Crataegus durobrivensis.

Magnolia ‘Illini Moonlight’.

Euonymus carnosus in flower.

Carpinus japonicus already with autumn colours.

Crataegus wattiana.

The only Crataegus which has died is Crataegus canbyi.

Quercus sartorii has succumbed.

Crataegus schraderiana with huge fruits.

2025 – CHW

Amaryllis belladonna outside the School Room window.

Eucomis bicolor in two clumps outside the Dining Room. Living up to its name but the flowers are not as green here as in some forms.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ starting to go pink all over.

Peacock butterfly on a buddleia and on the ground

2024 – CHW
Flower buds still nowhere near out Hydrangea kawakamii ‘Formosa’.

Hydrangea ‘Joseph Banks’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘White Lace’.

Hydrangea ‘Zorro’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’.

Hydrangea ‘Zorro’ and Berberis ottawensis ‘Superba’.

The Buddleias colvilei which was felled by a Pinus insignis branch has regrown strongly from the base.

Two rhododendrons nearby have not.

Schima superba (Mu He Shu) with now reddish new growth. Earlier it looked much whiter.

Phoebe sheareri settling in well after planting last spring.

Zanthoxylum acanthopodium with good new growth as well.

Lindera tonkinensis (FMWJ 13123) is another super-fast grower with delicate and interesting leaves.

One of Asia’s fairly recent aerial layers on Magnolia ‘Mr. Julian’. The moss has sprouted some grass seed and the layer looks promising but far too early to be certain of success.

2023 – CHW
To Leslie Baker’s garden open day in St Austell to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s charity. Leslie lost his wife, Myra, to this vile disease around Christmas. The garden as pristine and well managed as always.Eucomis bicolor and Phormium ‘Cream Delight’.

Eucomis bicolor and Persicaria milletii ‘Aurea’.

Lilium superbum and Podocarpus totara.

Thalictrum delavayi ‘Hewitt’s Double’ and Podocarpus totara.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and Geranium ‘Wargrave Pink’.

Papaver rupifragum ‘Flore Pleno’ and Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’.

Papaver rupifragum ‘Flore Pleno’ and Crocosmia ‘Paul’s Best Yellow’.

Crassula arborescens in the greenhouse.

Acanthus mollis and Anemone hupehensis ‘Queen Charlotte’.

Kirengeshoma palmata nicely in flower.

The viaduct towers over Leslie’s garden.

Good buds forming for next spring on his Magnolia campbellii.

Runner bean seeds already on Leslie’s wisteria.

2022 – CHW

The drought is really starting to bite!

Nearly dead Hydrangeas on the drive planted 19 years ago. The clumps by the top lodge are even worse.

The Miscanthus in the cliff fields has only grown to half its normal height and the tops are brown.

Not much green in the cliff fields above Portholland. We are now feeding hay to the 40 cows and calves in this field. Good job it was a massive silage harvest year.

The number of dead elms (and dieing younger ash trees) in the hedgerows is alarming this year. The usually resilient Cornish elms on the Vean drive have already got 9 casualties to take down.

What a glorious day for a Beach Meadow wedding. Tepees rather than tents seem to be the trend. This is the second lot of tepees in a fortnight.

2021 – CHW
Seven hour drive (450 miles) and we arrive at ‘The Cottage’.

Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’ in the chimney pot at the door.

Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ performing well in the Cottage garden.

Harebells on the wildflower bank (Campanula rotundifolia).

Knautia arvensis – field scabious nearby.

Moth on greater knapweed. A different seed head to our Centaurea nigra. This is Centaurea scabiosa with brown hairs surrounding the scales on the seedpod.

Nothofagus antarctica about 30 years old with a fine crop of beechmast just forming.

Some insect has formed cobwebbed cocoons all over a Prunus avium. A few unformed wild cherries in evidence here and there.

Very little fruit or seed on any of the hedgerow trees this year as it was frosty and cold in April and early May. Even the Sorbus aucuparia are sparse. The hazels do however have a heavy crop untouched as yet by squirrels.