16th January

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955


2025 – CHW

Pomaderris apetala about to flower.

Pomaderris apetala
Pomaderris apetala
Ehretia dicksonii with its broken branches tidied up.
Ehretia dicksonii
Ehretia dicksonii
Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’ now full out in the Ririei Opening.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Donation’
Rhododendron mucronulatum full out and a good dark colour this year.
Rhododendron mucronulatum
Rhododendron mucronulatum

2024 – CHW

A close inspection of Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ shows no colour as yet. Over the last few years this has been consistently the first magnolia to come fully into flower here.

Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’
Wild Crocosmia reshooting vigorously but I see no sign yet of any of the 2 forms of garlic which grow in the garden. The garlic has to be late into leaf in what is, currently at least, a remarkably early year.
Wild Crocosmia
Wild Crocosmia
Acacia baileyana now at its best.
Acacia baileyana
Acacia baileyana
The nearly evergreen here, Cotoneaster glabratus, is still loaded with berries on the drive. I grew this from seed from the Werrington plant 40+ years ago. The plants below Slip Rail have no berries this year but the small tree in Kennel Close is similarly laden. Why don’t the pheasants or thrushes like these berries? Well worth growing a few as this is a wonderful species which deserves to be much more widely grown.
Cotoneaster glabratus
Cotoneaster glabratus
Cotoneaster glabratus
Cotoneaster glabratus
Interesting fissured bark on Nothofagus obliqua on the drive. Very variable on both sides of the tree and at height.
Nothofagus obliqua
Nothofagus obliqua
Nothofagus obliqua
Nothofagus obliqua
x Sycoparrotia semidecidua just coming into flower above White Styles. Half the small tree is indeed leafless.
x Sycoparrotia semidecidua
x Sycoparrotia semidecidua

2023 – CHW (images to follow)
A cold snap looms again this week and the garden looks grey, wintery and uninviting.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Galaxy’ just out high up – only 2 flowers.

Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ out a bit more.

Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’
First flower out high up on Camellia x williamsii ‘Citation’ (‘Delia Williams’ not showing yet).
Camellia x williamsii ‘Citation’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Citation’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Scentsation’ just showing.
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Scentsation’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Scentsation’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’ full out and rather good today.
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’
Camellia ‘Cinnamon Cindy’

2022 – CHW
Warm and sunny still with a few bumblebees confused by the weather. Good to see. Is spring here? The birds think so!

Acacia cultriformis nearly out in flower – earlier than usual.

Acacia cultriformis
Acacia cultriformis
Acacia cultriformis
Acacia cultriformis
First flowers on Camellia ‘Oo La La’.
Camellia ‘Oo La La’
Camellia ‘Oo La La’
A young Camellia ‘Bokuhan’ well out but with some chlorotic leaves.
Camellia ‘Bokuhan’
Camellia ‘Bokuhan’
Camellia ‘Bokuhan’
Camellia ‘Bokuhan’
First flowers high up on Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’. Still rather pale but earlier than last year I suspect. ‘Caerhays’ is one of the last williamsii to flower and long after its sister seedling (also double), ‘George Blandford’.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’
First flower on Camellia ‘Alba Simplex’.
Camellia ‘Alba Simplex’
Camellia ‘Alba Simplex’
Unexpectedly leaves remain on Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconee’ and still have good colour.
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconee’
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconee’
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconee’
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconee’

2021 – CHW

Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’ now coming out properly on Burns Bank.

Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’
Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’
More buds opening on Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’.
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’ now full out.
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Camellia ‘Buttons and Bows’
Acacia baileyana just coming out.
Acacia baileyana
Acacia baileyana
Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Umbilicata’ (as named by Susyn Andrews) in flower with fruit still on the tree. We have simply known it as the quince below Slip Rail.
Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Umbilicata’
Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Umbilicata’
Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Umbilicata’
Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Umbilicata’
Camellia grisjii full out.
Camellia grisjii
Camellia grisjii
Camellia grisjii
Camellia grisjii
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’.
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’
Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ and Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’
A fine flower on Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’.
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’