2023 – CHW (images to follow)
2022 – CHW
Sheets of ice everywhere. The pair of swans and their one cygnet return to the lake after an absence of 6 or so weeks.

More removal of lower branches on some trees planted after the 1990 hurricane. The Nothofagus has grown well as a multi stemmed tree but was starting to shade out its neighbours.
First buds opening on the paler form of Rhododendron irroratum.
A wonderful photograph in Jim Gardiner’s Christmas card: This is a picture of Magnolia campbellii subsp. mollicomata ‘Jim Gardiner’. I guess the flowers have about double the number of tepals that you would expect to see in a conventional mollicomata. It is almost a double flower in reality; quite superb and certainly one to try to get hold of.
If ever anyone needed proof of why the war on squirrels is so essential here is a perfect example. A young 25 to 30 year old beech tree completely destroyed by bark gnawing above the Auklandii Garden. The central leader to this tree will now fail. Even if it does not the tree trunk will have a fundamental weakness which will one day cause it to snap off. We have caught 80+ squirrels since mid-June but this is not enough to have saved this tree from this very recent damage. The tree will now have to be felled.
Two new plants for the soon to be published 2018 Burncoose catalogue and website.Schefflera gracilis is a small growing shrub here with an extended flower spike and creamy white flowers. This is not a species yet in the garden at Caerhays so I wonder where this has sprung from? Perhaps our own propagation from a gift of cuttings? It appears more tender than some species but this may well not turn out to be true.
Euphorbia mellifera is shedding its old yellow leaves by the library window. Very attractive and not seen before.
2015 – CHW
Ginkgo biloba is just passing its best colour. Despite all the wind the ‘yellow’ has held for several weeks.

So is the Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’ hedge outside the Rockery.

1984 – FJW
Very bad storms all day – Porth Luney beach enlarged – early Williamsii splendid.
1934 – JCW
Most of the lapagerias are away for the most. We put 150 small tree ferns in the nearest quarry to the castle, it was mainly done by a man in the house.
1928 – JCW
A bud of Eriogynum opening in the Hall. C speciosa opening and a few Cam sasanqua left. Hamamelis mollis ½ open. Flowers on the white C japonica Dutch Pearl shows colour.
1927 – JCW
A good few lapagerias flowers, several Rho sulfureum and lutescens, and then odds and ends of rhodo’n. A very harsh wind, next to no frost.
1926 – JCW
Hardish frost last night. Cam sasanqua holds yet. Cotoneaster salicifolia is very good indeed but requires a sunny day.
1907 – JCW
Camellia sasanqua remains, no real frost, solanum quite fair, a fair lot of daffs of all ages have moved up.
1906 – JCW
Several coums open, a good few daffs up.
1897 – JCW
Jack [Williams] picked the first wild primrose.