Prunus lusitanica subsp. azorica going ahead well. A gift from Gorwell or perhaps a cutting from them.

Fokienia hodginsii which we grew from seed in 2018. I do not think it is true to name unless, perhaps, this conifer has different immature foliage.

Quercus hypoxantha doing well after deer damage in earlier years.

Nothaphoebe cavaleriei also doing well in Tin Garden.

2024 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ performing again in August.

A sad story from the archives dated 31st July 1958.

Magnolia ‘Apollo’ is nearly as good (in August) as M. ‘Star Wars’.

Hoheria angustifolia was full out at Ventnor but only now just starting to show here.

Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ covered in secondary flower.

Jaimie cut a spray of Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ for the front hall where it looks splendid.

The 3 stages of the developing flower on Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’. Greenish to white.

2022 – CHW

A charity open day at Leslie Barker’s garden in St Austell. Perfect as ever but this year the lilies are at their best while the Thalicitum are over. Last year it was the other way around.

Lilies superb!

Phlox ‘Bright Eyes’ and Crocosmia masonorum.

Phlox ‘White Admiral’ and Astilbe ‘Federsee.

The scent of the sweet peas was overpowering. A wonderful crop of flowers despite the dry summer.

Leslie’s begonias.

Buddleia ‘White Profusion’ behind Dicksonia antarctica – a good combination.

A fine bed of Lilium superbum. These used to grow here outside the back yard and I would like to revive a patch somewhere.

Is this Persicaria tenuicaulis? Suspect not as it is in full flower now. P. tenuicaulis is the only species which is listed that grows as small as this as a rockery plant.

Kirengeshoma palmata.

Ophiopogon planascarpus ‘Nigrescans’ nicely in flower.

New features in Leslie’s garden.

Osmunda regalis and Houttuynia cordata go well together.

A fine display of Anisodontea.

2021 – CHW
A possible new addition to the Labrador pack.

Borago officinalis (borage) flowering well in a farmyard near Leedstown. I think this would be a good addition to the website offering.

A nursery visit where the following stood out.
Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’ with its first figs.

A fine specimen of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’ beside the Burncoose office.

Agapanthus ‘Twister’ looking excellent.

Hibisicus moscheutos ‘Planet Griotte’ flowering for the first time that I have seen.

Canna speciosa in flower.

Agapanthus ‘Silver Moon’ an excellent foliage contrast.

2020 – CHW
After two days of welcome rain and drizzle everything looks fresh.

The very pink and pale form of Hydrangea aspera var. sargentiana is now full out outside the front gate.

Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ on the drive is out a week to 10 days earlier than usual.

Catalpa bignonoides just starting to show. This tree once grew in my grandmother’s house in St Mawes.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’ is now nicely out by the top lodge.

First flowering I have seen here of Buddleia forrestii by the shop. A huge amount of growth in three years and distinctive leaves with furry undersides but only three flowers of which one is out but a pheasant has pecked off some of the buds. Orange centres to very pale lilac buds opening white. One for Asia to continue to propagate. [Or is this Buddleia macrostachya? See Andrew Large’s comment below.]

Now a real surprise. There are three Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ near the garden entrance and one suddenly has secondary pure white flowers. These are not even faintly pink as they are in the spring and are larger than the spring flowers as well. Not just one or two but all over the 15-20ft tall tree. I have never seen ‘Leonard Messel’ do this before.

2019 – CHW
Another better flower on Magnolia kwangtungensis (Manglietia moto). Too high up to smell it. Pale-ish creamy white.

Taxodium distichum ‘Falling Waters’ is growing into a decent sized trailing tree. Planted in 2011.

Carpinus japonica with its ripening fruiting catkins just turning a bit pink. A fine display today on this maturing tree.

Catalpa speciosa ‘Pulverulenta’ with its wonderful blurry variegated leaves is just getting going. No flowers as yet.

Crataegus wattiana is a thornless species as here but the Hillier’s manual says the berries are yellow, which they clearly are not here? The small tree is plastered and the berries are nearly ripe.

Tilia chingiana is just getting going in Kennel Close. An erect habit and large dark green leaves. We are now growing perhaps 10 to 12 different Tilia species. I hope I have left enough room for them to grow into trees.

Thinking about it when we clear the remainder of the Leylandii hedge in the end bit of Kennel Close this will be a good spot for the dozen or so new species of cotoneaster that are ready to plant out. Or should they go into more dappled shade in Old Park. Probably not as the pheasants will eat all the berries before we begin to see them.

The new Beatrice plantation of Camellia sasanqua varieties to commemorate her birth is now ordered up from France. They are going onto the bank at the entrance to Old Park which was all a sasanqua plantation 40 to 50 years ago. All dead of old age bar one along the path at the bottom of Old Park which was rejuvenated after being smashed by a tree.

2018 – CHW
A day to review the real impact of the drought both on this year’s and more recent new planting. A rare dead ilex species planted last December in partial shade.

Beside it a dead camellia planted in March. The two other camellias behind it have more shade and have survived.

Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’ looking great in full sunlight!

Magnolia sieboldii covered in seed heads but most leaves browned off and fallen. Will it survive? Fifty-fifty.

A series of five nearly dead big and small leaved rhododendrons. Not full sun this time but a very dry spot under mature Pinus insignis. Doubt any will be alive next spring.

In full shade another good Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’. I smelt it long before I saw the flowers.

2017 – CHW
Again to Eddington’s Nursery.Crocosmia ‘Zeal Tan’ a medium growing red. Nothing special but a better sized red for some gardens.

Diascia personata – nice enough in a clump.

Viburnum opalus ‘Compactum’ with a good show of berries.

Pennistetum alop. ‘Red Head’ grows to 2½-3ft. You have to look closely for the ‘red’ but good as a clump.

A new grass to me Elymus arenarius with canes of light blue-grey leaves.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Ghosa’ was not bad either.

Agapanthus ‘Graskop’ out long after all the others.

Kniphofia ‘Nancys Red’ flowering well in small pots.

Parahebe ‘Snow Clouds’ – well worth a look for our catalogue. Dense habit and loads of flower.

A view of the nursery entrance. All very modern and tidy!

I buy a euphorbia to keep the peace. The owners are clearly wondering what I am doing or inspecting but I do not enlighten them or it would make it worse!