The best blue mophead Hydrangeas look even worse.

The tops of the old Rhododendron falconeri look grim.

Lithocarpus pachyphyllus seed clusters fall prematurely as the tree cannot cope.

The end of the best pink Rhododendron decorum below the Rookery path.

The lawn and bank shows no hint yet of regrowth.

The views of a parched landscape from the lawn but the (poor) hay cut in the Park now completed and carried.

The Helenium should be out by now but just a dying mess.

Young swallows in their scores sun themselves on the battlements.

Repainting finished for this year – Ante Room to Library.

2025 – CHW
At last some modest drizzle.Ilex paraguariensis is deciduous but making good headway.

Litsea from Taiwan ex. Nick Locke.

Viburnum setigerum with a good show of berries.

Clethra petelotii (FMWJ 13401) with seed heads forming.

Large seed heads on Rhododendron aberconwayi.

Large seed heads on a drought suffering Magnolia cylindrica (NA 60704).

Secondary flowers as usual on Rhododendron ‘Elizabeth’.

A drought struck and dead Magnolia wilsonii.

A rather better Hoheria sexstylosa covered in bees.

2024 – CHW
Last flowers on Clematis uncinata.

The first Cyclamen peep out on the lawn.

An odd combination of Quercus ilex and Luma apiculata beside the tower.

Plenty of flower buds showing up already in Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’.

Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’ just coming out. Huge leaves in this excellent growing year.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Early Sensation’ has now turned a good pink.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’ has just a pink tinge.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’ and Hydrangea aspera ‘Villosa Group’.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’, some flowers still pure white, some older ones pink tinged.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’ fronts Ginkgo biloba. An unusual but interesting combination. One plant is 5 years old; the other 100+.

2023 – CHW
Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’ out a bit later than the other gingers this year.

All trees now felled in the Rookery so the clean up can start. Nearly all the stumps already grubbed out to burn. Despite the volumes of rain in the last 6 weeks the soil is still very dry 18 inches from the surface. Ross has worked quickly and (nearly) all the trees have missed the trees and smaller shrubs which we intended to save.

The woodwork on this tiny old greenhouse rotted away years ago. Costly to paint and repair. The solution (as at Burncoose with our propagating houses) is to bend steel rods and turn the structure into a polytunnel. Cheap, durable and better for the plants.

Hydrangea aspera ‘Kawakamii’ (from Formosa BSWJ 7025) flowering better in its second year but still not fully out yet. Rather earlier than H. aspera ssp. robusta by the Rockery which is not even showing flower heads yet.

Surprisingly Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ is reshooting vigorously. The whole clump would benefit from a haircut. Need to remind Jaimie as there is quite a bit here to cut back and a few dead heads.

Hydrangea aspera subsp. strigosa (BSWJ 15152) just coming out. These autumn flowering hydrangea species are a revelation even if the naming may be a bit questionable/ confusing with some. There are a few more varieties in propagation from Tregrehan I think.

2022 – CHW
Prize giving at the annual GWCT Clay Shoot in the back yard.

A virtually leafless Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ var. ‘Burncoose’. If it survives there will be severe die back and pruning to do.

Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ with many tertiary flowers as usual.

A fallen branch from Magnolia sargentiana robusta with ripe seeds now popping out of the seedpods.

Acer henryi with autumn colours in August. Worrying!

Magnolia sieboldii with fat, plump, ripening seeds and scorched leaves.

Syringa x diversifolia, planted only this year, has surived and grown well.

The large Dicksonia antarctica on the main ride with shrivelled small fronds many of which have already turned brown.

2021 – CHW

Work is coming on well with the conversion of the three barns at Trevarrick which I have not seen for six or seven weeks.