8th 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 gigantic cones on Araucaria angustifolia have just turned black and are now ripe but not yet disintegrating.

Araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia
Araucaria angustifolia
Buddleia heliophila still has flower in the Isla Rose Plantation.
Buddleia heliophila
Buddleia heliophila
Euonymus wilsonii with a few very red leaves as we saw last year.
Euonymus wilsonii
Euonymus wilsonii
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 morrisonensis
Euonymus morrisonensis
Euonymus morrisonensis
Euonymus morrisonensis
Euonymus tonkinensis whose seed pods are still yellowish-green.
Euonymus tonkinensis
Euonymus tonkinensis
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.
Catalpa duclouxii
Catalpa duclouxii
Catalpa duclouxii
Catalpa duclouxii

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?

New gutters up on the Tin Garden shed
New gutters up on the Tin Garden shed
A young Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ with 3 early flowers in Tin Garden.
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’
Camellia saluenensis and Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’ side by side.
Camellia saluenensis and Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
Camellia saluenensis and Camellia x williamsii ‘Beatrice Michael’
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?
Aesculus wangii
Aesculus wangii
Aesculus wangii
Aesculus wangii
Buds showing colour on Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’ but the two flowers out have already been frosted.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’
The Ginkgo biloba is finally turning its splendid yellow.
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba

2021 – CHW
Seedpods on Torreya taxifolia.
Torreya taxifolia
Torreya taxifolia
Torreya taxifolia
Torreya taxifolia
And on Torreya grandis. Neither are quite ripe yet. In previous years they were ripe much earlier in the autumn.
Torreya grandis
Torreya grandis
The end of the fallen leylandii by Higher Quarry Nursery. The trunk is not useful firewood for domestic use.
fallen leylandii
fallen leylandii
Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’ with its wonderful yellow stems. The fallen leaves are from the nearby Magnolia zenii as the acer shed weeks ago.
Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’
Acer rufinerve ‘Erythrocladum’

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.
Pseudopanax ferox
Pseudopanax ferox
Pseudopanax ferox
Pseudopanax ferox
Pseudopanax ferox
Pseudopanax ferox
The bark of Pinus bungeana is pictured here by way of comparison.
Pinus bungeana
Pinus bungeana
The trimming of an old Camellia x williamsii ‘J. C. Williams’ has been completed this week.
Camellia x williamsii ‘J. C. Williams’
Camellia x williamsii ‘J. C. Williams’
Other camellias nearby have had a haircut as well to give more room to a Michelia x foggii ‘Allspice’.
haircut
haircut
And some Azalea ‘Ledifolia Alba’ have had a trim too.
Time to clear this little path to the greenhouse as well.
path
path

2019 – CHW
A few pale secondary flowers on Rhododendron augustinii which is quite a surprise for December.
Rhododendron augustinii
Rhododendron augustinii
Rhododendron augustinii
Rhododendron augustinii
Crataegus wattiana (perhaps?) is still in full green leaf. Is it an evergreen?
Crataegus wattiana
Crataegus wattiana
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.
Crataegus aprica
Crataegus aprica
Crataegus aprica
Crataegus aprica
Cones forming but not yet ripe on Cupressus tortulosa. I think Asia has grown this attractive small tree from cuttings already.
Cupressus tortulosa
Cupressus tortulosa
Cupressus tortulosa
Cupressus tortulosa

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.
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Landsdowne Gem’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ is now full out and beginning to look as attractive as ever.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’
Plenty of seeds on the Corokia buddleioides which are not quite yet ripe.
Corokia buddleioides
Corokia buddleioides
The leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive is now well over half way.
leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive
leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive
leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive
leaf sweeping and leaf blowing on the drive

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.
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
Styrax japonicus ‘Pendulus’
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.
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’
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.
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’
Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’

2016 – CHW
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’ by Tin Garden. None outside the front gate yet.
Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’
Camellia x williamsii ‘J C Williams’
The unnamed x williamsii hybrids below are well out now too as usual just below.
unnamed x williamsii hybrids
unnamed x williamsii hybrids
unnamed x williamsii hybrids
unnamed x williamsii hybrids

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).

nerine bed
nerine bed

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.