffered a few on the trip.Daphne pontica with more pointed and elongated flowers than in some forms.
Zanthoxylum acanthopodium which I had never seen before. All these zanthoxylum species are prickly ‘nasties’ but this one seems evergreen and especially so.
Syringa pinnatifolia in flower which it certainly is not outside here as yet.
Malus transitoria ‘Ruby’ still carrying last autumn’s fruits and just starting to leaf up and soon to flower. Read about this plant but I had never seen it.
I think this is Pimelia drupacea in flower which I had also never seen. An Australian shrub which reminds me of Ozothamnus and very attractive today.
Ilex x meserveae ‘Casanova’ nearly in flower and a great contrast. Again, never seen before.
Back home the laurel hedge cutting has made great progress in the main quarry. Cut now we have a chance of some regrowth cover by the autumn. The key question is whether to chop down (to reshoot) the original and huge Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’ (no) or the other two camellias behind it (perhaps).
Rhododendron augustinii now full out below the main quarry. This group are a paler colour than many others but what a gentle colour in the evening light.
