6th February 1897 – 2020 | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2020 – CHW
First Burncoose budget meeting reveals excellent results for the nursery for the first nine months and a healthy budget for 2020/1.Amazingly Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’ was full out on the immaculate herbaceous beds.

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ was full out on top of the wall outside the old packing shed and smelling gorgeous. Not much variegation that obvious on the remaining leaves.

Sycoparrotia semidecidua full out with its peculiar flowers.

The Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’ outside the old packing shed is now out in flower. The flower head and leaves look likely to be blown away in the gales forecast for the coming weekend.

2019 – CHW
First flowers on Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ about on a par to last year’s sighting.

Sycopsis tutcheri seems fully evergreen and now with red flowers which are actually petal-less stamens. This plant is in a huge pot by the greenhouse. The plant by Tin Garden looks much more deciduous and with smaller leaves but the few flowers yet seen there last year were the same. Hilliers say that S. tutcheri is in fact Distylum racemosum but admits to the fact that Chinese forms may be different from those from Taiwan, Japan and Korea. I would say that the plant in the pot is probably Taiwanese and the one already in the garden is Chinese. One for the experts to debate but the flower does look Sycopsis-like to me! Nothing in ‘New Trees’ to enlighten us further.

These snowdrops were dug in the green from The Vean 12 to 13 years ago prior to rebuilding work there. They were planted far too deeply and part of the clump is only now showing above ground with many of the flowers still in bud.

2018 – CHW
Snow today at the nursery!

Forsythia manchurica buds just showing colour.

Azalea stenopetalum ‘Linearifolium’ with odd flowers out of season.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Wolong Ghost’ is a new plant to us. Clearly a trailing or perhaps a climbing plant.

Supposedly Grevillea serrata but no one knows where it came from or from whom? Does not look like any grevillea I have ever seen.

Nice young cuttings of Lindera aggregata freshly potted.

Quercus insignis (grafted plant) looking in good condition.

We saw Cornus officinalis full out in flower last week. Here Cornus mas is just starting to show while C. officinalis is over already.

A large plant of Mahonia aquifolium with flowers just coming and still good red autumn tints on the leaves.

Ribes laurifolium full out already.

The new pallet packing shed is now finished on time!

2017 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Cornubia Group’ is just out and looking good. Three plants planted in 2007. Two survive and are fine plants.

2016 – CHW
A truly filthy day with 15 hours of hail and rain with heavy wind. Lizzie goes briefly to a hunt meet at Treberrick and I venture out for an hour to join the rain soaked pigeon shooters at 4pm. Few are still firing so it is a waste of time and it is far too still. Three crows and two pigeons only but the four dogs are lively after a week’s rest from the end of the shooting season. Mr Billy runs incessantly jumping with energy and joy.

2015 – CHW
Richard Carew-Pole arrives for High Sheriff’s dinner at Caerhays with plants of Acacia [Michael?] and Stauntonia [?]. He has now moved out of Anthony House and Tremayne has taken over the estate.

1933 – JCW
A bad three weeks for bloom of any kind but it seems to be mending, mucronulatum would have been very fine but for the frost.

1923 – JCW
Much as in 1921, it has been a late year down to ten days ago and then to wet and damp.

1921 – JCW
Blood Red Arboreums at their best, Argenteum opening well, some Sutchuenense and in the 40 Acres under the wind R praecox just began to move. Barbatums good. One of the Prunus conradinae is perfect. Very few daffs.

1918 – JCW
Soleil d’or shows colour. Cyclamineus by the Gun Room just open. Some Barbatums open, nothing open in the Tin Garden. Some Molle Azalea swelling very much. Snowdrops and Aconite wane and so do Moupinense. Wilson and Korea seed came a week ago (some of it?). Sent some to Elwes, Loder, White, Cave, Rogers and Werrington, two packets sown here.

1914 – JCW
The first Soleil d’or just shows colour, a few Arboreum are starting. C. Lady Clare is very nice, a big move all round in the last three days.

1913 – JCW
A very early year. A C. reticulata open a week, about 12 to 15 kinds of Rhodo open including 10 species, plenty of daff made a good crop in the open last week. Many Ciliatums open, a flower of Mag halliana opening.

1912 – JCW
Our hardest frost since 1895 has broken, it cut out a lot of Rhodo’ buds, but did not do much harm else, snowdrops very good.

1899 – JCW
Made my first cross max x cycl.

1897 – JCW
A week of soft weather, Hepatica angulosa, Chimodoxa out, first Caerhays daff shows colour, white hoop petticoat out, minimus at its best, Blood Red Arboreum shows colour, C sardensis shows colour, Glory of Leyden all above ground well, Pitwatkin well above, Barbatum has one flower out.