2024 – CHW (images to follow)
2023 – CHW
The gigantic cones on Araucaria angustifolia have just turned black and are now ripe but not yet disintegrating.
Buddleia heliophila still has flower in the Isla Rose Plantation.
Euonymus wilsonii with a few very red leaves as we saw last year.
Euonymus morrisonensis has shed its seeds and only the seed pods remain on the bush. Most seed pods are on the ground below this expanding large shrub.
Euonymus tonkinensis whose seed pods are still yellowish-green.
Catalpa duclouxii has fallen over yet again despite being cut back hard 2 or 3 years ago. Very little root is left but the leaves are holding still into the second week of December. We need to prop it up yet again.
2022 – CHW
More North in the wind today and the first cold snap of winter well underway.New gutters up on the Tin Garden shed but still not connected to the new water tank?
More North in the wind today and the first cold snap of winter well underway.New gutters up on the Tin Garden shed but still not connected to the new water tank?
A young Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ with 3 early flowers in Tin Garden.
Camellia saluenensis and Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ side by side.
The autumn tints on the leaves of Aesculus wangii. Not that exciting it has to be said but what other Aesculus species keeps it leaves until December?
Buds showing colour on Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’ but the two flowers out have already been frosted.
The Ginkgo biloba is finally turning its splendid yellow.
2021 – CHW
Seedpods on Torreya taxifolia.
Seedpods on Torreya taxifolia.
And on Torreya grandis. Neither are quite ripe yet. In previous years they were ripe much earlier in the autumn.
The end of the fallen leylandii by Higher Quarry Nursery. The trunk is not useful firewood for domestic use.
Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’ with its wonderful yellow stems. The fallen leaves are from the nearby Magnolia zenii as the acer shed weeks ago.
2020 – CHW
I had not noticed the attractive bark on a 25 to 30 year old Pseudopanax ferox. Looking in the latest RHS ‘Plantsman’ magazine they feature the bark of Pinus bungeana which has an equally attractive and not dissimilar patterning.
I had not noticed the attractive bark on a 25 to 30 year old Pseudopanax ferox. Looking in the latest RHS ‘Plantsman’ magazine they feature the bark of Pinus bungeana which has an equally attractive and not dissimilar patterning.
The bark of Pinus bungeana is pictured here by way of comparison.
The trimming of an old Camellia x williamsii ‘J. C. Williams’ has been completed this week.
Other camellias nearby have had a haircut as well to give more room to a Michelia x foggii ‘Allspice’.
And some Azalea ‘Ledifolia Alba’ have had a trim too.
Time to clear this little path to the greenhouse as well.
2019 – CHW
A few pale secondary flowers on Rhododendron augustinii which is quite a surprise for December.
A few pale secondary flowers on Rhododendron augustinii which is quite a surprise for December.
Crataegus wattiana (perhaps?) is still in full green leaf. Is it an evergreen?
Crataegus aprica is the only Crataegus species in the young new collection still to be holding its (dullish orange) fruits which glisten here in the sun. Attractive and well worth growing even if I need to ask Jaimie to restake them all after the recent gales.
Cones forming but not yet ripe on Cupressus tortulosa. I think Asia has grown this attractive small tree from cuttings already.
2018 – CHW
A quick trip to Burncoose but it was pouring with rain so little photography was possible.A new Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’ had recently arrived from Javado nurseries in Holland. The plant label shows the flowers as being red but the reality is that they are a purple on the inside and not red. The flowers hang down on long pendulous stalks and the colour on the inside of the petals is therefore difficult to see. A new plant for the Burncoose website in due course and an interesting new form of C. cirrhosa. Clearly the plants have been forced in a glasshouse but I assume that the flowers would be out by now anyway.
A quick trip to Burncoose but it was pouring with rain so little photography was possible.A new Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’ had recently arrived from Javado nurseries in Holland. The plant label shows the flowers as being red but the reality is that they are a purple on the inside and not red. The flowers hang down on long pendulous stalks and the colour on the inside of the petals is therefore difficult to see. A new plant for the Burncoose website in due course and an interesting new form of C. cirrhosa. Clearly the plants have been forced in a glasshouse but I assume that the flowers would be out by now anyway.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ is now full out and beginning to look as attractive as ever.
Plenty of seeds on the Corokia buddleioides which are not quite yet ripe.
The leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive is now well over half way.
2017 – CHW
It really is winter now and chilly today with everything looking a bit frumped up. Still some tail end autumn colour though despite the time of the year!Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’ is still quite a show with its trailing branches.
It really is winter now and chilly today with everything looking a bit frumped up. Still some tail end autumn colour though despite the time of the year!Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’ is still quite a show with its trailing branches.
First flowers on the elderly Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’ a bit battered by wind and frost. Time for a hard pruning for this plant I feel. It is not so different from Camellia ‘Caerhays’ but the centre is bolder and with different tints of colour.
Odd leaf colours on Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’. Both greenish and brown leaves holding well on the tree. Not seen it do this before and attractive in mid December.
2016 – CHW
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’ by Tin Garden. None outside the front gate yet.
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’ by Tin Garden. None outside the front gate yet.
The unnamed x williamsii hybrids below are well out now too as usual just below.
2015 – CHW
The nerine bed has only a very few flowers and they are both late and a rather insipid pink this year. Much paler than I remember them. Over use of weedkiller when dormant perhaps? I looked up the old planting records and Camellia ‘Noblissima’ and Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ came here in 1895. Clearly they were planted side by side outside the front door so C ‘Noblissima’ (or possibly ‘Sodegasuki’) is the correct name and not Camellia Gauntlettii).
1990 – FJW
Snow.
1967 – FJW
Fairly heavy snow. Oleifera and November Pink began at end of November.
1962 – FJW
Very late – no Oleifera and no November Pink. Hartia good, there have been gales about one every three weeks but in between dry and cold.
1960 – FJW
Flower on Praevernum.
1932 – JCW
The best autumn colour I have ever seen here. The hybrid cherries near Barbatums are the best bits, the Eucryphia pinnatifolia and then Wilson’s Acer 4102.1916 – JCW
Rho micranthum is quite nice in 40 Acres.