The sister seedling to Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ which is unnamed is looking good outside the front gate in the sun. The flowers are smaller and darker than ‘Caerhays Belle’ but this is not bad for February. The other sister seedling is not yet out in Bond Street but a similar size.
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ is just starting. A semi-deciduous cross between Rhododendron dauricum and Rhododendron mucronulatum is always a good early show.
2018 – CHW
A day out with Clare (the nursery buyer) and Asia (the Caerhays propagator) to visit a couple of wholesale nurseries from whom we buy a lot and have propagation agreements with. A bitterly cold day!
First to E B Champernowne in Devon and its owner, Peter Argles. Historically this was a daffodil nursery and, despite my father’s alzheimers, he did remember his father and grandfather dealing with them when they were also growing daffodil bulbs seriously at Werrington and Caerhays. Today Burncoose are Peter’s largest customers from his traditional wholesale nursery. 20 to 25 tunnels of plants with a large propagation area. He grows lapageria from cuttings. Cor!
The joy of nursery visits is to see new plants:
Is this really a form of Pittosporum tobira or some other species? I think it is Pittosporum truncatum?
Then on to Roundabarrow Nursery who are growing many varieties for us now from seeds, as cuttings and as grafted plants all from Caerhays material. A newish site near Gunnislake on the Devon/Cornwall border but just in Cornwall. Exciting to see how many things have rooted already from last season but it will be a year or two before they are large enough to add to our rarities website catalogue.It was a day for looking at Daphne bholua varieties in full scent and bloom. Paul used to have a nursery at Pound House near Buckland Monachorum and has retained many of the best varieties from the old Garden House collection at Buckland Monachorum.
Daphne rupina la (may not be the full name) – SUPERB
I have never seen such an array of Daphne bholua and the stock plants were mainly growing outside in the teeth of the wind on top of the Round Barrow Hill beside a huge multi-span tunnel. 700 bholua grafts done for spring 2019 by Paul.Also growing outside in full exposure were half a dozen schefflera species. Schefflera rhododontifolia was doing particularly well.
A Burncoose day of paperwork and a nursery tour to help select the plants for the Caerhays sales point. The gardens at Caerhays open on the 20th February.Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’ is a particularly vulgar blotched colour mixture but a big and bold flower which is catching the eye in the cash point by the till.
2016 – CHW
A newly bought in batch of camellias from a French nursery are flowering away by the greenhouses ready for planting out.
Camellia champetre ‘Fairy Blush’ – looks rather tender
Camellia ‘Silver Chalice’
Camellia ‘Black Magic’ – I think we have had this before
Camellia champetre ‘Christmas Daffodil’ – hardly daffodil like!
Camellia ‘Memphis Belle’ – a rather blowsier version of Camellia ‘Nagasaki’
2015 – CHW
Gamekeepers catching up laying hens in Rookery. Bit of a mess on Rookery path! Hold onto your hats as we open to the public in three days’ time.
1943 – CW
One flower of Mag sargenteana fully out, also several Campbellii, Trewidden, are in full flower – many daffodils, 3 or 4 whites, also Rho’ sinogrande.
(Note added to Garden Diary page) [Out presumably on this day]
Rhodo’s – Sulfureum, Lutescens, Bayleyi, Davidsonianum, Irroratum, Dahuricum semp’s, Mucronulatum, Racemosum, Scabrifolium, Ririei, Quinquefolium, Moupinense, Thomsonii, Barbatum, Obtusum, Parvifolium, Rubiginosum.1915 – JCW
Only Cyclamineus and one or two Cyc x are open with Soleil d’or., six or eight Camellias show flower, Rhodo’ moupinense – lutescens – argenteum – sutchuenense – racemosum – mucronulatum – barbatum – keysii – keiskei – sutchuenense x arboreum – and various hybrids. Primula megasoefolia is well open.1907 – JCW
Hardly any of the 99 things open.1902 – JCW
Hard frost for a week, ice all over the pond, nothing moves.1899 – JCW
Open many Telamonius (6028), a few H Irving, Caerhays, and colour only for Tenby, Maximus many, Cyclamineus many, Minor many, several seedlings also P pissardi by the Kitchen Garden, Azalea Dutch oriole and white crocus.