I have been watching but suddenly Rhododendron arboreum ssp. delavayi var. albotomentosum is nicely out.

Oemleria cerasiformis out with its first leaves.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Golden Spangles’ full out with leaf variegation showing.

One week on Prunus ‘Kursar’ is now nearly fully out in flower. What a delight these early cherries are!

2019 – CHW
A fine sunny day just above freezing but warm weather follows next week. I am told by one of Cornwall’s vegetable growers that the long range forecast for May to July is for another drought.Magnolia sprengeri ‘Lamellyn’ on the drive has just a few flowers out. The small Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ on the drive has been blown open and severely damaged in the cold north winds.

Camellia ‘Grace Bunton’ has a variable semi double flower with pink buds and attractive pink edging to the petals. There are two plants just above the Hovel and this is very well worth propagating for the future.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’, the darker form of Camellia ‘Donation’, has survived the north wind intact by the Hovel.

2018 – CHW
Management meeting at Burncoose so time to have a look at some new plants in the nursery.The true Camellia ‘Desire’. We bought a batch of these last spring at the Trewithen nursery sale. Sadly they are not even faintly true to name.

Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Rubicon’ (‘Red Star’) looks completely dead at this time of the year. Unusual to say the least.

Asterotrichion discolor is a new plant to us and here flowering away in January for the first time. A bit like Atherosperma moschatum in terms of the flower but this is clearly not a small tree.

Azara integrifolia ‘Variegata’ looks particularly fine today. Wonderful colour combinations in the leaf.

Cornus officinalis is full out and very attractive today. Rather similar to Cornus mas?

Sycoparrotia semidecidua has extraordinary flowers and here they are spot on for late January. Completely deciduous here in the tunnel.

x Mahoberberis aquisargentii is a rarity but we have some good young plants for sale.

Hammamellis x intermedia ‘Diane’ full out.

Hammamellis ‘Arnold Promise’ is an unusual shape and just going over.

Sycopsis sinensis is an evergreen. You can easily see how sycoparrotia is a cross between sycopsis and parrotia. Both are excellent for early spring colour as an alternative to hammamellis.

I have never seen Lonicera nitida ‘Tidy Tips’ putting on its full winter show before. It looks like a heather from a distance. Excellent edging plant instead of box.

Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ is full out as one would expect.

Osmanthus yunnanensis full out as well.

So rather more to see today in flower than many might expect.

2017 – CHW
A check on which camellias are out from Top Lodge to Red Linney beside the drive which we have not yet viewed this year: Camellia ‘Desire’ – a better flower than we saw earlier

Camellia ‘High Hat’ – battered in wind and rain but still one of the most reliable early flowerers

Camellia ‘Apollo’ – full out

Camellia ‘Monica Dance’ – with nice stripes in the petals

A compact growing single red japonica of unknown name

Camellia ‘Gwyneth Morey’ – first flowers here. ‘Jurys Yellow’ – full out and almost over elsewhere.

Camellia ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’ – is a fantastic size and show

Camellia ‘Duchess Decazes’

Camellia Duchess D has ‘sported’ pure pink at the top

Camellia ‘Apollo’ – again with the irregular white blotches on some flowers as we expect

Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Blush’ – as labelled but perhaps incorrectly! Blush is pink in bud fading to white. These are just out but look pure pink! Time will tell.

2016 – CHW
Shooting over and time for a proper trip around the garden without a rush but still the magnolias rush out!
Outside the back yard Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ has a pink flower or two right at the top of the tree. Another record and six to eight weeks early.

Above the Auklandii Garden the big Michelia doltsopa is now full out and quite a picture from afar. Ten to twelve weeks earlier than normal.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Brigadoon’ has one perfect flower on the main ride by the tree fern. This clump was cut down about two and a half or three years ago and has produced a new thicket of new growth with huge flowers.

One of the two polyspora is full out at the top with its fine white camellia like flowers.

Eucryphia ‘Pink Clouds’ still has two flowers out which are four months late of six months early depending on your point of view. Quite extraordinary.

One of the original (and rather poor) Magnolia campbellii (white ish) is full out by Tin Garden. This was the first magnolia to show in the garden last year and is a good six weeks ahead in this record early year.

The Rhododendron ‘Penvose’ that had recently blown over has now been pruned hard and reinterred in the ground. It should soon shoot again.

Nearby Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybling White’ is now full out and as near perfect as I have ever seen it. One good westerly blow and it will however all be over. It is better today, albeit on an overcast day, than I have ever seen it before.

The magnolia opposite the new clump of Rhododendron williamsianum is showing colour. It looks like a hybrid/seedling of Magnolia sargentiana robusta.

Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’ above the rireii opening is showing colour.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ (Lanarth seedling) now has several flowers out but they are rather pale compared to most years implying that the wind has blown them open prematurely.