2025 – CHW
Strong East winds are blowing away the best of the Magnolia x veitchii ‘Peter Veitch’ and ‘Isca’ is suddenly blown open.
Ever since the last two golden weeping willow trees died and fell over in the Kitchen Garden I have been trying to replace them. However, two years later, still no supplier. Three large trees were found for us by Peter Mills. One planted by the lake and two in the Kitchen Garden. Burncoose then found two more smaller ones and these have gone up to the now cleared top pond as seen here. (Salix x sepulcralis var. chrysocoma).
A smart IDS tour with a bevy of Belgian and French counts, barons and princes.
Magnolia ‘Hot Pants’ now full out in Kennel Close.
Magnolia ‘Strawberry Shake’ now opening.
Magnolia ‘Helena’ performing well for the first time in the Isla Rose. This is a Lunaplant – Michael Gottschalk creation – M. ‘Atlas’ x M. ‘Sunsation’.
The last original Eurya japonica has fallen out but is still flowering away. We will cut it back and re-upright it in the hope that it will reshoot.
Illicium philippinense (BSJ 12456) with a good few flowers. Very pale yellow or near white flowers.
Prunus ‘Umineko’ well out in the wind.
More pictures of Magnolia kobus ‘Octopus’.
Magnolia kobus ‘Esveld Select’.
Magnolia ‘Flamingo’ now properly out.
Illicium macranthum (BSWJ 11809).
2024 – CHW
A visit by Paul Johnson and Andy Ansell from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The point of their trip was to view our Amelanchier collection. They have the national collection which was given to them by Chris Lane. Embarrassingly none of our plants were out! Theirs were in Staffordshire so Cornwall is not early in the world of Amelanchier.Absurdly a bud showing already on Magnolia sieboldii.
A visit by Paul Johnson and Andy Ansell from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The point of their trip was to view our Amelanchier collection. They have the national collection which was given to them by Chris Lane. Embarrassingly none of our plants were out! Theirs were in Staffordshire so Cornwall is not early in the world of Amelanchier.Absurdly a bud showing already on Magnolia sieboldii.
Rehderodendron kwangtungense.
More pictures of the impressive Paulownia fortunei.
The first deciduous azalea to show in Kennel Close.
Plagianthus betulinus in flower by Slip Rail.
Embothrium lanceolatum ‘Ñorquinco’ showing colour on a young plant below Donkey Shoe.
Magnolia ‘Helena’ flowering well in the Isla Rose.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ in the sun beside the old playhouse.
Magnolia ‘Apricot Brandy’ has been cut for the show.
Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x M. ‘Black Tulip’ below Donkey Shoe. No hybrid name as far as I can see.
Bluebottle flies hatched and sunning themselves on the trunk of this magnolia.
2023 – CHW
Annoyingly I have broken my camera lens when it ‘fell off’ my desk. Much less focus and definition on this old lens and poor pictures for a bit.
I have looking to find where we planted Salix purpurea ‘Nancy Saunders’ as I need pictures for the website. It is going to become a small tree but the catkins are rather small and uninteresting. Hopefully the leaves and shoots will be better!
The Gunnera manicata beds are growing inches a day as this very wet, but mild, period continues.
Rhododendron strigillosum with one flower left on one of the 3 plants moved from the nursery bed 2 years ago. Incredible hairs on the stems and around the new shoots.
A few final pictures of Michelia doltsopa (or manipurensis if you prefer) and Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’. Michael has still to give us his preferred name to register the seedling he raised. Then we can try to get it registered. These pictures may help. A large tree already. The chosen name is ‘White Phantom’.
After the strong winds a complete carpet of windblown flowers under the Rhododendron sutchuenense clump.
2022 – CHW
Bluebells now appearing in flower all over.
A few pictures from the Four Burrow Hunt meet at Porthluney last Saturday. My granddaughter Lamorna is strapped to Neil’s back. About 45 riders and a good enough crowd of spectators. No sign of antis or the police as everyone enjoyed the sunshine. No sign of the first house martins either flying in from the sea as I have seen on this day in past years. The first beach meet for three years.
First flowers out on Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ – I saw a truss at the show and could not believe it would be out yet.
Camellia ‘Fairy Wand’ which Forrest Latta, from the International Camellia Society, said had been much improved on in China.
Magnolia ‘Pastel Sunset’ x Magnolia ‘Genie’ flowering for the first time. Disappointing! Never heard of ‘Pastel Sunset’ before but it is a quick growing vigorous tree and not like ‘Genie’ in habit at all.
Magnolia campbellii var. mollicomata ‘Peter Borlase’ is as usual one of the very last campbellii forms to flower.
2021 – CHW
Easter Day and time for a look at the new gifted and bought in plants (50 to 60) which have arrived here mainly in the last fortnight or so. The frames are filling up again with many new things after our planting out sprees in the last six weeks. A welcome diversion from the grandchildren and easter egg hunts.Viburnum calvum with huge leaves and reddish petioles and new growth.
Easter Day and time for a look at the new gifted and bought in plants (50 to 60) which have arrived here mainly in the last fortnight or so. The frames are filling up again with many new things after our planting out sprees in the last six weeks. A welcome diversion from the grandchildren and easter egg hunts.Viburnum calvum with huge leaves and reddish petioles and new growth.
Myrsine divaricata – another genus of little merit except to the collector. Goes in with Schimus and Melicytus. Burncoose grew a few species years ago.
A gift from Raf Lenaerts – Magnolia laevifolia x M. maudiae ‘Eternal Spring’ is flowering away with large flowers and good scent. Exceptional growth in two years as a grafted plant. A very special sheltered spot for this Michelia cross in time. Just a hint of pink at the base of the tepals.
Another from Raf is Magnolia laevifolia x M. maudiae (BKR 201300) which has rather tiny flowers by comparison and is less good.
A new (to us) Magnolia ‘Practically Magic’ which is similar, I think, to ‘Coral Pink’.
Magnolia ‘Simple Pleasures’ – very simple and not much of a pleasure so far.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Pink Stardust’ had largely dropped already. Not as pink as ‘Raspberry Fun’.
Coprosma grandiflora
Surprised to find Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’ still out in full flower.
Picea schrenkiana purchased from Mallet Court.
Another new ilex species for the collection – Ilex colchica.
I have nearly missed the first flowerings of these two buddleia species:
Buddleia pteracaulis longifolia
Buddleia pteracaulis longifolia
Buddleia tibetica
