2023 – CHW
The flooding in the water meadows is as bad as anything seen since 2018 and will take days to subside.
This huge Pinus insignis fell down a few days ago from Forty Acre Wood into the Lower Moors above the pond. The second ancient pine to fall here in the last 3 years. Is this the largest tree ever to have fallen at Caerhays? Just look at the size and height of it! We often say that Pinus insignis/ radiata seldom fall over but split out branches as they near the end of their 120 year lives. Largely this is true but clearly not here.
The granite bollards have been installed by Cornwall Council along the concrete sea defences at East Portholland. These are to prevent vehicles rolling over the edge (as has occurred in the past) and crushing unwitting sunbathers on the beach below. We were told that the horizontal bollards would not be available until Easter but they still seem to have arrived. I do wonder what this has cost the taxpayer and if it could not have been done with simple rocks rather than cut granite. The estate is now responsible for maintaining these bollards and I wonder if they will indeed withstand a serious storm? Certainly a great safety improvement.
The wind is starting to roar. A filthy day after two calm weeks and now a series of the usual westerly storms in the coming week. Wet and mild still.Cotoneaster horizontalis putting on a fine display on a wall although the berries dropped or were eaten weeks ago.
2019 – CHW
Lapageria rosea ‘Flesh Pink’ with its last flower.
A young Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ with its outstanding red striped bark stands out on another overcast day with north winds. Out in the garden today I rather wonder if we have overdone our shelterbelt pruning and some removals. The wind is whistling into the garden and several young pines have blown over. A few smaller plants blown off their stakes and a couple of young rhododendrons twisted out of the ground in recent gales.
More from Burncoose and an inspection of our latest improvements.Bare root trees for potting before Christmas.
A good clear up above the gents loo. Tree heather cut back and ivy off the wall.
The second Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’ is full out in a pot by the front door. The first now over.
2015 – CHW
The new 2016 Burncoose Nurseries mail order catalogue is at the final proof stage. As usual there is an absolute ‘howler’ on the front page which fortunately, this year, we have spotted in time and quite a few other major errors. There is never enough time to peruse it properly with all the let shooting in December and the initial proofing on holiday in the Isle of Wight in July is now a distant memory. Publication and posting to 20,000 current mail order customers will hopefully occur between Christmas and the New Year. This exercise in free catalogues costs £20k and we will consider a two year catalogue for 2017. However 25% of our customers still say they have our catalogue open beside them when they order online. Some traditions die hard!
I have also now signed off on the final proof of six months of transcription of the Garden Diary from 1897 which can now be added to my daily pictorial online blog ready for the New Year. The final proof took two hours of work per month and many anomalies remain. Plant names have changed, my great grandfather’s comments are not always still legible and since I know little about daffodils his references to them may be a bit confused especially where he abbreviates.
2000 – FJW
Visit from ‘Luckay Lu’ [an itinerant lunatic living rough who had escaped from the Bodmin nuthouse and was eventually captured in the ladies’ loo after many dramas].
1981 – FJW
Storm of strong proportions following 7 invincible weeks.
1972 – FJW
November Pink not yet out – 10 days of gales and much rain.
1961 – FJW
SS Allegrelti wrecked below Coastguards Hut (rebound from Portscatho).
1929 – JCW
Camellia sasanqua nice, Camellia oleifera opens. One Thea forrestii. Some nice flowers of Roylei, fair of Learsiae. Hamamelis just starting. Mucronulatum open. Darleyense some flowers.
1924 – JCW
Hamamelis mollis are opening and Erica darleyense. Cotoneaster salicifolia and Berberis polyantha are the best things. It began to go back on Jan 17th.
1898 – JCW
Narcissi ‘Lillywhite’ out in flower, several Iris stylosa alba seedlings in the pans well on the move, Emperor breaking soil.