5th February | The Garden Diary

Next Day > < Previous Day

CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Camellia ‘Cinnamon Scentsation’ smelling wonderful although still only a few flowers.

Camellia ‘High Fragrance’ just starting.

Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’ nearly over and well scenting the air on a still overcast day. (Camellia ‘Gay Baby’ beside it has just two flowers).

The evergreen Clethra mexicana has had its leaves partially frosted.

Magnolia maudiae ‘Touch of Pink’ has interesting bark.

Two forms of Rhododendron irroratum just starting into flower.

A tiny bit of colour showing on the first Magnolia ‘Lanarth’.

2023 – CHW
Galanthus elwesii appearing later than in recent years.

This clump of snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) was transplanted from The Vean 14 years ago. Until a huge branch fell last August most of the clump were in full shade. The ones full out at the top of the clump were in full sun while those still not in flower yet were in the shade. I wonder if they will all flower at the same time next year?

Cyclamen and primroses recently nearby the snowdrop clump.

Sarcococca bleddynii (KWJ 12222) flowering for the first time here in a pot. Another new species for the Sarcococca collection.

Chorizema cordatum in full growth and flower in the frames.

Camellia chekiangoleosa in flower in a pot. Originally from seed from Fujian province in China. We have grown this before from UK sourced seed but the colour here is more distinct.

Camellia yushiensis in flower in the greenhouse. Tregrehan cuttings taken in 2018.

Camellia costei with its tiny and quickly dropping flowers. Also 2018 cuttings.

Pimelea drupacea, an Australian plant, with tiny flower heads. This is ready to now plant out in a hot spot.

Another big batch of plants picked out for various different planting areas in the near future from the greenhouse and frames. Not as big a pile as the one which we dealt with in October.

2022 – CHW

First flowers out on Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’ below the Tower.

Snowdrops amid the Gunnera manicata plantation below Kitchen Garden.

Frankie was working on a Saturday and had cleared the old Camellia japonica above the Old Kennels. Space for several magnolias here.

Frankie has also cleared and tidied up the opening above the top path in Old Park for the new Amelanchier collection. A neat and tidy job as usual.

A bit of tidying, trunk clearance and laurel removal elsewhere along the top path in Old Park.

A sweet chestnut trunk moved on into Lawn Field.

Horrendous deer damage on the trunk of a young Thuja plicata.

The clump of Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’ at its best on Bond Street.

Mahonia species Nova from Roy Lancaster still looking wonderful on Bond Street.

Laurel planting below Bond Street looks good.

2021 – CHW
A trip to the nursery today with even a bit of sunshine after early showers.Camellia ‘Holfordiana’ which we were missing website pictures of.

Iris unguicularis flowering away in the nursery. One forgets how impressive this species is.

Ribes laurifolium now full out. In tight bud a week ago.

A nice well grown group of Magnolia tamaulipana which we offer for sale for the first time. Not on the website as yet but it will be.

Lindera praecox just coming out in a tunnel.

Amazing trailing cascades of lichen on a yew tree overhanging the nursery and camellias out above the wall all the way along.

The double flowered form of Sparmannia africana in full flower. A bit of genuine ‘diversity’ here.

The first time we have ever grown the South African Veltheimia capensis.

Daphne ‘White Queen’ nicely out.

A fine plant of Camellia ‘Dr Burnside’ in the car park.

Excellent new signage is up.

Daphne ‘Perfume Princess’ just coming out – gorgeous scent.

Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’ in full flower. A good new thing in the catalogue.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’ above the fern bed in the main nursery.

The evergreen Sycopsis sinensis full out. It really is different to x Sycoparrotia semidecidua which is still in bud with larger black buds.

Helleborus ‘Red Lady’ just out.

Small Liquidambar styraciflua with just a few purple-red leaves remaining at the top of the plants.

Galanthus elwesii – nice potfulls.

You would think pigs had been digging on the Tregullow lawn but it is badgers!

2020 – CHW
It is a good job that the laurel fence by Rogers Quarry has been cut back because we suddenly glimpsed the first tree magnolia in full flower. It has been windy today and suddenly the first real sign of the magnolia mania to come. This is a 50-60ft tall Magnolia campbellii seedling which is always early but I do not remember it being the very first magnolia into flower; quite splendid today in the sunlight.

Camellia ‘New Venture’ is a williamsii x japonica cross with a much larger flower than the other williamsii hybrids which we have previously looked at. The flowers tend to hang down within the plant and are a bit obscured, although it was not yet full out.

This rhododendron is labelled Rhododendron monstroseanum but is out very early with just two flowers, which fade quite dramatically, as you can see in these two pictures. The planting plan is a bit unclear and I need to check this again.

2019 – CHW
A trip to the greenhouses with Asia to sort out plants for the Caerhays sales point and those to ship off soon to Burncoose. We will needs loads of room to pot all her cuttings and seedlings after a highly successful year of propagation.A flower on a one year old cutting of Camellia ‘Cinnamon Candy’. One flower only on 20 or so plants.

Magnolia maccleurii seedlings which germinated last year.

Bethrocalyx crookshankii seeds collected at Tregrehan last autumn have already germinated vigorously. Ripe seed sown immediately!

Seedlings from the cold frame of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus which germinated last year (two years from sowing) are now potted up. Plenty more seedlings of varying sizes still to pot from the cold frame when the weather improves. More may yet germinate this year but the germination rates overall are fairly low in their mouse proof cage which is the cold frame.

2018 – CHW Cold east wind again.

Rhododendron ‘Bo-Peep’ (pink form) on the drive is however still at its best. Less common than the pure yellow form but just as good in early February.

The much photographed Hydrangea ‘Madame Mouilliere’ on the drive still has some flowers just coming out. How extraordinary is that in February! Perhaps this old plant is something special to propagate from. Remind Asia.

First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘Jurys Yellow’ beside the drive in a cold spot but so far undamaged.

Is this Camellia lutchuensis or, as I suspect, a lutchuensis cross? Need to check but it is very pretty today. Pure C. lutchuensis is a double white as is Camellia ‘Scentuous’ which is Camellia ‘Tiffany’ x Camellia lutchuensis. [It is Camellia ‘Paradise Glow’]

Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’ also just out with some wind damage.

2017 – CHW
Several good 30 year old clumps of our own Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’ are at their best but hard to photograph high up.

2016 – CHW
So let us have a quick flip through the garden to record what is now out in this exceptional year. Another mild week has seen the magnolias rushing out after a rather slower spell of development in January. I find about 30 today and record them for posterity as the public may well miss most of these when we open on 22nd February.The Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ (a true seedling) by the castle is nearly over.

The view through the arch has now reached its zenith after it started on 2nd January.

Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ has the first few flowers out by the arch.

Magnolia ‘F J Williams’ in the Auklandii Garden has a few flowers out and they are a
good colour. Many more to come.

Magnolia campbellii (1913 original from Coombe Wood) is full out lower down but not much yet on the top. Fifty flowers out so ‘Spring has Broken’ according to the Great Gardens of Cornwall a month earlier than ever before.

The small Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ above has one flower out. Nice colour but how do you put the colour into words?

A poorish and rather pale Lanarth seedling is full out towards Rookery Gate.

Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (Caerhays hybrid sold by Burncoose) is out ON TIME (not early) on the Main Ride. The yellow form is earlier than the pink form here but not on the drive where the pink form is over.

Rhododendron ‘Ostara’, a Rhododendron mucronulatum cross, is coming out by the tree fern. Again on time and not early.

A Rhododendron fargesii (?) seedling is full out in Rogers Quarry. Very early!

Magnolia ‘Bishop Michael’ is coming out and a sensational colour in Rogers Quarry.

Magnolia sargentiana robusta x Lanarth seedling beyond Rogers Quarry is full out. This plant is often forgotten but well worth a look!

Michelia ‘Fairy White’, planted only last year, has several flowers.

Magnolia ‘Shirraz’ has not moved on much in a fortnight and is even earlier than all the rest. The second New Zealander to flower after ‘Strybling White’ which is now nearly over a fortnight after it was at its best. ‘Shirraz’ is normally out in April.

Magnolia campbellii (original whitish form) is full out and at its best by Tin Garden.

Nearby a few white flowers on what is recorded I think as Magnolia sprengeri var elongata. It will be clearer when fully out.

The original Magnoloa campbellii ‘Darjeeling’ is fantastic but not quite fully out. Only a month early here.

Nearby is a (knowingly) unknown Caerhays magnolia seedling which is quite nice. Looks to have sprengeri in it and mollicomata.

Rain arrives so I have to stop. Odd, is it not, that no Magnolia mollicomtas and no Magnolia sargentiana robustas are out yet although these are normally ‘early’? All the Lanarths have beaten them but why in such an early year? Normally the other way round.

1991 – FJW
250+ laurels put in – Best day for garden since 24/1/19101963 – FJW
First few snowdrops and cyclamen on Georges Bank.

1944 – CW
Five or more inches of snow and very cold a week ago. Almost all buds cut except single Camellias. Hamamelis still good – first Sutchuenense hybrid and Moupinense just out. First yellow incomp out. Lapagerias hanging brown on plants. All Rho mucronulatum cut but Lutescens hybrid almost entirely survived the frost.

1935 – JCW
No ice on the pond. Fuschia wall frost but not much.

1905 – JCW
Odd Caerhays shows colour, have been crossing 9 Minimus with King G, saw a Barbatum open. Snowdrops and Aconite very good. Went out after tea.

1904 – JCW
Saw the first Cyclamineus open outside.

1899 – JCW
The first Caerhays shows colour. A Fulgens open.