8th August

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955

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.

Rhododendron parishia (CWJ 6346)
Rhododendron parishia (CWJ 6346)
Rhododendron parishia (CWJ 6346)
Rhododendron parishia (CWJ 6346)
We now have several plants of Magnolia caveana making good headway but, I fear, years before we get to see a flower.
Magnolia caveana
Magnolia caveana
Magnolia caveana
Magnolia caveana
The late flowering large clump of Rhododendron decorum below Tin Garden. This and the pink form of Rh. decorum need propagating as a priority.
Rhododendron decorum
Rhododendron decorum
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.
Rhododendron ‘Sir Charles Lemon’
Rhododendron ‘Sir Charles Lemon’
Still flowers on Magnolia sieboldii ‘Genesis’ x M. virginiana.
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Genesis’ x M. virginiana
Magnolia sieboldii ‘Genesis’ x M. virginiana
Flower heads appearing on Schefflera pauciflora (WWJ 1199). A rather different form of S. pauciflora.
Schefflera pauciflora (WWJ 1199)
Schefflera pauciflora (WWJ 1199)
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum virtually dead after the 2 dry summers. The second plant beside it is completely dead.
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum
A vigorous elm root sucker removed from the heather beds at the 4-in-Hand.
elm root sucker
elm root sucker

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.

big leaf Rhododendrons
big leaf Rhododendrons
big leaf Rhododendrons
big leaf Rhododendrons
Plenty of elm-like pink seeds on Dipteronia sinensis.
Dipteronia sinensis
Dipteronia sinensis
Dipteronia sinensis
Dipteronia sinensis
Hoheria angustifolia is covered in flowers high up the now 30 foot tall tree.
Hoheria angustifolia
Hoheria angustifolia
Hoheria angustifolia
Hoheria angustifolia
The very last tiny flower on Maackia chinensis (now M. hupehensis). The rest are over with seeds forming.
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Hoheria glabrata already with seed heads.
Hoheria glabrata
Hoheria glabrata
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’.
Rhododendron rhabdotum
Rhododendron rhabdotum
Rhododendron rhabdotum
Rhododendron rhabdotum
The ancient Aesculus wilsonii is hating the drought which is speeding its final demise.
Aesculus wilsonii
Aesculus wilsonii
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?
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’

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.
Buddleia lindleyana
Buddleia lindleyana
The fire which the tree surgeons had in the middle of a laurel hedge smouldered away for a week and then set alight the roots and then the trunk of a nearby Pinus insignis. A digger was needed to bring it under control. The remainder of the laurel hedge lost. Not happy!
Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
Pinus insignis
Pterocarya rhoifolia with attractive new growth.
Pterocarya rhoifolia
Pterocarya rhoifolia
A group of three Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis with bronze secondary new growth appearing now. One tree is fine, one so-so, and one now dead.
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Betula insignis ssp. fangipanensis
Sorbus gongashanica in berry already.
Sorbus gongashanica
Sorbus gongashanica
Very few fruits on Crataegus schraderiana this year unlike last.
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus wattiana with fruits turning colour already.
Crataegus wattiana
Crataegus wattiana
Crataegus aprica still has green fruits and only a few.
Crataegus aprica
Crataegus aprica
Crataegus combyi with fruits colouring.
Crataegus combyi
Crataegus combyi
Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’
Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’
Crataegus ellwangeriana ‘Fire Ball’
A group of Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’ which are now 8-10ft tall. Only one of them is flowering properly and, even there, the flowers are hidden in with the leaves.
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’
Hoheria sextylosa ‘Snow White’

2020 – CHW
Rubus phoenicolasius is ripe in parts and the young pheasants have not yet eaten the fruits as they will. An artist has asked to come and paint this ornamental bramble but they will be too late in September.
Rubus phoenicolasius
Rubus phoenicolasius
Rubus phoenicolasius
Rubus phoenicolasius
Tail end flowers on Hydrangea involucrata ‘Viridescens’ above The Hovel.
Hydrangea involucrata ‘Viridescens’
Hydrangea involucrata ‘Viridescens’
Rubus lineatus only has a couple of fruit clusters this year but is making a decent shrub.
Rubus lineatus
Rubus lineatus
Rubus lineatus
Rubus lineatus
A top grafted Sorbus reducta with fruits forming.
Sorbus reducta
Sorbus reducta
Sorbus reducta
Sorbus reducta
Lots of seeds have set on an old Rhododendron schlippenbachii above the drive at Red Linney. Unusual to see so many. Asia needs to collect when ripe later on.
Rhododendron schlippenbachii
Rhododendron schlippenbachii
Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’ (‘Mariesii Perfecta’) looking good on the drive. A better blue than some years and this clump are in full shade.
Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’
Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’
Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’
Hydrangea ‘Blue Wave’
Alison’s hanging basket begonias at the top lodge as good as ever above her front door.
hanging basket begonias
hanging basket begonias

2019 – CHW
A collection of Clethra in flower today:Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’ is a suckering species from the SE USA. It grows to around 6ft in height here with a similar spread.
Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’
Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’
Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’
Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’
Clethra alnifolia ‘Pink Spires’ is single stemmed here with a rather floppy habit. Looks good beside C. tomentosa and is a good border shrub.
Clethra alnifolia ‘Pink Spires’
Clethra alnifolia ‘Pink Spires’
Clethra alnifolia ‘Pink Spires’
Clethra alnifolia ‘Pink Spires’
Clethra kaipoensis flowering for the first time here. An upright tall growing tree with reddish new growth stems and striated more mature bark. I need to look up where we got this from.
Clethra kaipoensis
Clethra kaipoensis
Clethra kaipoensis
Clethra kaipoensis
Clethra monostachya (a second plant to the one seen a few days ago) is nearly over but setting copious seeds on the former flower racemes.
Clethra monostachya
Clethra monostachya
Clethra monostachya
Clethra monostachya
Two plants of Clethra pringleyi. One is over with seed pods forming and is ready for Asia to collect. On the other the flowers are not yet out.
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi
Clethra pringleyi

2018 – CHW
An occasional shower and a definite cooling of the temperature. Heavy rain for Saturday forecast. The worst of the drought for our garden plants may now be over?The Magnolia denudata ‘Forrests Pink’ which was felled by a large leylandii in the winter has reshot with great vigour. We saw this three months ago. It is in a damp spot so the drought has made no difference.
Magnolia denudata ‘Forrests Pink’
Magnolia denudata ‘Forrests Pink’
The best blue mophead hydrangea in the place; or so my father always said. It grows in shade. It is not quite the same as Hydrangea ‘Enziandom’ but quite close. Nearer to Hydrangea ‘Benelux’ perhaps?
best blue mophead hydrangea
best blue mophead hydrangea
best blue mophead hydrangea
best blue mophead hydrangea
So far the hedychium have not been eaten by roe deer as they were last year. The stems were reduced to pulp last September.
hedychium
hedychium

2017 – CHW
Overhanging our garden is Acacia dealbata loaded with ripe seeds. They hang down in tassels like sophora seeds.
Acacia dealbata
Acacia dealbata
Acacia dealbata
Acacia dealbata
One of those big leaved hebes that grow badly in wet Cornwall is doing well here in Seaview. This is Hebe ‘Great Orme’ I think.
Hebe ‘Great Orme’
Hebe ‘Great Orme’

2016 – CHW
No entry.
2015 – CHW
Several people have commented on the extraordinary colour of a clump of mophead hydrangeas up from Red Linney on the bank. They are Hydrangea Selma, planted in 2009 and billed as being a very dark red. In our acid soil they are as dark a purple as I have ever seen in a hydrangea and quite superb in full sun.
Hydrangea Selma
Hydrangea Selma
Hydrangea Selma
Hydrangea Selma
Above Four in Hand is a late flowering buddleia with small purple flower spikes; Buddleia lindleyana. A Chinese species which is strikingly beautiful and introduced in 1843 by Robert Fortune.
Buddleia linleyana
Buddleia linleyana
Buddleia linleyana
Buddleia linleyana
Buddleia linleyana
Buddleia linleyana
On the top wall are very old clumps of Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’. It flowers sparsely in shade and the white flowers have a faint mauve tinge. According to Hillier’s the correct name is now Fuchsia magallanica var molinae whereas the ‘true’ ‘Alba’ has a pink corolla! JCW collected fuchsia species in the 1930s and this, like Fuchsia gracilis and Fuchsia riccartonii, is one of the few survivors. It enjoys frequent pruning but would grow to six feet if left unchecked and has nice peeling bark in winter when the woody stems are mature. A few of the hardier fuchsia hybrids which I collected 40 plus years ago still survive in the bed along from the old gents’ urinal but I can no longer remember their names and most are hardy reds with blueish-purple corollas. Pretty dull by fuchsia standards today. Without a conservatory most of the species offered by Burncoose now are simply too tender. I wonder if JCW tried any fuchsia hybrids? Certainly P D Williams at Lanarth produced some erica hybrids which are still sold today and introduced the Spanish Erica canaliculata to Cornwall.
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’

1917 – JCW
Some R decorum, Auriculatum going over, several kinds of mountain rhodo’n show flowers. 10332 is the best. Buddleia veitchii is nearly over, the dark one is good. The hydrangeas have begun – Romneya and a hybrid Gladiolus are good. Some fair Cyclamen.

One thought on “8th August

  1. ’18. 08. 09 The Mexican tree dahlia shows typical problems with too cool growing conditions. The stems don’t ripe well and die off, next years growth is late and too weak. This dahlias ( imperialis, tenuicaulis which are very similar) flower only under long-night conditions, so flowering starts regularly in November. Here they grow much better, now two meters tall, and survive winters better, too, but flowering is too late. Other dahlias are more rewarding, esp. the daylength insensitive newer cultivars. They start flowering already in June when spring was warm.
    ’19 Flowering of Salvia confertiflora is very early, as this is also a daylength- sensitive plant. Here it flowers also late, in October–November, together with Salvia leucantha, elegans and mexicana.
    ’20 Eucryphia lucida is a true species (so without x), sister to E. milliganii, from Tasmania.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *