21st August

…Chicken of the woods Chicken of the woods Hedychium tengchongense ‘Trum Trom’ (WWJ 11964) is the first of the gingers to flower this year at last. Hedychium tengchongense ‘Trum Trom’…

18th February

…stocked and looking good for spring sales. Pittosporum and Ceanothus beds Pittosporum and Ceanothus beds Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ still with good red tints. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ Nandina domestica ‘Woods Dwarf’…

25th April

…woodland garden with a huge newly restored walled garden attracting 100,000 visitors a year. Lots of new planting and vigour from the Head Gardener, Claire Woods MBE. The Castle Gardens…

12th May

…Meliosma oldhamii Heard the first cuckoo calling at 10am from Old Park or Brownberry Woods. Saw three swifts at dusk last night which appear to be nesting in the castellations…

9th July

…were feeding so intensively that they never opened their wings to reveal which species they were. Speckled woods? Cirsium vulgare Cirsium vulgare Cirsium vulgare Magnolia tamaulipana was half out yesterday…

6th July

…uncinata Clematis uncinata 2022 – CHW Cotoneaster ‘Exburyensis’ covered in 40 to 50 butterflies. Mainly speckled woods I think. Cotoneaster ‘Exburyensis’ Cotoneaster ‘Exburyensis’ Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ at its best….

25th July

…the Cornwall Red Squirrel Project and a visit to the two red squirrel enclosures hidden in the woods. Both contain breeding pairs and it is possible that one pair have…

23rd January 1897 – 2020

…few nobleanum starting, the Hamamelis is at its best. 1914 – JCW A few snowdrops and Aconite, some good rhodo’s in flower in all three woods, mostly based in the…

30th June

…from France. Watsonia arderneri Watsonia arderneri Even more lovely is the delicate pink Watsonia ‘Tresco dwarf pink’. Not dwarf at all in habit but the flowers are perhaps small by…

19th July

…– dwarf growing. Monarda ‘Balmy Pink’ Monarda ‘Balmy Lilac’. Monarda ‘Balmy Lilac’ Silene maritima is a plant which I do think Burncoose and the website could usefully stock as a…

18th February 1897 – 2020

…ready in 3L in six weeksEucryphia ‘Dwarf’ – a tiny shrub of unknown origin Eucryphia ‘Dwarf’ Eucryphia ‘Dwarf’ Eucryphia ‘Dumpling’ – a bit like Eucryphia milliganii Eucryphia ‘Dumpling’ Eucryphia ‘Dumpling’…

3rd August

…plug liner? We used to stock this once and it sold well. What else is blue in flower in August? Commelia colestis Commelia colestis Sedum ‘Gold Mound’ may be dwarf

20th June

…ripe in the Isla Rose. Amelanchier bartramiana The dwarf Carpinus nimpoli? with reddish new growth. dwarf Carpinus nimpoli 2024 – CHW The next two windows to restore in St Michael’s…

16th April

…‘Admiral Spry’ Camellia japonica ‘Admiral Spry’ The dwarf Rhododendron canadense puts on a good show. Rhododendron canadense Rhododendron canadense 2024 – CHW We also forgot to propagate Rhododendron oreotrephes. Rhododendron…

6th April

…clump of dwarf narcissi which are just going over but have a superb scent. dwarf narcissi A pot of double flowered daffodils with a reddish orange centre are looking good…

26th March

…on the grower. dwarf growing forsythia dwarf growing forsythia 2016 – CHW A ghastly day of high wind and constant rain. Not a day for photography or the garden Easter…

12th July

…in the nursery Phantom Phantom Our taller growing Monarda varieties always look scruffy in the nursery even as they come into flower. Should we try dwarf growing ones like ‘Balmy…

14th February 1897 – 2020

…no idea. Helleborus orientalis ‘Annas Red’ Helleborus orientalis ‘Annas Red’ Helleborus orientalis ‘Annas Red’ Helleborus orientalis ‘Annas Red’ A nice showing of dwarf blue iris in pots too. dwarf blue…

9th February 1897 – 2020

…new variety. Helleborus Frostkiss ‘Cheryls Shine’ Helleborus Frostkiss ‘Cheryls Shine’ Vaccinum vitis-idaea ‘Fireballs’ was another brand new plant to us from Holland. Striking red berries on this dwarf and rather…

29th January

…varieties of Buddleia davidii in the collection and 14 new varieties bred by Longstock are now available in the nursery trade. We still offer the Nanho strain of supposedly dwarf