2024 – CHW
Time to see how our 2 in flower magnolias have survived the frost? Expectations zero even though it is 13°c and overcast today.
Hard to see today but there are still a couple of undamaged flowers at the very top of Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’.
The bark of Styrax serrulatus showing up well today. Very typical twisting and colouration for so many Styrax species.
The Magnolia campbellii flowers by Tin Garden have been frosted and windblown into a brown mess. Will the other buds still come out? I expect so. Odd that one copped it and one escaped not far away.
Illicium macranthum (BSWJ 11809) close to coming out into flower.
The evergreen Callicarpa pilosissima badly frosted 9 or 10 days ago.
Prunus ‘Kursar’ not showing any colour yet although I would have expected it to based on previous years.
Quercus franchetii not as evergreen as it was after the cold snap.
Likewise Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Inchmery’ which now has many yellowing and dropping leaves.
2023 – CHW
The base has been prepared for the small new tunnel to go up at the back of the plant sales area. This will provide protection for more tender plants in flower if we get a cold spell in March or April. Last year the scented rhododendrons got frosted while at their best.
The base has been prepared for the small new tunnel to go up at the back of the plant sales area. This will provide protection for more tender plants in flower if we get a cold spell in March or April. Last year the scented rhododendrons got frosted while at their best.
Jonathan Coltman-Rogers of Stanage Park sends me this late 1970’s picture of my father on a visit there. CV 7500 on the Rolls Royce was inherited from P.M. Williams of Burncoose. Sold on many years later we have still retained the number plate. Looks like a good party which is no surprise at Stanage!
Camellia japonica ‘Bokuhan’ with scattered bird eaten flowers. Looking rather yellow leaved after the drought. Pheasants rather than tits or finches by the look of it.
A younger plant of the same thing nearby with much smaller flowers and also yellowing foliage.
Camellia japonica ‘Oo La La’ with standout veining in its flowers.
2022 – CHW
The elderly Magnolia campbellii near Tin Garden is however about a third out although difficult to see against a grey sky.
The elderly Magnolia campbellii near Tin Garden is however about a third out although difficult to see against a grey sky.
Prunus ‘Kursar’ just showing colour.
The Magnolia campbellii ‘Copeland Court’ which had 2018 cold dieback has buds well swollen and will be out in a fortnight or so.
Flowers on Camellia ‘Cinnamomum Candy’ (not to be confused with ‘Cinnamomum Cindy’).
Camellia x williamsii ‘Celebration’ now covered in flower. A sport of ‘Donation’ from Trewithen.
Magnolia ‘Todd’s Forty Niner’ has not moved on much in its second week of showing colour. Still no flowers properly open.
A Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ on the castle wall already shedding flowers and past its best.
As are the light and darker forms of Camellia saluenensis by the ladies loos.
2021 – CHW
A third day on the trot of rain, drizzle and sea fret. Digger to remove stumps delayed by the wet ground.Masses of bud on Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ but no sign of movement as yet.
A third day on the trot of rain, drizzle and sea fret. Digger to remove stumps delayed by the wet ground.Masses of bud on Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ but no sign of movement as yet.
The badly frosted clump of Zantedeschia aethiopica has recovered and is now upright.
Most Echium pininana untouched by frost where sheltered from the wind.
Unexpectedly and contrary to what I had seen in the autumn the Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ by the Georgian Hall has no buds at all for this year. I fear some have dropped but the small tree looks healthy. Last year’s spring drought may not have helped. Good new growth either side of where last year’s buds were. This makes yesterday’s one all the better.
Aristolochia sempervirens (BSWJ 13600) in full growth already in a shady corner which it seems to be liking.
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ has had its leaves scorched even more in the recent frost.
Narcissus tiandrus full out now outside the dining room window.
Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica full out. Not much scent in the drizzle.
Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica and Olearia solandri growing together.
Further foliage frost damage on the wall climbing Smilax discotis. That is what I have always known it as since I rescued it from the front of The Vean before the building work. Hilliers say this is a deciduous species but it has always been evergreen with us. Is it perhaps Smilax aspera?
The first or last flower on a white rose outside the dining room.
Some frost scorching but also some new growth on the Echium pininana seedlings outside the drawing room. These need thinning or removing before they cover the whole window.
2020 – CHW
Magnolia campbellii ‘Strybing White’ now has a few flowers that are fully open, as you can see against this overcast sky.
Illicium anisatum is out in flower already. We now have several species of Illicium and they seem to flower in spring, summer and autumn. Illicium anisatum is sometimes out as early as this but by no means every year.
The laurel pruning between Donkey Shoe and Higher Quarry Nursery is now nearly complete as you can see. Jaimie is worried that a smallish oak tree with a dead crown needs to come down on the corner where it will not make much mess now that the laurel hedge has been trimmed. When I looked at this last week the oak tree had got plenty of lower branches which still looked fairly vigorous and, unless the tree survey records anything different, I suspect it should be left there for a few years more.
2019 – CHW
Some newly planted camellias are performing beyond the Playhouse:Camellia japonica ‘Oo La La’ with a nice frill.
Some newly planted camellias are performing beyond the Playhouse:Camellia japonica ‘Oo La La’ with a nice frill.
Camellia japonica ‘Carolyn Tuttle’. The other flowers damaged by today’s hailstorms.
Camellia reticulata ‘Mouchang’ has only two flowers. They are however at least 10in across and gigantic by camellia standards. Planted in 2009 the bush is 7-8ft tall with a spread of 6-7ft. The buds are huge too!
2018 – CHW
The new plant sales area outside the new shop is starting to take shape.
Magnolia ‘Todds Fortyniner’ has moved on more than a little in the last week.
A rather better plant of Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’ than the one we saw recently on the drive.
Rabbit damage to the base of a 12-15ft tall young Sequoiadendron giganteum.
Intense flowering on a newly planted Cupressus duclouxiana in the Isla Rose Plantation.
Trochodendron araliodes from Taiwan has some seed heads which are mainly still green.
2017 – CHW
A sunny day and mild to start with. The Rhododendron mucronulatums are nearly over but the new season’s growth is already evident. A very quick turnaround despite the recent cold.
A sunny day and mild to start with. The Rhododendron mucronulatums are nearly over but the new season’s growth is already evident. A very quick turnaround despite the recent cold.
Another honey fungus rhododendron casualty stands out. An old oak was removed from here five years ago and its decaying roots are causing the damage.
The Camellia reticulata seedling by Four in Hand has a few flowers opening in the sun.
Some snowdrop clumps are nearly over and some just emerging three weeks after their adjacent predecessors.
Lawn and park resplendent in the morning sun.
Then off to present the prizes at the beach to the field trial (Labradors) competitors. It had rained hard on them pre lunch. Four lady judges and everyone very happy as you can see. The winner had a yellow Labrador.
2016 – CHW
Echium pinnifolium outside the drawing room window has gone black after the minor frost (one night only) about a week ago. It will probably survive and go on to flower if we get no more cold but this shows just how tender this beautiful biennial really is. The others by the front door are still fine.
Echium pinnifolium outside the drawing room window has gone black after the minor frost (one night only) about a week ago. It will probably survive and go on to flower if we get no more cold but this shows just how tender this beautiful biennial really is. The others by the front door are still fine.
2000 – FJW
Dry January – light frost for 10 nights. Camellias good, no sign of Magnolias.1994 – FJW
Four flowers on – Mollicomata/ Robusta hybrid near back yard.1967 – FJW
Very early and impossibly mild. David picked two daffs. Saw a member of the Swallow family looking fit and well.1961 – FJW
Rain has been incessant since August.1959 – FJW
Garden behind – one or two poor Sutchuenense hyb’s. Mucronulatum in drive very good, scabrifolium coming. Weather mild after cold wet spell.
1934 – JCW
R mucronulatum bed is by far our best shrub in flower. Erica hybrida is opening on the Terrace. R moupinense is very good and so is R Ririei.
1928 – JCW
Very late year and very poor examples of any of the above plants and for the most part very few of them open.
1918 – JCW
Moupinense is open as to one third, bits of lutescens, scabrifolium, sutchuenense, Blood red hybrid and a fair bit of Nobleanum with a little mucronulatum. Erica hybrids very fine indeed. I saw the first lambs tails in flower.
1916 – JCW
Johnstone here and called off to Egypt before we got out. Prunus cerasus conradinae now is the best thing open. P pissardi has one third of the flowers out. R praecox very good, Erica hybrid excellent, R moupinense very nice. A few daffs are about, R nobleanum has every flower open and perfect. A very mild winter up to this.
1914 – JCW
Quite a late year so far from 1914. No sign of a trumpet daff here. C coum is nice, Aconite open but scarce. All the heaths coming to be nice.
1902 – JCW
I picked two seedling trumpets in the Kitchen Garden, cold and fine.