Planted only in 2020/1 Zelkova abelicea is already 12 feet or so tall and enjoying being in full sun. A native of Crete with a very readily recognised leaf structure and form.

Directly above the borehole tanks grows a c.35 year old Zelkova serrata. The leaves ae quite similar to Z. sinica and Z. schneideriana but the IDS website pictures enable you to key it out correctly. Very different bark.

Jaimie has pruned Prunus mahaleb which was leaning and weighted across the road by the Tower. Without this uplift it would have eventually collapsed.

The largest tree in the new Rookery clearing is now down so the burn up can begin and the timber removed.

Cotoneaster cornifolius (Ogisu – 9330) with its huge leaves and seed clusters turning in colour.

Ripe seeds on Ilex ficoides which I have seen before but not in August.

Hoheria sexstylosa ‘Crataegifolia’ in full flower. The first time I have seen this at its very best.

2022 – CHW
Frankie completes the pathways in the Kitchen Garden.

Sorbus wilsoniana becomes even better.

The virtues of leaving dead wood for woodpeckers to enjoy.

At the nursery a crop of Haresfoot Ink Cap, Coprinopsis lagopus, which grows on decaying compost or bark litter.

Mark Pheasey has done a splendid job replacing all the top vents on Asia’s greenhouse here.

2021 – CHW

A two hour garden tour here with Peter Mills.

I had thought this was Rhododendron glanduliferum from afar earlier this week but, on closer inspection, it is Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’. The leaf shape is quite wrong for glanduliferum. I need to search further.

The new growth stem and bud colours on Salix fargesii continue to impress.

Secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Apollo’ in Kennel Close.

Our old plant of Gevuina avellana needs cutting back to reshoot but some flowers low down on suckering growth.

Berries already eaten by pheasants on Ligustrum confusum.

Seed aplenty forming on Lomatia ferruginea.

Seed heads forming on Photinia prionophylla.

Although I suspect they will not develop properly acorn clusters forming on Lithocarpus variolosus.

‘Rabbit’s money’ (as we used to call elm seed as children) seed on Dipteronia sinensis.

Hoheria sextylosa nicely in flower below Donkey Shoe.

Hedychium coronarium just out into flower.

2020 – CHW
Sisygiium smithii has made good growth and more secondary reddish new growth coming now. A good first year performance.

A few poor flowers on Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymans Silver’ which has not enjoyed its first dry year in the ground above Crinodendron Hedge.

Quercus liebmanii is getting going – a gift from Penrice Castle. A very distinct leaf shape/formation.

The original Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ which was hit badly last year by tree felling is reshooting well as expected although it was slow to get going.

Strangely this is the third Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’ which has suddenly died this year. Ten days ago it was fine at Donkey Shoe and in flower. Only one decent 15 to 20 year old one left now. Honey fungus I expect.

The largest Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ is nearly over.

A very late flowering and much paler form of Rhododendron prunifolium planted six to eight years ago which I have not seen flowering like this before (on from Georges Hut on the right). Well worth propagating.

Ketteleeria davidiana looked terrible after planting last year but now some decent new growth.

A single secondary lower on Magnolia ‘Lili Diva’ and very dark ‘red’.

2019 – CHW
Grass cutting in Old Park half complete. The gunneras at the zenith of their height by the old dog kennels. By the end of next week we can hopefully move onto hooking around young plants and bramble removal from shrubs.

Half an hour at Carnon Downs Garden Centre reveals a few interesting new plants which might be additions to the 2020 Burncoose website.
Pennisetum ‘Cherry Sparkler’

Cyperus eragrotis

Rudbeckia ‘Summerina Brown’

Rudbeckia ‘Summerina Electra Shock’

Not a great month to look at plants in a garden centre but the plant areas were cool and well maintained. Prices a bit above ours I thought.

These plants of Fascicularia bicolor especially good.

2018 – CHW
For the second year a pigeon has nested in Camellia ‘Mary Jobson’ beside the side door. Only about 6-7ft from ground level and not very bothered by any of us nearby.

Asia has cut open one of her aerial ball layers on a magnolia to reveal plenty of callousing but no roots. A dry summer to blame or does it just take longer than we hoped?

A secondary flower on Magnolia ‘Sundance’ on Burns Bank. The first time this has had an autumn flower. It is similar to the spring ones but larger. This is a good thing in spring.

2017 – CHW
Third grass cut of the year for Kennel Close. Excellent growth this year all round the new plantings.

In my mind I had always thought that this tree was a carpinus (hornbeam) species. How stupid! Its flowers today are certainly not catkins! This, according to the planting plans, is Tilia kiusiana, planted in 2001. Hillier’s omits to mention that it flowers in the autumn but today this tree (Hillier’s say generally a bush) clearly has ‘lime-like’ flowers which are covered in bees and flies. I have never seen this species in flower before so this is a first for us at Caerhays. Tilia henryana is an autumn flowering lime (not out yet) as well so we now have two limes which flower out of season. Peculiar, but a rather splendid surprise today. The scent is definitely lime like too but would be unpleasant indoors. We must now have 12 to 15 new lime species growing on mainly in Kennel Close. T. kiusiana is well worth putting in the new Burncoose catalogue.

Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’ has two enormous seed pods which Asia will need to watch and gather when ripe. We must also keep an eye out for seeds on Magnolia officinalis var biloba in Penvergate to see if this has seed pods too. Time for Asia to watch the various new species/forms of paulownia which we saw flower in the spring for seeds as well.