Clethra barbinervis ‘Chocolate Amber’ – a new variety for Burncoose.

Karol has taken a series of drone pictures of the 2026 drought for posterity.

2025 – CHW

A look at some Hydrangea quercifolia varieties. These are fairly short lived but very good value in August.

A fairly newly planted Hydrangea quercifolia group on the drive. Only 1 of 3 has survived.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ with early autumn colouring in full sun.

Hydrangea quercifolia not flowering well and rather showing its age.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Burgundy’ looking well in rather too much shade. Few flowers and no sign of its wonderful autumn colour as yet.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’ not exactly covered with flowers below Slip Rail.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ above the greenhouse also well coloured up early.

Cattle below the castle.

2024 – CHW
Eucryphia x hillieri ‘Penwith’ with its purple anthers.

Hoheria ‘Glory of Amlwch’ full out.

Cotoneaster cornifolius (Ogisu 93330) laden with berries.

Cornus drummondii ‘Sunshiny Drops’ putting on a good show. How we were ever meant to get this into flower for the Chelsea Plant of the Year competition in late May I will never know.

A good Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ in the Ririei Opening.

Bright pink anthers on Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’.

Rhododendron prunifolium putting on a better show than usual on from George’s Hut.

The very last flower on Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’.

2023 – CHW
This wonderful Rhododendron parishia (CWJ 6346) – (as it is labelled) is clearly from Section ponticum subsection Parishia but what species exactly? Not really much like Rh. parishia which flowers in March/ April. More like Rh. kyawii which we saw in flower here a fortnight or so ago. It’s very fine and well worth growing whatever it is exactly. I have never seen the 3 plants perform as well as this.

We now have several plants of Magnolia caveana making good headway but, I fear, years before we get to see a flower.

The late flowering large clump of Rhododendron decorum below Tin Garden. This and the pink form of Rh. decorum need propagating as a priority.

Seed heads forming on Rhododendron ‘Sir Charles Lemon’. I have not seen this often. As we saw in the spring this group flowered exceptionally well.

Still flowers on Magnolia sieboldii ‘Genesis’ x M. virginiana.

Flower heads appearing on Schefflera pauciflora (WWJ 1199). A rather different form of S. pauciflora.

Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum virtually dead after the 2 dry summers. The second plant beside it is completely dead.

A vigorous elm root sucker removed from the heather beds at the 4-in-Hand.

2022 – CHW

Drought stricken big leaf Rhododendrons in Higher Quarry Nursery. But help is at hand and Tim has the hosepipe on from the little used water tanks below the church.

Plenty of elm-like pink seeds on Dipteronia sinensis.

Hoheria angustifolia is covered in flowers high up the now 30 foot tall tree.

The very last tiny flower on Maackia chinensis (now M. hupehensis). The rest are over with seeds forming.

Hoheria glabrata already with seed heads.

We were only saying the other day that we had lost our last Rhododendron rhabdotum. Thankfully we have not. I bought 3 from the Cox’s 4 or 5 years ago and this is the sole survivor. An unshapely grower like so many of the ‘smellies’.

The ancient Aesculus wilsonii is hating the drought which is speeding its final demise.

This young (grafted) Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ tried to flower last November and the buds turned to black mush. Despite the few setting seeds I fear the buds are far too advanced already for the plant to again be getting its seasons wrong. I wonder why?

2021 – CHW
Lots more rain, several branches on young magnolias snapped off in the wind and yet more secondary new growth. The end of the drought risk for this season.Buddleia lindleyana nicely out.