Mahonia gracilis in full flower beside Roy’s house. It has been in flower since November.

Polystichum neolobatum.

Quercus sadleriana – an evergreen but not enjoying the wet winter.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Freedom Bell’ – one of only 3 camellias in Roy’s garden.

Hedera pastuchovii ‘Ann Ala’ which Burncoose are now offering.

Hepatica hybrids.

A bowl of Hellebore hybrids.

Fruits on Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’.

Mahonia ‘Ogisui’ about to flower. Very compact flower heads.

Mahonia eurybracteata with nearly ripe seed.

Cotoneaster vandelaarii from which I collected seed for Asia to grow.

Mahonia lancasteri ‘Winter Bronze’ in flower. Not much bronze on the leaf after a mild winter.

The true Mahonia bealei with seed forming.

Note the extended size of the end leaflet on the long leaves of Mahonia bealei.

Mahonia tikushiensis from Taiwan which is clearly related to the true M. japonica from Japan.

Mahonia lancasteri ‘Silver Back’ which readily lives up to its name.

Nothaphoebe cavaleriei – a Record Tree in Roy’s garden. An evergreen with leaves like Cinnamomum but rather larger!

Daphne bholua ‘Peter Smithers’ – when full out not much different from ‘Jacqueline Postill’.

Mahonia gracilipes which is easily recognisable.

Sarcococca hookeriana – a wild collected form. Roy has several slightly different ones.

Mahonia huiliensis.

Cathaya argyrophylla – a tender conifer not in a great place in full shade.

Mahonia fargesii with ripe seed.

Galanthus elwesii ‘Fieldgate Tiffany’ – one of the best hybrids of this species that I have seen.

Veratrum fimbriatum about to leaf up.

Mahonia x emeiensis ‘Emei Shan’.

Sarcococca bleddynii with flower and fruits.

Aucuba chinensis? Is A. omeiensis really just a form of A. chinensis? Roy not sure.

Mahonia hartwegii climbing (or being trained) up a Trachycarpus fortunei. Nearly 25 feet tall.

2025 – CHW
1700 people have viewed Karol’s aerial video of Magnolia campbellii in the last 48 hours.

The true Magnolia campbellii var. mollicomata subsp. ‘Lanarth’ on the bank is now full out.

The view over the arch is improving day by day.

Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’ is just starting to show.

First flowers on the Crug Farm Camellia pitardii which might be incorrectly named.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ half out now.

Colour showing on the deciduous Stachyurus lancifolius.

The Magnolia campbellii by Tin Garden is at its best.

Magnolia campbellii and Camellia ‘Debbie’.

The evergreen Stachyurus yunnanensis also nearly out.

The original Magnolia sprengeri var. elongata nearly out.

2024 – CHW
The rain gauge shows 2 inches of rain in the last 6 days. To me it feels as though we have had double this.

Camellia japonica ‘Optima’ fully out and touching the side door. I do not remember it looking better. Flowers, and the flecking within, a bit variable.

The view today from the front door.

Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ over the top wall and two young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ in front of it.

Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ blown open on the lawn.

Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ where the flowers are more sheltered and therefore a somewhat darker colour as they open.

Daphne bholua ‘Mary Rose’ is finally full out in the Rookery and by the front gate.

Why are all the surviving daffodils on the front bank all now one variety? 40 years ago there were many varieties. All but one has died. We used to think eelworm but why one solitary survivor?

Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ virtually undamaged after the overnight hail and rain. Thankfully it has not opened up more after a chillier night.

A dreadful story and a dreadful lie as well in several of the national newspapers about the felling of a magnolia tree. If it was only 60 feet tall it was hardly ‘Britain’s tallest magnolia’ but there we are. We are so taken in by social media drama and lies on behalf of every pressure group who ever earnt a fee that truth and obvious lies easily become muddled.

2023 – CHW

Gales in the north of England but mild and still here as the magnolias start to mount their wonderful display.

Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’.

The first flower is out on the Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ above the gents loos.

Camellia japonica ‘Dr Burnside’ now full out.

First flower out and buds with colour on Magnolia ‘F.J. Williams’.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’ just getting going properly.

Camellia japonica ‘Faith’ looking especially fine today.

The Magnolia campbellii above Crinodendron Hedge a little further out in the drizzle today.

The rather unexciting Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ just out.

The 1913 Magnolia campbellii just now starting.

The Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling in the Aucklandii Garden still firmly not out.

A little more colour through the arch.

And beyond the Rockery – this one from the same seed pan as Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ which has yet to show colour.

2022 – CHW

Quite cold but no frost to hurt the magnolias. Click here to see Karol’s overfly of the garden yesterday and quite how advanced the garden actually is this year. Still plenty to come but potential visitors need to get here NOW!

More of the Storm Eunice clear up which is more or less done already.

Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’ now at its best.

See below a short video of Jaimie describing his two new magnolia hybrid flowering so well this year.

The Magnolia campbellii var. Alba seedling in the Auklandii Garden out a bit early by normal standards.

Three Camellia reticulata varieties just now out in flower:

‘Lasca Beauty’ – the best of the three

‘Dream Castle’ – a sparse flowerer

‘Royalty’

Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ strutting its stuff.

One of Jaimie’s new magnolia hybrids and Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ from a distance.

Magnolia ‘Dr Merrill’ and Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’.

Camellia japonica (pure species) and Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ on the Main Ride.

Another Magnolia campbellii var. Alba seedling with gigantic flowers below Tin Garden.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Wakehurst’ and Magnolia ‘Aurora’. Both wonderful ‘reds’ together.

Magnolia ‘Pink Sensation’ better than I have ever seen it before.

No apologies for showing Magnolia ‘Elizabeth Holman’ yet again.

Magnolia ‘Laura Saylor’ which I was rude about in the past now improving markedly.

The Magnolia ‘Hot Lips’ as also on last year’s Christmas card just out today.

A white form of Rhododendron siderophyllum below Slip Rail.

2021 – CHW
Jaimie and his team dug and moved the Rhododendron falconeri layers yesterday. These layers from the old original clump which flowers in May were made at least five years ago and have developed nicely into individual plants and little clumps with good root balls. With enough light they have grown up towards the light but, after moving, still need stakes to keep them upright and to prevent the root balls being moved in the wind before they root out more fully.Digging with great care to avoid breaking the root balls. The plants were moved only to the other side of the path into a specially cleared new site in dappled shade.

Each one was carefully mulched and watered in.

Then on to moving four sets of Rhododendron ‘Mrs Butler’ layers which have mainly come up as multi stemmed clumps which have been separated with care and will need staking.

These have been planted in a prepared site below Hovel Cart Road where they will be rather less sheltered initially than the old plants were at the top of the garden.

The yellowish white Magnolia campbellii behind the greenhouse is just starting.

Five naturalised clumps of very different semi wild daffodils outside the front gate. The last one is clearly a seedling hybrid from Narcissus cyclamineus.