17th December

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

The wonderful wreath at the front door which Jaimie and Michael have made again this year.

wonderful wreath at the front door
wonderful wreath at the front door
Here is an email from the RHS relating to the findings about the 3 Gunnera samples they took from here in 2015.
You really could not make this up! I must remember never to participate in future RHS research projects.So now all our 120 year old beds of what we always thought was Gunnera manicata are now condemned to die as invasive weeds. Where are the signs of invasiveness after 120 years? There are none.Barking, woke, nonsense yet again from Mr. Weed’s Royal Horticultural Society.As a response to coverage of this story in the Sunday newspapers a significant number of Gunnera orders were received by Burncoose.An article in The Guardian is shown here.

2022 – CHW
The lake even more frozen this morning.

Frozen Lake
Frozen Lake
The new replacement water pipe and manhole over the stopcock at Treberrick Farm now in place in the dry weather. Perfect for pipe laying but less perfect for a field of winter wheat.
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe
New water pipe

Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’ now well frosted

Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’
Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’
Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’
Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’
The one flower on the Arum Lily now deceased.
Arum Lily
Arum Lily
First colour showing on Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’.
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
Daphne bholua ‘Limpsfield’
The Echiums have taken a real battering in the frost.
Echiums
Echiums
Echiums
Echiums
Hydrangea aspera ‘Kawakamii’ well frosted too.
Hydrangea aspera ‘Kawakamii’
Hydrangea aspera ‘Kawakamii’

2021 – CHW

The third day of strong east winds. The ground is drying up and it feels wintery with the prospect (distant) of snow next week. First flowers out about 10 days ago on Camellia saluenensis (paler form only as yet)

Camellia saluenensis
Camellia saluenensis
Camellia x williamsii ‘ George Blandford’ now fully out.
Camellia x williamsii ‘ George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘ George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘ George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘ George Blandford’
Camellia pruning by the Acer griseum.
Pruned camellia
Pruned camellia
Pruned camellia
Pruned camellia

2020 – CHW
Reevesia sinica with still tenderish secondary new growth at the top. Now 6-8ft tall.
Reevesia sinica
Reevesia sinica
Despite trimming some lower branches a Magnolia ‘Princess Margaret’ has nearly fallen over and part of its roots have rotted off. Still buds showing for next spring though.
Magnolia ‘Princess Margaret’
Magnolia ‘Princess Margaret’
Roy Lancaster’s Christmas card said he was using a picture of our Eriobotrya deflexa in a spring article in The Garden.
Eriobotrya deflexa
Eriobotrya deflexa
Surprisingly attractive peeling bark on Maackia chinensis.
Maackia chinensis
Maackia chinensis
Hidden away behind Georges Hut I find another large flowered Camellia ‘Cornish Snow Michael’ nearly in full flower. So easy to miss these mature but concealed plants. Perhaps the best thing out in the garden today.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow Michael’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow Michael’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow Michael’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow Michael’
One of our young Magnolia caveanas in a totally sheltered and secluded spot has leapt ahead four to five years on from planting and is now 10-12ft tall.
Magnolia caveanas
Magnolia caveanas
Pieris ‘Charles Williams’ (my uncle not me!) with early bud clusters.
Pieris ‘Charles Williams’
Pieris ‘Charles Williams’

2019 – CHW
First flower buds ever on Jaimie’s 2005 cross of Magnolia ‘FJ Williams’ with Magnolia campbellii. Will this be an exciting new Caerhays hybrid or a 15 year disappointment? We should know by March but you must not entirely judge a new plant on its first flowers in the first year or two. One for our marketing team to be aware of perhaps for a spring media story.
Magnolia ‘FJ Williams’ with Magnolia campbellii
Magnolia ‘FJ Williams’ with Magnolia campbellii
Keeping the gardens ‘tidy’ is obviously desirable but look how much the woodpeckers have enjoyed this bit of dead wood. The new woodland management scheme will (one day when we qualify for it) require proof that we are leaving deadwood for exactly this purpose. Petty but common sense in a woodland garden context.
dead wood
dead wood

2018 – CHW
The Polyspora are now fully out and a major and welcome addition to the garden around Christmas.Polyspora longicarpa (WWT 11601) has large spreading white flowers and a similar spreading habit as a shrub.
Polyspora longicarpa (WWT 11601)
Polyspora longicarpa (WWT 11601)
Polyspora longicarpa (WWT 11601)
Polyspora longicarpa (WWT 11601)
Polyspora axialis f. tonkinense (BJW 11750) has similar flowers but is a much more upright and larger tree. Now 12-14ft tall and threatening much more.
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’ has its first flower and is a delicate pink.
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’
An old wasps’ nest in a Camellia ‘Debbie’. Surprising where wasps will make a nest on occasion.
wasps’ nest
wasps’ nest
More unusual fungi!
fungi
fungi

2017 – CHW
The Isla Rose Plantation is now all rabbit wired and staked. Starting to take shape for the future!
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
Isla Rose Plantation
A new French camellia very similar to Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ but labelled Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink ?’ is out. More pink blotches than ‘Narumigata’ perhaps.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink ?’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink ?’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink ?’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Pink ?’
Corylopsis ‘Spring Purple’ has a few buds very close to opening.
Corylopsis ‘Spring Purple’
Corylopsis ‘Spring Purple’
Polyspora longicarpa, which had struggled to get established, is now flourishing with plenty of flower.
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa
Polyspora longicarpa

2016 – CHW
Our new squirrel traps bring an instant result!
squirrel traps
squirrel traps

2015 – CHW

Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ has shot out on the drive while Rhododendron nobleanum is now nearly over. ‘Winter Intruder’ was my father’s hybrid between Rhododendron delavayi and Rhododendron nobleanum. It is a good dark colour and these three plants were moved here as layers from the Rockery. Older plants flank the nobleanums on the upper side of the drive.

Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’
Alongside are three rather poor plants of Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’. A rather insipid colour here and lacking the pink tinge which makes the clump at Burncoose hedge so attractive. A poor neighbour to ‘Winter Intruder’.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
Next door again are a fine young clump of Camellia ‘Winton’ strutting their stuff in this exceptionally mild December.
Camellia ‘Winton’
Camellia ‘Winton’
Camellia ‘Winton’
Camellia ‘Winton’

2000 – FJW
First frost last night.

1997 – FJW
Snow. Stormy night.

1979 – FJW
David returned as a school monitor!!

1975 – FJW
C.H.W awarded Langdon scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford. First year for sometime when camellias coming out well.

1944 – CW
Camellia sasanqua still has pink and white flowers. Double form out – also a few flowers of Speciosa and its hybrids. Also Engine House double white. Hamamelis beginning to be good. Rho mucronulatum coming out and lutescens. Several lapagerias. All wall fuchsias cut some weeks ago, not in Tin Garden.

1934 – JCW
No sign of daff buds or real rhodo bloom, and no frost or ice so far. No real frost yet.

1933 – JCW
No sign on daffs except the Devon polyanthus. We have had ice on the pond for 3 or 4 days, and about 100 ducks.

1905 – JCW
A good few daffs above ground in the pans and in the open. Cam sasanqua hangs on. Several coums open. An odd wild primrose, a good lot of lapagerias.