2024 – CHW
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Mainstreet’ with two Christmas flowers as usual. The other 5 varieties on the top wall have no flowers today.
Excellent trimming of the Ilex perado subsp. platyphylla hedge above the Playhouse to free up 3 plants of Roy Lancaster’s wild collected Aucuba himalaica var. dolichophylla.
Hemerocallis breaking cover already.
Berberis kawakamii with pale yellow flowers, large prickles and seed heads forming.
Escallonia resinosa still in full flower.
The Taiwanese Trochodendron aralioides has many well developed seed heads. Not quite ripe but soon will be.
Acacia baileyana now also just starting to show.
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’ with a few flowers.
Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’ and Camellia reticulata (Garden form).
Flowers nearly out on Drimys winteri.
Hedychium still in full leaf below the tower on the lawn.
2023 – CHW
Just before Christmas the split out snakebark maple was cut up and burnt with some uplifting of nearby Aesculus. What was left of the acer looked ridiculous and was cut down. Snakebark acers have not been known to reshoot and the stump will need digging out.
Just before Christmas the split out snakebark maple was cut up and burnt with some uplifting of nearby Aesculus. What was left of the acer looked ridiculous and was cut down. Snakebark acers have not been known to reshoot and the stump will need digging out.
We may have had only one nights frost so far but this is the end of this big leaf seedling by the Gunnera bed in Old Park.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Bonanza’ is a really good double red and I see plenty of cuttings have been taken.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Elfin Rose’.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yume’ – an interesting bicolour and well worth growing. I did not see this in the Tregothnan collection but perhaps it was too early?
Camellia sasanqua ‘Sekiyo’ bouncing around in the wind.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hiryu’ another welcome addition to the sasanqua collection.
Camellia japonica ‘Silver Anniversary’ full out and with some petal blight already below the two Magnolia x veitchii.
Camellia japonica ‘Reigyoku’ with its first flowers. Foliage more interesting than the flowers!
I watched Jim Stephens excellent video of the early flowering camellias in the Mount Edgecumbe collection. He showed Camellia japonica ‘Rogetsu’ which is an early flowerer (white) and in my mind I had mistakenly muddled it with ‘Reigyoku’. Hence the need to check.
2022 – CHW
Now fully ripe fruits on Malus x prattii. One more for the collection.
Now fully ripe fruits on Malus x prattii. One more for the collection.
Notable for still being in leaf are Berberis wilsoniae.
And Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Inchmery’. All the berries here however have now been eaten.
Of course there are still flowers on Rhododendron keysii – there always are all year round!
Also still leaf and good late autumn colour on Cotoneaster glomerulatus. Some years, without frost, this is almost an evergreen species with us here.
Suprsingly some leaves still on the peculiar and dwarfish Acer sempervirens which Susyn Andrews identified for us.
First few flowers out on Camellia grijsii a bit later than most years. No scent as yet.
2021 – CHW
After a few days of rain the ground is sodden again. In the week before the festivities it was dry enough to spread human sewage in pelletised form on grassland. A Christmas stink!The first clumps of Erica arborea are now well out in flower but too damp for any scent today.
After a few days of rain the ground is sodden again. In the week before the festivities it was dry enough to spread human sewage in pelletised form on grassland. A Christmas stink!The first clumps of Erica arborea are now well out in flower but too damp for any scent today.
Ripe fruit at last on Rubus ichangensis below the greenhouse. Tasty although tiny with red calyxes.
Sarcococca ruscifolia with berry and flower together.
Then on to the greenhouses which are remarkably tidy for the time of year with lots of recent potting on in readiness for spring.
Lovely trays of pricked out rhododendron seedlings – here Rhododendron aberconwayi.
AND Rhododendron decorum.
We are starting to get our mass propagation of rhodo species going for the future.
The mist bench is full to overflowing with (we hope) rooting cuttings.
A selection of rarities all potted on ready for spring growth.
Still a few flowers left on some small Camellia sinensis which we saw out at Tregrehan in early October.
Lots of flowers now on young plants of Camellia vernalis ‘Dawn’ (2016 cuttings so very slow to develop and still only 12-15”).
Our stock plant of Camellia transnoekoensis still in tight bud.
Equally slow to grow and develop are young plants of Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’.
A young Schefflera megaphylla with mildewed flowers.
The tiny white flowers on Camellia costei hang downwards and are hard to photograph but have large anthers covered in pollen.
Cow parsley out in December on the bank above the lawn. This bank was cut (only once) in early September and regrowth has occurred in the absence of frost.
Jaimie moved and rebaited all the squirrel traps before Christmas keeping them well away from where pheasants are fed. After two months of little success they appear to be hungry again and the move has worked. They will be breeding already in these mild conditions.
2020 – CHW
Heavy storms overnight but the water meadows have only partially flooded again. Trees down at Tubbs Mill but otherwise just debris. Nothing major in the garden as seen so far. It would seem that Storm Bella was not as bad in Cornwall as anticipated. Perhaps we are all still on a ‘high’ after agreement with the EU on a free trade deal with them and the return of sovereignty to the UK and full law making powers without the European Court of Justice. Boris has delivered his election promise of a year ago to ‘Get Brexit Done’. A remarkable feat of negotiation which will go down in history as a triumph for UK democracy. We voted to leave the EU in 2016.Full lockdown of the whole country may be announced on Wednesday which may be the end of Cornwall being in Tier 2 and the end of our shooting season.The black ram in this group of rams is a (castrated) ‘teaser’.
Heavy storms overnight but the water meadows have only partially flooded again. Trees down at Tubbs Mill but otherwise just debris. Nothing major in the garden as seen so far. It would seem that Storm Bella was not as bad in Cornwall as anticipated. Perhaps we are all still on a ‘high’ after agreement with the EU on a free trade deal with them and the return of sovereignty to the UK and full law making powers without the European Court of Justice. Boris has delivered his election promise of a year ago to ‘Get Brexit Done’. A remarkable feat of negotiation which will go down in history as a triumph for UK democracy. We voted to leave the EU in 2016.Full lockdown of the whole country may be announced on Wednesday which may be the end of Cornwall being in Tier 2 and the end of our shooting season.The black ram in this group of rams is a (castrated) ‘teaser’.
As last year, a few decent flowers still on Hydrangea ‘Madame E Mouilliere’.
Hydrangea ‘Joseph Banks’ still has colour at the Red Linney.
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ has shed its flowers in Storm Bella.
The mass of heather at the Four in Hand is just out. White in bud opening pale pink. I had thought this might be a Lanarth bred variety but am now not so sure (‘P D Williams’?).
The very last flower on the ancient white Camellia sasanqua on the castle wall.
Flowers showing colour on Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ in a pot beside the front door.
2019 – CHW
A few more new things in the greenhouse which I spot today.Berberis triaganthophora ‘Cathy Rose’ has compact drooping habit with attractive leaves. Source Crug Farm I expect?
A few more new things in the greenhouse which I spot today.Berberis triaganthophora ‘Cathy Rose’ has compact drooping habit with attractive leaves. Source Crug Farm I expect?
Quercus liabmanii (from Tom Hudson in July 2018) is evergreen and growing on well in a large pot. Younger new growth leaves much smaller than the mature ones. Very vigorous indeed. Cannot find this species in ‘New Trees’.
Rubus ichangensis with tiny (often only one or two circular orange fruits in each cup) ripe fruits after Christmas. I have seen flowers and ripening fruit in autumn but never fully ripe raspberries. They tasted ok – I would not put it stronger than that. Long tendrils of fruits at the very end of the new growths.
In 2014 we planted five grafted Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ on the middle bank above the front door. These were plants grafted for us by the late Jeremy Peter-Hoblyn at Lamellyn. One of the five has its first 35 to 40 buds while the others have, as yet, none. It is the plant in the best position of the five but it is not the largest or tallest. The one next to it has put its energy into new growth rather than buds. These were excellent large grafts when we had them and they are all performing well in a hot position in full sun. One to watch out for later in the spring. The buds already look large and chubby but it is unusual to have so many showing up in a first flowering even of a grafted plant.
Daphne bholua ‘Garden House Ghost’ is out opposite the front door. Two of the three grafted plants which had a huge but deserved trade price of £30 have survived. Semi evergreen but out before the other D. bholua varieties. ‘Jacqueline Postill’ nearby is not yet showing colour. Another thing that is rather later out than in the last couple of years. Am I any nearer proving that a cold spell is coming?
2018 – CHW
At least four different varieties of Magnolia grandiflora still have flowers on today. Not unusual I suppose in a mild winter but what comes next in January?
At least four different varieties of Magnolia grandiflora still have flowers on today. Not unusual I suppose in a mild winter but what comes next in January?
Salvia leucantha full out in flower by the greenhouse. This Mexican species should flower now. Sadly I have cocked up the photographs.
First flower on Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ by the front door.
Camellia ‘Noblissima’ beside it has a secondary or tertiary flush of flowers which are slightly wind damaged. It may well be camellia petal blight.
2017 – CHW
Several secondary flowers showing on Magnolia lilliflora ‘Nigra’ and not a bad colour either for December! Paler than in the spring though.
Several secondary flowers showing on Magnolia lilliflora ‘Nigra’ and not a bad colour either for December! Paler than in the spring though.
A single rogue flower on Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’ (it is a touch of purple really).
Fine colour on a young Acer sikkimense which I have not seen before. Good even when shed on the ground.
Amazingly Carrieria calycina has some leaf buds just breaking.
Mahonia oiwakensis (Crug collection) is nearly over. Wonderful leaf formation.
Aralia vietnamensis with one huge leaf on the ground but plenty still left on the tree.
2016 – CHW
Off to Burncoose to view the excellent new 2017 Burncoose Nurseries catalogue which is hitting 30,000 doormats as I write. A new three column layout and more bigger pictures. Quite our best effort so far on the catalogue front. You can order a copy from the Burncoose site.On a drab day there is not much sparkle and only Andrew, Sally and Georgina at work.Nevertheless I find Hoya australis in flower in the cash point. The first time that this has ever flowered in the nursery I have seen. Not that different in flower to other hoyas.Then lots of heathers looking good:
Off to Burncoose to view the excellent new 2017 Burncoose Nurseries catalogue which is hitting 30,000 doormats as I write. A new three column layout and more bigger pictures. Quite our best effort so far on the catalogue front. You can order a copy from the Burncoose site.On a drab day there is not much sparkle and only Andrew, Sally and Georgina at work.Nevertheless I find Hoya australis in flower in the cash point. The first time that this has ever flowered in the nursery I have seen. Not that different in flower to other hoyas.Then lots of heathers looking good:
Erica x darleyensis ‘Kramers Red’
Erica x darleyensis ‘Phoebe’
Erica erigena ‘Irish Dusk’
Erica x darleyensis ‘White Perfection’
Chaenomeles x superba ‘Pink Lady’ in full bud.
Mahonia x media ‘Buckland’ – full out and some over.
A rude email from a happy ex customer who does not like my comments on Brexit in the introduction to the new catalogue. A minority view I am happy to assume.
2015 – CHW
Back in the land of the living and out and about again! Quercus buckleyi still has plenty of leaf on it and one of the older Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ is as full out as I had expected.
1968 – FJW
Cold spell started.
Cold spell started.
1943 – CW
Picked a vase of Rho keysii and over 20 primroses from one plant. Fuchsias almost all cut but several lapagerias. H mollis good. A lot of single camellias out. Also double white and one double pink. Heath Mr Robert good and several Sutchuenense hybrids – also a snowdrop.
Picked a vase of Rho keysii and over 20 primroses from one plant. Fuchsias almost all cut but several lapagerias. H mollis good. A lot of single camellias out. Also double white and one double pink. Heath Mr Robert good and several Sutchuenense hybrids – also a snowdrop.
1928 – JCW
H mollis is the best thing we have and Rho mucronulatum next. Some Caucasicums Lutescens etc but no real show of them. The Cardinal willow is very nice,the camellia by the castle as usual.
1927 – JCW
H mollis very good. Double white Dutch Pearl open and the old camellia.
1925 – JCW
H mollis fairly good but not really out. White camellia fair. Mucronulatum is poor and is late. Erica darleyense late though I saw a flower in October. Berberis polyantha is the best thing. Rho venustum in vases in the hall.
1923 – JCW
H mollis is at its best. Cotoneaster salicifolia very good in spite of the birds, rather less than usual but the white camellia by the Engine House is very good.
1922 – JCW
Hamamelis mollis is very nice. Cotoneaster salicifolia, Berberis fasicularis comes on well. Coums coming. Charles saw first snowdrop. Only odd flowers of rhodo other than Caucasicum sorts.
1900 – JCW
Picked a good camellia.