An interesting article is attached from The Royal Cornwall Gazette dated 13th February 1868. A clear win in court for John Michael Williams.

Attached is a letter from the RHS with certificates for the awards showed at the Rosemoor Show in March and April 2023. By RHS standards a swift response!

The moment the Cornish magnolias flower, spring has arrived in England.

Spring has arrived in Cornwall, today 16 February 2024. The date was declared by The Nare, together with The Great Gardens of Cornwall, as part of Cornwall’s Spring Story – which marks the moment the Cornish magnolias flower, spring has arrived in England.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the county’s mild, sub-tropical climate ensures that Cornwall sees signs of spring much earlier than the rest of the country.

The first botanical day of spring is declared once six magnificent Magnolia Campbellii in each of the Great Gardens of Cornwall have flowered, with at least 50 blooms on each of the champion trees.

Cornwall’s Spring Story was founded by Toby Ashworth, proprietor of The Nare Hotel, in partnership with the Great Gardens of Cornwall in 2012 – to ensure garden lovers enjoy the splendid sight of the early spring Magnolia Campbellii.

The six champion Magnolia Campbellii trees are located within Cornwall’s Great Gardens of Caerhays, Trebah, Tregothnan, Trewidden, Trewithen, and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Annually, each head gardener closely monitors the trees, signalling the start of spring the moment all six prized Magnolia trees flower with at least 50 blooms.

Mr Ashworth says: “Spring always arrives early in Cornwall, often an entire month before the other parts of Britain, and this year is no different. We were delighted to see the blooms flowering in the beautiful gardens across the Duchy and to welcome many friends to The Nare to celebrate Cornwall at its best.”

Charles Williams, owner of Caerhays Castle and Gardens and Chairman of the Great Gardens of Cornwall, adds: “There’s nowhere better to enjoy early spring than in Cornwall. Garden lovers should plan to come here in March to really see the gardens in all their spectacular and unique beauty. Flowering Magnolias are the true start of the Spring season”.

2022 – CHW

Zantedeschia aethiopica still in full normal growth and untouched by winter.

Primroses now aplenty on the bank outside the front door.

Snowdrops and cyclamen with the primroses.

Narcissus ‘Mr Julian’ full out. This was bred by Ron Scamp as a N. cyclamineus hybrid and named after dad.

Magnolia campbellii and Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’.

A lower branch of the Magnolia campbellii seedling along Crinodendron Hedge now full out.

First flower out on Magnolia ‘F J Williams’. There are a few in the Auklandii Garden but this is a youngster above Crinodendron Hedge.

Rhododendron grande nicely out as young plants.

Camellia reticulata – white form just out. A hint of pink in the buds.

Some of the Rhododendron grande seedlings are pink in bud as we have seen before.

Yellow fruits persist on Malus x micromalus.

First flower out on Camellia ‘Drama Girl’.

Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ and a seedling Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’.

Camellia ‘California Sunset’ is not that special but a compact growing bush.

The sister seedling to ‘Caerhays Belle’ is just out in the gloom.

First few flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Brigadoon’.

2021 – CHW
In researching an article on the true identity of several veteran holly trees here collected by George Forrest I discovered in Bean a reference to a group of seven Ilex cyrtura trees growing in Trewithen Gardens. I therefore wrote to Gary Long, the head gardener there, to see if the group still existed? His reply and photographs appear here in full.

From: Charles Williams PA
Sent: 08 February 2021 09:50
To: Gary Long
Cc: Sam Galsworthy
Subject: Ilex puzzle
Dear Gary
Good to hear you were opening at the Great Gardens meeting on Friday.
I am writing a (probably very dull) article on Ilex species here. I see that Bean mentions seven Ilex cyrtura (Forrest collected) growing at Trewithen as a clump. This holly species was originally called Ilex forrestii perhaps or then misidentified as Ilex ficoidea.
Are your plants still going and could you let me have a few pictures please of the leaf/trunk? Even a berry or a cutting? Bean says that there was an Ilex cyrtura here and this was identified by Susyn Andrews in 1984 but it may well have died.
As ever, Ilex have had name changes and muddles. We have five 1920s Forrest hollies which have been identified differently by different experts over the years which we are trying to pin down once and for all. Originally called I. insignis, sometimes I. forrestii, more recently I. cyrtura but are possibly now identified as I. dipyrena (four) and I. kingiana (one).
insignis = hookeri? nowadays we think.
forrestii = kingiana nowadays.
Hope you can enlighten or extend the puzzle!
Thanks.
CharlesFrom: Gary Long
Sent: 08 February 2021 16:20
To: Charles Williams PA
Subject: RE: Ilex puzzle
Afternoon
It was good to hear what others were doing, helps us feel we are not alone in the confusion!
Ilex cytura:
George Johnstone day journal/lists/notebook has two Ilex entered. The book starts alphabetical then goes into lists of plants with a garden tag number on the left (we have no reference or map for these other than finding the occasional tag on plants in the garden), name in the middle then collection number on the right.
The first entry is:
R553 Ilex corallina F. (and no number)
Next is:
A557 Ilex (forrestii) melanotricha (Added in later in different colour pen, I have attached an image) F.24061
Our large stand of the trees is on main lawn and self-seed quite readily around the garden. There is a champion tree among them measured in 1985 and 2004 where in Owen Johnson’s “Champion trees of Britain and Ireland” book he gives it the common name of “Trewithen Holly”. They are semi-deciduous, large trees. They fruit but I haven’t any photos.
Hope this goes some way to sorting the puzzle. Pop in, at a social distance!, and have a look at them if that would help?
Regards
Gary
Gary Long
Head of Trewithen Gardens and Parks
Truro
Cornwall
TR2 4DDIt would seem that the naming of these, possibly, Ilex cyrtura has gone through many evolutions over the years just as ours have here.What is clear from these photographs is that the Trewithen holly group is a completely different species to our own unidentified veterans. The Trewithen trees are semi evergreen and pretty much devoid of leaves today after the second Beast from the East. Our veterans are clearly fully evergreen and the leaf shape is totally different.Like our Ilex kingiana and Ilex perado ssp. azorica the Trewithen plants self-seed and via birds around the clump and through the garden.I am fairly sure that we do not have Ilex cyrtura growing here if that is what it actually is?My holly article is written but needs to be peer reviewed in time by Susyn Andrews and Tom Hudson.

2020 – CHW
As we suffer Storm Dennis and the predicted 5½in of rain time to reflect on a few drier events earlier this week. Actually the rain is perhaps an inch over the 30 hours it rained solidly here. The wind was SW but less strong than a week ago in Storm Ciara. Damage reports awaited.A quick film of the barn owl being disturbed from its roost in the Tin Garden shed. We will have to install an owl box nearby to give it peace and quiet in the visitor season.

Jaimie saw movement in a squirrel trap and assumed, incorrectly, that the squirrel was still alive. This has never happened with the Kania 2000 traps to date. On opening the trap a startled stoat sped off. The stoat had been having a free meal out of the squirrel as you can see here. The squirrel cull is now nearly 50 since mid-January which compares to twice that number a year ago. We may be getting on top of them a bit and are certainly saving damage to magnolias, newly planted native trees and birds nests. Few to be seen nowadays as one goes around the garden.

A meeting at the church to plan further restoration work on the next two stained glass windows. The last two completed between 2014 and 2016 cost £18,000. We hope for grant help from the Cornwall Historic Churches Trust as before but we do have over £4,000 already in the windows account. Now to find out if the window restorer from Lanteglos-by-Fowey can again take on this very specialised work and then to obtain a ‘faculty’ from the diocese which is in effect planning permission from the church authorities to do the work.

2019 – CHW
Variations in camellia flowers with mixed colours. Every flower is different. Often radically so. Camellia ‘Nagasaki’ is a perfect example but here are another couple.An ancient plant of Camellia ‘Doncklaeri’ exhibits this nicely above the Auklandii Garden.

A much younger Camellia ‘Memphis Bell’ nearly is a perfect example. Just look at how variable the different flowers are in size and colour.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ just coming out and what a colour. Words fail me to describe it so I guess the RHS colour chart needs to be used (cost £450 but we do have one!).

2018 – CHW (some photos to follow)
More record tree labels going out today with Karol.Prunus x incam ‘Shosar’ is nicely out in the sun below the Tower. Another by the cash point is showing up well too. There are also a couple more to check in Kennel Close to see if they are out too. JCW’s diaries refer a lot to early cherries like these.First flower on Camellia ‘Kick Off’.First flowers on pink and white forms of Rhododendron irroratum.

Ditto on Camellia ‘Dr Burnside’.

Ditto Camellia ‘Black Lace’ which we brought back as a plant from Italy.

I have walked under this very pale old original Magnolia campbellii by Tin Garden several times in recent days but forgot to look up on gloomy days. Here the first few flowers in the sun which are relatively undamaged but a far cry from the ‘real’ M. campbellii which we know.Surprisingly an early flower on Magnolia ‘Shirazz’. We used to think this was a late season flowerer but the plants here anyway have now changed their minds. Last year it was early too.

Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’ full out in a sheltered spot. Huge flowers and early. Note how the flowers vary in shape and petal conformation.

JCW’s diary records Rhododendron sutchuenense as often being out in January. The first glimpse of it by Rogers Quarry today but no colour yet by the Auklandii Garden.

Our last year’s layers on the pink Rhododendron sinogrande look to have settled and are perhaps starting to root out.

Atherosperma moschatum above the quarry has a few flowers here and there in the sun. A delicate Tasmanian evergreen best grown on a bank so you can look up at the flowers.

Camellia ‘Debutante’ well out.

This is a windbreak hedge near the sea of the tough Ilex platyphylla. This tree rotted off at the base but still lives on through its many now well rooted and self-made layers. Quite odd but entirely natural and untouched by man situation.Ilex platyphylla loves to bush out form the base. Where it is too dark for it to do so the trunk still ‘has a go’ at ground level.

2017 – CHW
Another clump of Rhododendron grande seedlings are now full out by the Auklandii Garden. They do not look quite pure from the leaves or flowers which are near white with a dark purple blotch and a faint pink edge to the trumpets at first. I wonder if this clump ever had a name? Rather nice.

Camellia ‘Fairy Blush’ (a Camellia lutchuensis hybrid) planted last year on the main patch is well out but the leaves look a bit scarred and chlorotic. I think this plant is tender and needs more shelter than here.

The first of Tom Hudson’s (wild collected seed) Rhododendron niveum is out. An odd truss where some flower trumpets are out or even over before other buds have started to open. Red in bud but opening the pale mauve-purple which I always remember them on the original plants at Donkey Shoe. All our other plants of this clearly variable species are nowhere near out yet by Georges Hut.

Oemleria cerasiformis is just coming out on the main patch. A suckering plant which is easy to propagate from autumn hardwood cuttings. The flower tassels are just starting. In time they will have a nasty scent.

The purpose of my trip today (which required gloves and was short because it is bloody cold) was to photograph the first few flowers on Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’. BBC Spotlight showed these as part of their weather forecast a day or two ago. However there are still only a few out at the very top.

The buds lower down still have their double casings intact.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Salutation’ and Camellia ‘Citation’ always muddle me. This is Camellia ‘Salutation’. This plant is thriving by ‘Bishop Peter’.

I got Rhododendron irroratum confused with Rhododendron morrii the other day. Now it is full out there is no doubt. I had forgotten we still had old, original plants of this species and have been planting out new replacements.

2016 – CHW
Finally a night of some not very severe frost but enough to put paid to the two magnolias outside the yard. Further up in the garden they are still fine as you can see from the Magnolia campbellii which is untouched despite the raw south east wind today.The men are just finishing the second half of a huge ash tree by Tin Garden which we had to fell today. The other half fell in the gales a week ago and the remainder was certainly unsafe for visitors. The logs will be stored here until autumn and then into the castle wood stores.

Mahonia leschenaultii has come out into flower for the first time. Nasty spiny leaves even by mahonia standards and a brand new species to me. Not in Hillier’s and the spelling might not be 100%!

Lots of areas of the garden have been cut back and tidied for opening. ‘Mr Billy’ has a shit beside Georges Hut and the nicely pruned hydrangeas.

Magnolia ‘Sweet Sixteen’ is looking anything but ‘sweet’ but Magnolia ‘Pegasus’ is coming out nicely nearby with a bit more shelter.

Three early flowers on the newish New Zealand Magnolia ‘Plum Pudding’ are looking plum-like I suppose above Crinodendron Hedge.

Rhododendron siderophyllum is out by Higher Quarry Nursery. Not a hugely exciting species but fairly new to us (or me anyway). There are several more plants outside the front gates up the bank a bit which we grew from seed ourselves which have more pink in the flowers.

A nice clump of stingy nettles by the Playhouse are 12 inches tall already and have grown along all winter untouched.