16th February 1897 – 2020 | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

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.

Here we see the form with pink stripes on the trumpets and those which are almost pure white in flower. A pleasing discovery. Jaimie cocked up the naming too. Rhododendron moorii is next door and obviously different as well as not out!

This line of rhododendron hybrids are beside the path on the way to Rookery Gate. The first three are very early with a red edge to the white trumpets. Reminds me of Rhododendron ‘President Roosevelt’ without the variegated leaves. I wonder if JCW ever named this? Very well worth propagating. Unusual and very early! The other plants in this line flower later and are pink. I have not seen these in flower for decades and missed them the last two years also. Quite a miss!

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.

huge ash tree by Tin Garden — Huge ash tree by Tin Garden

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.

1988 – FJW
7 Magnolias out … including Giddle, Bishop Peter, 2 by steep steps, crino hedge.1969 – FJW
A wintry assize. Heavy frost and 5 lots of snow – George Blandford has been excellent as well as St Ewe – they have taken 4° of frost well.1966 – FJW
Still very wet indeed – moors waterlogged and we have had a very wet six months. All Hamamelis flowered together again – Lower Quarry Nursery Hamamelis very early. Red Admiral fine.

1946 – CW
Both Mag campbellii have a flower out also a good bud still on Grandiflora. One or two Lapagerias. Reticulata spec. Camellia at its best and J.C.W crosses.
Rhodo – a lot of Sutchuenense hybrids out also Blood Red and hybrid, Lutescens, Barbatum and one or two Mrs Butler hybrids. Perhaps 20 different daffodils.

1933 – JCW
Camellia speciosa at Gun Room door has about 300 flowers on it.1924 – JCW
None of the above (1922) are open but Conradinae is over. It is now very cold.1922 – JCW
Prunus mume has been very good for a fortnight or more. P triflora seems to be the next in order with P conradinae, some fair Sutchuenense x Arboreum are open.1911 – JCW
Some Cyclamineus open. Went out after tea for the first time, some Arboreums opening and hybrids.1907 – JCW
Later than all of the above, C coum are yet very good, snowdrops and aconites at their best.1903 – JCW
Made my first indoors crop on M Plume and Mde de Graaff. Several H Irving open outside and in comp open in the Tin Garden.1902 – JCW
H Irving just shows colour, Minor not properly open, the fortnight of frost left us today, one Tenby shows colour.1897 – JCW
Gunneras on the move.