29th April

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

Mount Stewart is rightly said to be the greatest garden in Ireland. Largely the creation of Lady Edith Londonderry between 1921 and 1959 it today belongs to the National Trust and attracts 250,000 visitors a year. 18 gardeners and 160 acres. Mike Buffin, the head gardener and garden advisor for NT gardens in the north, showed us around.

We lunched in the main house with Lady Rose Lauritzen who still lives with her husband in part of the house. The main Chinese influence on Lady Edith was not Forrest but Kingdom Ward. The rhododendron collection is aging and getting rather grown in especially after lockdown neglect and a major loss of labels. Much to do to start new clearings and remove saplings and increase overhead light. Mike gets this and, encouragingly, Mount Stewart has its own nursery growing replacement plants. We saw a huge bed of Rh. thomsonii grown from seed.

The front of Mount Stewart House.

The front of Mount Stewart House
The front of Mount Stewart House
The front of Mount Stewart House
The front of Mount Stewart House

2023 – CHW

A long night without a sleeper car after the Garden Society Dinner in London and a Brightwater Holidays garden tour for 42. Then opera in the hall!

Holboellia latifolia ssp. chartacea grows from a single stem up into the top of the adjacent Camellia x williamsii ‘Delia Williams’. Easily the best flower I have ever seen on the any Holboellia species.

Holboellia latifolia ssp. chartacea
Holboellia latifolia ssp. chartacea
The spectacular new growth on the original pale and darker forms of Camellia saluenensis cut down last summer by the ladies loos.
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis
Prunus ‘Jo-Nioi’ nearly over after only a week.
Prunus ‘Jo-Nioi’
Prunus ‘Jo-Nioi’
A young Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’ with flowers.
Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’
Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’
A similar young plant of Magnolia ‘Green Bee’.
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Exochorda tianschanica.
Exochorda tianschanica
Exochorda tianschanica
New growth on Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’.
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Rhododendron hanceanum (Wilson 4255) at Rosemoor last weekend. Here are the details of this rare and original plant which still grows above the top wall.

2022 – CHW

Steve Dance took this photograph of Camellia ‘Spring Festival’ (C. cuspidata x unknown pollen parent) at Rosemoor near Lady Anne Palmer’s former house. Has it been clipped into shape or does it just have a very erect and upright habit when mature? Jennifer Trehane’s book confirms that it does have an upright habit. Bred in California in 1976.

Camellia ‘Spring Festival’
Camellia ‘Spring Festival’
Steve also took these pictures of Magnolia (Michelia) champaca in a glasshouse at Kew in early April. We have just ordered plans from Nick Macer but perhaps doubtful hardiness?
Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
This is the last of the potential original Wilson 50 azaleas for Polly Cooke to help try to identify. A group of three elderly plants up from the Green Gate. We now have quite a file for Polly in this early flowering year.
Wilson 50 azaleas
Wilson 50 azaleas
Wilson 50 azaleas
Wilson 50 azaleas
The final bit of tree clearing outside the Kitchen Garden towards Giddle Orchard.
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
Kitchen Garden
The stream has also been dug down around 4ft to its original level.
stream
stream
stream
stream
You can now clearly see the extent of the wall repairs so far completed and how much more is necessary to rebuild and re-slate the top of the walls.
wall repairs
wall repairs
wall repairs
wall repairs
Last time the walls were cement and stone capped.
walls
walls
Quite a lot of intact slates have been dug out and put aside from the tree clearance but nowhere near enough to replace all that is missing/broken from tree damage and wall collapses.
slates
slates
Tree stumps to kill off around the old middle greenhouse too.
Tree stumps
Tree stumps
Tree stumps
Tree stumps
A huge pile of timber and the stock fence back in place.
timber and the stock fence
timber and the stock fence

2021 – CHW
Spraying around the plants in Kennel close today Jaimie spotted:Carpinus tschonoskii producing its first ever flowers.
Carpinus tschonoskii
Carpinus tschonoskii
Quercus bushii ‘Seattle Trident’ with its superb pink new growth.
Quercus bushii ‘Seattle Trident’
Quercus bushii ‘Seattle Trident’
Salix magnifica also with its first flower here.
Salix magnifica
Salix magnifica

At last, the east wind has gone.

A session with Asia to pin down the names of the 16 camellias planted in 1977 behind Donkey Shoe that were cut down to reshoot six years ago. Perfect cutting material here for the autumn. Of the 16 only 11 have survived (one was moved) and the old plans take a bit of working out with the reference books to get the names of what are left absolutely right and labelled accordingly. One remains unlabelled and not on any of the plans and one of the reticulata varieties disliked being cut down and died. The other missing plants may have been killed off when those around them pinched all the light.

Camellia ‘Julia Hamiter’
Camellia ‘Julia Hamiter’
Camellia ‘Julia Hamiter’
Camellia ‘Bob’s Tinsie’
Camellia ‘Bob’s Tinsie’
Camellia ‘Bob’s Tinsie’
Camellia ‘Ada Pieper’
Camellia ‘Ada Pieper’
Camellia ‘Ada Pieper’
Camellia ‘Wilbur Foss’
Camellia ‘Wilbur Foss’
Camellia ‘Wilbur Foss’
Camellia ‘Wilbur Foss’
Camellia ‘Wilbur Foss’
Camellia ‘Dear Jenny’
Camellia ‘Dear Jenny’
Camellia ‘Dear Jenny’
Camellia ‘Cecille Brunazzi’
Camellia ‘Cecille Brunazzi’
Camellia ‘Cecille Brunazzi’
Camellia ‘Grand Slam’
Camellia ‘Grand Slam’
Camellia ‘Grand Slam’

2020 – CHW
The government have very efficiently reimbursed us for the 80% of the wages paid last week to our staff who have been ‘furloughed’. Amazing that under all this pressure HMRC has performed miracles.Apparently the cost is already £4.5bn countrywide and there will be another month’s wages due in about four weeks’ time.No sign of the BBC letting anyone say ‘well done’ of course. The minute’s silence for deceased NHS workers held the headlines for yesterday.This is state totalitarianism but with benign intent which is something of a contradiction in terms. However I do wonder how many of those furloughed will actually find that they have jobs to come back to in the highstreets, catering and hospitality sectors. Social distancing will mean huge cuts in staff numbers.The tiny corner shops have had a bonanza and the supermarkets have tightened their grip on their monopoly of food sales but what of the rest of the food industry who supply the events and hospitality market? As with all draconian impositions there are winners and losers.Unemployment is projected to rise by five million and, it is claimed, that one in four small businesses will never reopen. ‘Deaths’ are impossible for politicians to countenance on their watch in an epidemic but it may yet be that herd immunity (as in Sweden) was the cheaper option and a far more realistic one for our economic future and wellbeing.Juniperus recurva var. ‘Coxii’ has made a beautiful tree tucked away in shelter behind some ‘Cornish Reds’. It is now available (cutting grown) in the nursery from Asia’s propagation which needs to continue.
Juniperus recurva var. ‘Coxii’
Juniperus recurva var. ‘Coxii’
Juniperus recurva var. ‘Coxii’
Juniperus recurva var. ‘Coxii’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula Aurea’ I bought from Lees & Co 20+ years ago. It did a few Chelseas and is now doing well here. Wonderful colour on its trailing branches.
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula Aurea’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula Aurea’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula Aurea’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula Aurea’
Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ Magnolia tripetala x (M. tripetala x Magnolia obovata) has a very distinct leaf shape which says tripetala and one bud!
Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ Magnolia tripetala x (M. tripetala x Magnolia obovata)
Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ Magnolia tripetala x (M. tripetala x Magnolia obovata)
Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ Magnolia tripetala x (M. tripetala x Magnolia obovata)
Magnolia ‘Silk Road’ Magnolia tripetala x (M. tripetala x Magnolia obovata)
A young Magnolia sieboldii sinensis flowering (true) for the first time.
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis
Magnolia sieboldii sinensis
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Mishiko Renge’ now full out.
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Mishiko Renge’
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Mishiko Renge’
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Mishiko Renge’
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Mishiko Renge’
After the rain several rhododendrons are bowed down with the weight of their flowers. Here ‘May Day’ but even the evergreen azaleas are a bit askew.
Rhododendron ‘May Day’
Rhododendron ‘May Day’
As good a bluebell bit as we have in the main garden near Rogers Quarry.
Bluebells
Bluebells
Illicium majus is making a fair tree. Good new growth.
Illicium majus
Illicium majus
Illicium majus
Illicium majus
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalacian Red’ coming out a bit more.
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalacian Red’
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalacian Red’
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalacian Red’
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalacian Red’
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’ just in leaf – impressive! Sale of the genus ailanthus is now banned under EU regulations as an ‘invasive species’. We have had to remove it from our catalogue. What nonsense Plant Health make up to justify their existence.
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Ailanthus altissima ‘Purple Dragon’
Carpinus rankanensis has gorgeous veined and bronzy new growth.
Carpinus rankanensis
Carpinus rankanensis
Carpinus rankanensis
Carpinus rankanensis
Pterocarya rhoifolia just in leaf.
Pterocarya rhoifolia
Pterocarya rhoifolia
Pterocarya rhoifolia
Pterocarya rhoifolia
Jaimie has completed the planting up of the Rookery Nursery Bed with young azaleas and rhododendrons from Burncoose. Here they will sit for two to three years before being large enough to plant out.
Rookery Nursery Bed
Rookery Nursery Bed

We spent some time trying to properly identify and then label the 100 or so camellias growing beside the drive between Top Lodge and Red Linney. It was not easy as some had completely finished flowering but we have got many of them sorted out for Karol’s proper labels.

This is a Camellia lutchuensis hybrid still with a few small double pink scented flowers and gorgeous bronzy-red new growth.

Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
Camellia lutchuensis hybrid
A tail end flower on Camellia ‘Dr Burnside’.
Camellia ‘Dr Burnside
Camellia ‘Dr Burnside
Rhododendron serpyllifolium with its tiny leaves and flowers.
Rhododendron serpyllifolium
Rhododendron serpyllifolium
New leaves on Tilia miqueliana (I think) which was bought from Duchy Nurseries at the Royal Cornwall Show a long time ago. On the planting plans it is labelled as Tilia chenmovi which I cannot find in the reference books.
Tilia miqueliana
Tilia miqueliana

2019 – CHW

Part of today has been spent applying for a licence to shoot crows, magpies and pigeons (as well as Egyptian geese) which Natural England has, not very naturally, banned with no notice due to the intervention of Chris Packham and a few ‘naturally motivated’ extremists. One might have thought that a recognised presenter of BBC nature programmes might just have realised that shooting vermin might actually protect the rare and declining bird species which he makes his money filming and talking about. How stupid was that!

Anyway if anyone ever sees an Egyptian goose or a parrot in Cornwall they should of course apply for a licence at once. You can specify if you just want to kill it, destroy its nest eggs or its youngsters. Actually you can specify all three on the ‘Natural’ England form but why push your luck – any one of the three will do! It is a bit like applying for your driving licence and I may well not achieve “the standard (of killing) required by Her Majesty’s Government”.

The world has gone even madder than even non-Brexit could make it so here is a picture of an Aesculus chinensis just coming out into flower.

Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
And just look at Azalea ‘Caerhays Lavender’ flowering with Rhododendron ‘Perry Wiseman’ – a good combination and better than an Egyptian goose with a green parakeet?
Azalea ‘Caerhays Lavender’
Azalea ‘Caerhays Lavender’

2018 – CHW
A visitation and tour from our Chelsea sponsors. A fine weekend and the garden at its best.Isla Rose breakfasting.
Isla Rose
Isla Rose
Rhododendron aberconwayi full out.
Rhododendron aberconwayi
Rhododendron aberconwayi
Rhododendron aberconwayi
Rhododendron aberconwayi
Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ just appearing.
Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’
Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’ earning its name.
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Magnolia ‘Hot Flush’
Flowers on Salix fargesii – first time I have seen this.
Salix fargesii
Salix fargesii
Magnolia ‘Sunset Swirl’
Magnolia ‘Sunset Swirl’
Magnolia ‘Sunset Swirl’
Magnolia ‘Swedish Star’ – just opening, one of the very best yellows.
Magnolia ‘Swedish Star’
Magnolia ‘Swedish Star’
Magnolia ‘Carlos’
Magnolia ‘Carlos’
Magnolia ‘Carlos’
Magnolia ‘Kousious’ (the odd name again) is very fine today.
Magnolia ‘Kousious’
Magnolia ‘Kousious’
Magnolia ‘Kousious’
Magnolia ‘Kousious’
Michelia foveolata just out a month or so late.
Michelia foveolata
Michelia foveolata
Rhododendron ‘Johnny Johnstone’ with its amazing double flowers.
Rhododendron ‘Johnny Johnstone’
Rhododendron ‘Johnny Johnstone’
Sophora macrophylla ‘Sun King’ has no leaves after the cold but huge amounts of flower.
Sophora macrophylla ‘Sun King’
Sophora macrophylla ‘Sun King’
Wonderful reddish-bronze new growth on Nothofagus solanderi or is it Nothofagus cunninghamii.
Nothofagus solanderi
Nothofagus solanderi
Just an odd flower on Camellia fraterna.
Camellia fraterna
Camellia fraterna
Rhododendron williamsianum at Burncoose. Our largest surviving clump now.
Rhododendron williamsianum
Rhododendron williamsianum
Rhododendron williamsianum
Rhododendron williamsianum
Rhododendron schlippenbachii by the pump house.
Rhododendron schlippenbachii
Rhododendron schlippenbachii
Rhododendron concinnum by the pond.
Rhododendron concinnum
Rhododendron concinnum
Rhododendron makinoi is a very shy flowerer amid its unusual foliage.
Rhododendron makinoi
Rhododendron makinoi
The wedding fair in full flow at Burncoose House.

2017 – CHW
I thought this one growing below Slip Rail was Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Hattie Cartham’ but now believe it is the rather similar Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’ when I look it up. We have both but I cannot think where the other one is at present.
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria’
Magnolia acuminata var subcordata ‘Miss Honeybee’ is hardly showing as yet. Rain urgently needed.
Magnolia acuminata var subcordata ‘Miss Honeybee’
Magnolia acuminata var subcordata ‘Miss Honeybee’
Magnolia acuminata var subcordata ‘Miss Honeybee’
Magnolia acuminata var subcordata ‘Miss Honeybee’
A rather sickly Rhododendron ‘Trewithen Orange’. They are always temperamental and disease prone as well as dying like flies. Not out properly yet but nice when it does come out.
Rhododendron ‘Trewithen Orange’
Rhododendron ‘Trewithen Orange’
Another perfect plant of Rhododendron concinnum (see yesterday). It is reddish-purple and that is how the Pocket Guide describes concinnum var pseudoyanthimum! I lose the will to live with all this. Suffice to say that it is an excellent plant and again a much darker and different colour to the Burncoose one.
Rhododendron concinnum
Rhododendron concinnum
Rhododendron concinnum
Rhododendron concinnum
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’? Now another puzzle. This is what the label says but not the plan which suggests, as I suspect, that this is in fact ‘Blue Opal’. We have others so I can check but what I photographed a week or two ago as ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’ may now confuse you. The flowers are certainly blueish! Sadly our original Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’ is now stone dead as I discover when going to look today. 15ft or so tall and no obvious reason in the post mortem yet. It was always weaker growing than the Burncoose one in full sun.
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
Magnolia ‘Woodsman’ x ‘Patriot’
A perfect blue in the shade on Rhododendron augustinii ‘Electra Group’. A very good form indeed which I had always called ‘Penheale Blue’. On looking it up ‘Penheale Blue’ is a different cross but we could both be correct!
Rhododendron augustinii ‘Electra Group’
Rhododendron augustinii ‘Electra Group’
Rhododendron augustinii ‘Electra Group’
Rhododendron augustinii ‘Electra Group’
The Azalea ‘Babeuffs’ outside the back yard is perfect in the sun but will soon be scorched in this arid corner.
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’
Azalea ‘Babeuffs’

2016 – CHW
The gardeners have completed the cutting up of the huge beech tree which fell on top of Higher Quarry Nursery after about four days’ work for three of them. Enough fire wood for the castle for years. Surprisingly the trunk, which had split on impact, contained no rot at all. The strength of the north wind alone brought it down.
cutting up of the huge beech tree
cutting up of the huge beech tree
cutting up of the huge beech tree
cutting up of the huge beech tree
Astonishingly the vast majority of the newly planted out specie rhododendrons mainly from wild collected Chinese seed have survived more or less intact amid a sea of wood shavings. The lyonia has been cut down and will obviously reshoot but a fine clump of Rhododendron formosum is no more and also the old clump of Rhododendron camplogynum has been destroyed.
newly planted out specie rhododendrons
newly planted out specie rhododendrons
newly planted out specie rhododendrons
newly planted out specie rhododendrons
The new rhododendron planting area outside the front gate has been cleared of stumps ready for planting on Tuesday.
new rhododendron planting area
new rhododendron planting area
At the edge of the clearing is a 15ft tall Enkianthus perulatus flowering early as the leaves emerge. I have never seen this plant in full flower before but there is another at Hardy and Bert’s nursery of a similar age. Delicate white flowers and wrong on the Burncoose website currently where it shows a picture of Enkianthus campanulatus.
Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus
Enkianthus perulatus
Another Magnolia ‘Genie’ has made good growth in a sheltered spot here. One or two flowers are becoming much larger and very much more like they are at home in New Zealand.
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Following Arthur’s retirement the new farm office is nearly complete beside the old blacksmith’s shop and Smiths Gore have given us all the desks, chairs, filing cabinets etc we could ever need to fill it. They moved office yesterday from Lemon Villas to their new combined office with Savills lower down Lemon Street.
2015 – CHWOff to Tregrehan to photograph some more ‘Endangered in the Wild’ plants in the garden there and borrow a few rare plants for the Chelsea stand.Podocarpus matudae from Mexico and Guatemala fits this bill.  As we look closely to photograph the mature plants Tom Hudson, the owner, notices large red fruits in two parts(pod and receptacle).  Tom’s plants are both female but it turns out that there is a third younger plant nearby which must be a male.  Perhaps a new first in the UK for this very rare and tender plant.
PODOCARPUS matudae
PODOCARPUS matudae
PODOCARPUS matudae FRUIT
PODOCARPUS matudae FRUIT
MELLIODENDRON xylocarpum
MELLIODENDRON
xylocarpum

No visit to Tregrehan would be complete without a viewing of Melliodendron xylocarpum.  This tree has huge pinkish white star-like flowers many times the size of any styrax specie flowers.  A must have plant for every woodland gardener.

MICHELIA maudiae
MICHELIA maudiae
MICHELIA maudiae 02
MICHELIA maudiae

Michelia maudiae is in full flower as are many other species.  We discuss the likelihood that at least two other named species are soon to be reclassified as forms of maudiae.  If the naming of michelia species was always difficult this makes the problem worse.  Tom’s Michelia floribunda is very different indeed to the 100 year old Caerhays plant which has much more of an orange tinge to its flowers than his.Tom’s collection of new tenderish Chinese/Vietnamese introductions is quite unique and nothing like it exists elsewhere in the UK.

Aesculus wangii is 20 feet tall.  Ours is about four feet and we have lost three out of five planted out.  Tom says it is very early into leaf and loses come from late frost.

AESCULUS wangii
AESCULUS wangii
AESCULUS wangii 03
AESCULUS wangii
AESCULUS wangii 02
AESCULUS wangii

1951 – CW
Heavy hail showers. Michelia at its best but bruised. Davidsonianum very good and Maddeni’s coming out. Blue Tit and Yellow Hammer perfect. There have been 10 dry days and showers the last two days but very cold in the wind. Daffodils mostly over but still some Auklandii coming out.

1910 – JCW
Iris (Tubergon) at their best. Cherries over. Auklandii would be good but for hoar frost. Recurvas show colour. The last daffs opening. Maples good.

1909 – JCW
Cherries one third open, some good Fortunei. Blood Reds opening. Rhodo campylophytum hardly open, one pink fortunei x Auklandii. Some poets to open now.

1905 – JCW
Picked some L Sophelia in pots and very good seed. The daffs have nearly all gone. Recurvas seed to Dinton. Campylocarpum, thomsonii, auklandii etc open.

1904 – JCW
Carmine pillar opens a bud, several Auklandii’s and an Embothrium or two. Cherries good.

1902 – JCW
Heterocycla, Hemonis and Nigra have been moving for some time. Clematis montana open. Bardoa picked. Cornish Rhododendron going back.

1901 – JCW
I was at Appleshaw, the trumpets were nearly all over, the poets opening.

1897 – JCW
Picked my first pod of seed ripe, Triandrus indoors, Charles found some pink and some white May open. I found Heterocycla throwing up several shoots. Dalhousii opened and Edgeworthii.

3 thoughts on “29th April

  1. Ha – I have lost three out of three Aesculus wangii planted out!! what age does it start producing the monster conkers? is Tom’s anywhere near doing so I wonder…

    1. He is here today so I will ask but no sign of flowers on his largest tree.

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