2024 – CHW
Finally colour on Prunus x incam ‘Okame’.
Mature cones ready to shed on Abies homolepis.
Persea indica by George’s Hut untouched by frost.
Buds swelling on Lindera communis.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’ showing very little yellow this year in its blown open flowers.
Very first pendulous flowers out on Camellia x williamsii ‘Lady’s Maid’.
The ancient Hamamelis mollis in Lower Quarry Nursery is slowly recovering after it was cleared around to give it more light.
Rhododendron lutescens full out now as you would expect.
Primroses and cyclamen on the bank.
Prunus mume ‘Dawn’ in flower. This was a gift from Raf.
The pile of new magnolia species also a gift from Raf.
2023 – CHW
First flower out on Camellia japonica ‘Dr Burnside’.
First flower out on Camellia japonica ‘Dr Burnside’.
Two young rhododendrons side by side. One suddenly dying and one (so far) surviving.
Another much older drought casualty – sudden and terminal leaf droop.
Suddenly Rhododendron nobleanum has decided to flower. The late October flowers must have been a post drought secondary flower aberration.
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ finally comes out much later than usual.
Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ and Camellia ‘Winton’
A close up of Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’.
Camellia japonica ‘Carter’s Sunburst’ has 2 flowers.
First flower on Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’.
Camellia japonica ‘Debutante’ looking good.
2022 – CHW
The Magnolia campbellii seedling through the arch suddenly has a few flowers today after a breezy night.
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ and Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’ nicely out together below the drive.
Camellia ‘Winton’ and Rhododendron ‘Winter Intruder’.
Fallen flowers under Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’.
But the plant still looks fabulous.
Polyspora speciosa in flower in the nursery.
Agapanthus very early into flower in a nursery tunnel.
2021 – CHW
Surprise, surprise – still rain. About a fortnight of rain.Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ and Camellia ‘Noblissima’ somewhat unusually both out together by the front door.
Surprise, surprise – still rain. About a fortnight of rain.Camellia ‘Lady Clare’ and Camellia ‘Noblissima’ somewhat unusually both out together by the front door.
A young Camellia ‘Nagasaki’ with its very variable flowers.
A young Podocarpus lambertii. A rare and new species to us.
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (yellow form) bursting out.
Camellia ‘Hatsu-Zakura’ (‘Dewatairin) – one of the Higo camellias – now properly out.
Serious and fresh roe deer damage to the main stem of an Enkianthus chinensis. It will die!
More flowers out now on the pale Magnolia campbellii.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxie’ just starting to show by Tin Garden.
Wind and frost have destroyed the first flower heads and all the leaves on Aralia vietnamensis without us ever seeing what the flower looks like.
Magnolia campbellii alba ‘Strybing White’ with more undamaged flowers coming out high up.
The odd white fungi we saw earlier on the trunk of a dead scots pine have now matured and turned grey-brown.
First flowers this year on Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’.
Lower branch pruning on Lomatia ferruginea to prevent overshadowing of nearby young rhododendrons. Nice bark on its trunk.
First flowers on the pinker form of Rhododendron irroratum. Nowhere near as good a form as the Burncoose plants which have spots on the inside of each bell.
A nearly dead 30 year old Rhododendron keysii. A very short lived species. We will prune it back but, from experience, this species will probably not reshoot at all.
Acer laevigata still evergreen even if battered.
Camellia ‘Moonlight Bay’ I think. I had guessed ‘Kitty’ but was wrong.
A couple more undersized and blown open flowers on the Magnolia ‘Lanarth’. The first flowers blown away in the recent gales. Serena was interested to see this and will report back to Lanarth.
I spotted this rhododendron above the Orchid House Nursery. A mature 40 to 50 year old plant unfortunately covered in brambles but I have never seen it in flower before. At a distance it seemed an arboreum but I can see from the leaf underside that it is, at best, an arboreum hybrid. Possibly a self-sown seedling? Very early which is why I suspect none of us have really clocked it before.
2020 – CHW
A trip to look at some early flowering williamsii hybrids to prepare for the article which I am writing for the RCMG yearbook:Camellia x williamsii ‘Inspiration’ is not a Caerhays hybrid and was only just coming out.
A trip to look at some early flowering williamsii hybrids to prepare for the article which I am writing for the RCMG yearbook:Camellia x williamsii ‘Inspiration’ is not a Caerhays hybrid and was only just coming out.
The Tregullow form of Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’ had its very first flower out. Sadly showing a few traces of petal blight.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Philippa Forwood’ is hidden away on the bank opposite the two veitchii and has a darker colouration on some of the petals.
Camellia x williamsii ‘John Pickthorn’ is hidden away in the same place; flowers are really quite elongated and a very dark pink. Many hang down from the plant which is now about 20ft high.
A young plant of Camellia japonica ‘Adeyaka’ in what is perhaps its second flowering is a standout red.
Camellia japonica ‘Italiana Vera’: also with its first or second flowering with us; irregular pink and red stripings in this semi-double.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Larcom’ is below the Tin Garden; an attractive compact habit and very floriferous.
2019 – CHW
The Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling above the top wall is out in the sun after a wet night. A good colour and so far undamaged.
The Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling above the top wall is out in the sun after a wet night. A good colour and so far undamaged.
Amazingly after the frost last week Sparmannia africana has flower buds showing which are only slightly drooping after the cold. Slightly protected by a covering but only slightly. Last year The Beast stripped the plant of all its leaves but it has recovered.
Sarcocca orientalis has a gorgeous scent and pink tips to the buds and flower petals although these fade to white. A Roy Lancaster introduction in 1980 and I think my favourite Sarcocca species. It ought to be grown more widely and we can now offer a few plants only on our website.
2018 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ with the first outer coating over the flowers shedding nicely as the buds swell. No damage yet.
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ with the first outer coating over the flowers shedding nicely as the buds swell. No damage yet.
Still green leaves from last year on a young Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’.
Snowdrops already over and setting seed.
The first ‘wild’ daffodils are just out (late) by the Four in Hand.
First small and poor flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’ outside the yard. Better to follow we hope.
The original darker pink Camellia saluenensis has shed most of its flowers by the ladies loo. Still a show but nearly over.
2017 – CHW
A trip to Burncoose to meet George Eustice MP and Minister of Agriculture in response to my complaint last June about the appalling performance of his department with our HLS/BPS claims.Just time for a quick garden trip to see what is out today before rushing back for the England vs France rugby:The Rhododendron barbatum clump is looking good by the Lodge. Needs a prune off the drive.
A trip to Burncoose to meet George Eustice MP and Minister of Agriculture in response to my complaint last June about the appalling performance of his department with our HLS/BPS claims.Just time for a quick garden trip to see what is out today before rushing back for the England vs France rugby:The Rhododendron barbatum clump is looking good by the Lodge. Needs a prune off the drive.
Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’ is nowhere near as far out as at Caerhays despite all the strong gales recently.
First flower on Rhododendron moupinense on the drive which is all looking very neat and tidy.
Rhododendron irroratum is late out. I think I made a balls up a fortnight ago saying we had an off colour Rhododendron moorii out early. It was in fact Rhododendron irroratum.
Rhododendron ‘Seta’ full out by the Tennis Court. Rather aged plants now overgrown by the Kalmia latifolia.
Wonderful young clump (three plants) nearby of the pink form of Rhododendron ‘Bo-Peep’. Is the pink better than the yellow form?
Pseudocydonia sinensis with, as usual, early new growth on the lawn edge.
Then a big surprise. A few freak flowers on the Rosa banksiae ‘Alba Plena’ on the front of Burncoose House. Despite all the recent building work the plant has survived but now needs a good pruning or, rather, a good thin out back to younger shoots without the old dead wood.
2016 – CHW
The true Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ planted in 1955 and now flowering for only the third time (this time properly) is out. Slightly paler than I would expect due to it being out two months early and slightly windblown to boot.
Camellia ‘Salutation’ has a couple of flowers out on the castle wall. A Camellia reticulata x Camellia saluenensis hybrid bred at Borde Hill and given an award in 1936. Very new and good then and hence its place with the old original camellias. Camellia ‘Inspiration’ (same cross) which used to grow beside the side door until it grew too big used also to be known as ‘Delia Williams’ but was never registered as such in the 1950s. This one was a Trewithen cross I believe?
Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Jobson’ by the side door is now full out (see earlier for first flower) with good sized flowers after a light pruning. No scent today as too windy.
2004 – FJW
Bishop Peter shows colour.2002 – FJW
A week of storms and heavy rain – though North and central parts of British Isles affected worse than us. Beach defences badly hit.
Williamsii at peak or past their best. Winter Intruder very good.
No Magnolia flowers yet showing but wild weather not for garden enjoyment.1994 – FJW
First flower on Magnolia (Bishop Peter). Williamsii are first class.1963 – FJW
Third fall of snow for winter – heavy thaw – 3 Nov pink for hedge ‘well’ – heather only other flower.
Bishop Peter shows colour.2002 – FJW
A week of storms and heavy rain – though North and central parts of British Isles affected worse than us. Beach defences badly hit.
Williamsii at peak or past their best. Winter Intruder very good.
No Magnolia flowers yet showing but wild weather not for garden enjoyment.1994 – FJW
First flower on Magnolia (Bishop Peter). Williamsii are first class.1963 – FJW
Third fall of snow for winter – heavy thaw – 3 Nov pink for hedge ‘well’ – heather only other flower.
1934 – JCW
Plenty of Rhodo’n buds. R lutescens and R moupinense give a lot of bloom in spite of the frost. No ordinary daffodil shows well and none in the Tin Garden. Camellias of several sorts.
1932 – JCW
Much as in 25, but the small number of Rhodo’n buds makes the wood a bit dull. The American Azaleas came seven of them and Magnolia fraseri. Lutescens 1/6th open.
1925 – JCW
Quite an early year for some things. Our first coloured daffodil is three weeks earlier than last years. R zaleucum shows flower and other things as in 1918.
1924 – JCW
Just about 1918 but Erica hybrida is not quite open. 17 species show some flower.
1918 – JCW
No Soleil d’or as yet. R moupinense is at its best and R lutescens is good and so is nobleanum, the blood red hybrids and Barbatum are starting, and also Sutchuenense. Erica hybrida is splendid.
1916 – JCW
Soleil d’or (odd flowers) has been open for ten days, R mucronulatum has been over for a fortnight, Rhodo praecox is the best thing.
1915 – JCW
The first Soleil d’or open very late, Erica hybrida is very good.
1914 – JCW
Very few roses, C coum good, Clematis cirrhosa good, a few Camellias open, R mucronulatum good, R lutescens starting, some few buds show colour on Thomsonii x Arboreum. Heaths are nice.
1909 – JCW
There are good roses to be seen now. Ericas and Coums are the best things, some Cyclamineus open, Maximus open and a little colour.
1906 – JCW
Picked a seedling in comp in the Tin Garden off Artemis x Porto.
1899 – JCW
Chionodoxa shows colour, picked a seedling at the Reservoir to open inside. Snowdrops at their best, no sign of Weardale, Jacko or Beacon, many Camellias open.
2021, 02, 04 The pictures of Podocarpus lambertii differ clearly in its leafs and buds from real P. lambertii, it must be another, more similar to P. macrophyllus.
You but have already a nonidentified P. lambertii in your garden, as i remarked earlier.