A trip to the greenhouse today to inspect newly potted cuttings and seedlings (loads) and to see what is in flower.Tom Hudson’s gift of a wild collected Magnolia martinii (his number 3930) which has a different leaf form to ours at least in juvenility. Our plant has had a few yellow flowers in recent years.A few days later James Garnett from SEVE Nantes, France, got in touch about their Magnolia martinii:
[…] here is a glimpse of what is happening in Nantes, our Magnolia martinii flowered for the first time after 3 years. Nice fragrant yellow flowers!And this was my reply:
Our Magnolia martinii had one flower three years ago, nothing two years ago and just a very few flowers last season. The flowers look exactly like yours but our bush has a spreading habit rather than an upright one and the leaves do not look like ours; ours appear larger and less shiny on the topside. However, Tom Hudson has a rather different form of martinii which I hope to see in flower this year.


The branch is still hanging but we will hopefully pull it down later this week.
2018 – CHW
New shop now ready to go and the plant sales area looking good.
Camellia ‘Show Girl’ was nice on Rookery Path. Another new one to us.


2017 – CHW
Outside the front gate is a seedling from the same seed pan as ‘Caerhays Belle’. Quite nice but smallish flowers which are a good pink against a clear sky which it was not today.


2016 – CHW
1998 – FJW
Camellias (all of them) have never been better.
1997 – FJW
White narcissi outside dining room coming out – they were out on Xmas day 1995.
1976 – FJW
1st Magnolia out – frosted – above (crino hedge – Campbellii hyld).
1935 – JCW
Fuschias cut not too badly, Camellias flowering well and the frost hardly harms them. Our Magnolia campbelli is very good indeed.Note at bottom of Garden Book page:
There is a pencil note in J.C.W Williams Magnolias saying
‘There came on Jan 22 – 1928 from Darjeeling 3 seeds of white Magnolia campbellii
I think only one grew and was planted below the top ride between Engine House and Tin Garden.
This flowered well March 1939. Larger than Campbelli and a pure white. The frost had burst its sap and in May it died to the ground. It broke again and made shoots of 2ft by October but very soft.
1925 – JCW
Well ahead of 1922 say ten days ago almost all the Sutchuenense show flowers or are open. Moupinense is about over, Blood Red Arboreums just at their best.
1922 – JCW
The double Prunus pissardi has been good for the first time. Prunus mume of Wilson is just over, Prunus clementinae not quite open. Scarlet Thomsonii hybrids good, two or three Sutchuenense hybrids are flowering, Rhodo lutescens and the early species of Sutchuenense are goodish. There is no Argenteum in bloom so far.
1915 – JCW
Some good Camellia Lady Clare flowers. Also two or three good plants of Arboreum x Thomsonii open now.
1908 – JCW
Prunus pissardi moderate. Rhodo praecox coming on, made the first cross (G of Leidon x Gc) under glass.
1903 – JCW
Dauntlep, G Spur, Maximus, Caerhays are open. Prunus pissardi is very good at the kennel.
1898 – JCW
Dauntlep shows colour, snow and cold.
1897 – JCW
Pallidno proecox opens and Ard Righ, C citrina.