The Royal Cornwall Museum was chucking out its old mineral display cabinets recently and we rescued two which had to be dismantled. Mark Pheasey has reassembled the first of these, with great care and skill, in the garage where the public view a large film screen when the gardens are open. The cabinets will be used to display artefacts from the George Forrest plant hunting expeditions to China between 1902 and 1932. Originally we hoped to display more of our mineral collection in these cabinets but they were too large to fit anywhere indoors. Imagine what these cabinets must have cost to make and all scrapped to make way for “progress” at the museum where they now pride themselves in displaying around 50 LBGT etc. flags to make clear that wokeness is more important than history.

The old fire engine is in the same garage space.

As is my great uncles Charles’ restored cart which he rode around the estate and gardens in. We purchased the cart from Trevilveth Farm who had purchased it in an auction in around 1955.

First flower on the paler original Camellia saluenensis that is low down enough to photograph.

Prunus ‘Jo-nioi’ looking superb today by the garden entrance.

Prunus ‘Chocolate Ice’ above the Green Gate taken from the lawn.

Camellia x vernalis ‘Dawn’ is suddenly full out below the Nursery windows. I have been keeping an eye on this and I am startled to see how quickly I have been deceived.

2023 – CHW
Camellia japonica ‘Takanini’ now full out. What a colour!

The autumn colours (not much!) on Quercus trojana – a gift from the IDS in 2019.

Carpinus rankanensis in full leaf.

Carpinus japonica virtually leafless.

Another storm damaged leylandii. Jaimie will be pleased as he hates them.

The Sophora ‘Sun King’ died in the drought 2 years ago. Jaimie dug it up and potted it and surprisingly it has revived and reshot from the trunk. We planted it out again in full sun in Kennel Close last October.

A newly planted Viburnum foetidum var. rectangulatum with good colour and its first fruits.

Fagus longipetiolata still in leaf in December.

Sorbus hedlundii with ripe seed now ready to drop.

2022 – CHW
The very last two flowers on the ancient white and pink Camellia sasanqua’s that I can find which were first in flower 6-7 weeks ago.

First flowers out on Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’ which I saw yesterday.

Camellia ‘Sugar Dream’ an excellent addition to early December and should be more widely grown.

Enkianthus serrulatus with its vibrant autumn colours. This was a gifted layer from the Tregrehan plant.

Acer forrestii has little notable autumn colour here. Rather drab.

Pruning out suckering growth from a sycamore root exposed to the daylight.

2021 – CHW
Garrya eliptica ‘James Roof’ with flower tassels well formed.

Nerine bowdenii full out on the lawn.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Versicolor’ is not that different to ‘Narumigata’.

Fallen leaves on the drive under Liriodendron tulipifera.

A nice combination of Camellia ‘Takanini’ and Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’.

Malus prattii has now been staked.

Liriodendron chinense in all its autumn splendour.

Tilia kiusiana with autumn colour.

2020 – CHW
As Lockdown 2 nears its end I am starting to run out of new things to show you. Acute frustration and boredom.Work progresses at the Hovel and the concrete floors are in as well as the floors upstairs with gaps for the staircases. The rain has turned the car parking area into a bit of a quagmire but the main drains are in. Half the roof is slated and we are about three months into a nine month contract.

This is a first misshapen flower on what may well be Camellia ‘Debutante’.

The parents departed long ago but the one surviving cygnet looks fit and its plumage is changing colour.

A fine white cock pheasant near the Bottom Lodge.

Pheasants dry off around the Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ planted by HRH Prince Charles during a visit here.

Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ now finally leafless.

Photinia macrophylla (HWJ 5614) which I suspect is wrongly named (microphylla?) but no answers from Crûg to my query. A fine set of berries now anyway.

Quercus ‘Belle d’Aquitaine’ with just a few leaves left. This was only planted this year but clearly has potential as an autumn show.

Sorbus japonica now leafless but still laden with red fruits. I assume we have collected some?

A self-sown seedling of Camellia saluenensis above the greenhouse is just out.

2019 – CHW
A few things in flower on the lawn.Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ still full out as it has been since August. Its two toned flowers go on and on and still look great in a granite trough outside the estate office as well.

The first yellow flowers are just out on the bushy Jasminum humile ‘Revolutum’ which I planted here 40 years ago. The leaf formation suggests it is ‘Revolutum’ and so does the flowering time. It is nothing like the ‘normal’ Jasminum humile which grows so well at Ventnor but this is a very variable species.

First flower tassels on Garrya eliptica ‘James Roof’.

Sunday rest and no room on the sofa! Brock is however still ready to go.

2018 – CHW
Sorbus alnifolia (BSWJ 10948) holding its berries long after the leaves have fallen. They start orange and then turn red. Asia should collect some before the birds get there.

Next door Sorbus japonica (BSWJ 11048) has much larger fruits which are also orange then red when fully ripe. Plenty to collect here too although some are already browning off and dropping.

Further horrors! A youngish 2007 planted Magnolia ‘Apollo’ has several flowers out. They are stunted and frosted but I do not think these are secondary flowers. Yes they have been blown open a bit but all the buds look in the same state.

First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’. The same old and fairly recently cut down plant as was first out last year. A week ago nothing but suddenly plenty of flowers some of which have been cut for the house.

2017 – CHW
This Mahonia japonica was trimmed back hard from the path a year or so ago. Full of new growth and flowers today. Still not quite full out. Flowers a delicate gentle yellow and pendulous not upright.

First flower out on Vinca major growing under and through Picea omorika. Once there was a clump of Magnolia grandiflora here which died of cold but the vinca survived.

Final flowers just coming out on Verbena bonariensis.This is the last stem left in the clump flowering. First flowers in August. What a show for any plant!

Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ just beginning to turn colour and drop its leaves. It may well be out in flower in only eight weeks’ time. Not much of a winter break for this tree!