The buds on Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ are just shedding their outer (first) covering. The buds at the top of the tree may have been frosted but the lower ones look fine. Too early to tell.

Tom Hudson’s Camellia yuhsienensis (01/10/2018) flowering away for the first time that I remember in one of the greenhouses. Some plants are said to be scented but I detect nothing today.

Camellia parvilimba (18060) grown from RCM Group seeds in 2019 has a few flowers also in the greenhouse. Rather reddish new leaves as you can see.

2023 – CHW
The camellia brought back from Hong Kong by Toots Williams is identified as Camellia nokoensis.

Flower buds close to breaking on Carpinus japonica.

Colour showing on Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Darjeeling’.

Fraxinus griffithii is evergreen. A gift from Raf in 2020.

2022 – CHW
Fatsia polycarpa has been in bud for weeks but now suddenly full out and I have nearly missed it.

First flowers on Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’. Not the earliest reticulata by any means but early for this one.

Camellia cuspidata covered in flower by Bramble Field. Old plants now in full shade. Dad referred to them as Camellia tsaii but Tom Hudson says definitely C. cuspidata?

First flowers on Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’ slightly later than usual I suspect. A 1987-88 planting by Georges Hut where two Pinus insignis fell down.

Another Camellia reticulata, this one is ‘Arch of Triumph’, suddenly out earlier than expected.

Camellia reticulata ‘Mary Williams’ above Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’. A wonderful flowering combination.

Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ out in Higher Quarry Nursery bed but not yet elsewhere in the garden.

2021 – CHW
Steve has spotted Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcosypha austriaca), a disc fungus found on dead wood, in Burncoose Garden. This is an attractive fungus which is widespread but occasional in the UK. It is a solitary fungus or found in small groups as here.

The Puffball fungi which Steve also found at Burncoose have now ‘popped’. From the reference book photographs this seems to show that these are Meadow Puffballs (Lycoperdon pratense) and not Common Puffballs. Both start white and then go brown but the Meadow Puffballs seem too go darker and develop larger holes in their tops when they release their fungal spores. I could easily be wrong!

There used to be two rain gauges on the lawn here 30+ years ago. They were mounted on posts with clock face dials to record rainfall collected in the square tops which were copper and lead lined. As I remember it they never worked properly as house martin droppings would block the collecting ducts and the peacocks’ contributions, when sitting on the top of them, could be rather larger.

Edwina has been investigating buying a replacement modern rain gauge which could withstand public scrutiny and kids tampering on the lawn. It would be helpful for this diary to include the actual rainfall here.

This has proved a difficult task despite asking the Historic Houses Association for guidance. All that we can find online are small plastic tubes that could not withstand tinkering let along strong winds. The best we can come up with is a 2-3ft copper circular tube which the manufacturers say is ‘widely used in Africa for centuries’. You collect the water and then have to take a separate glass measuring jar to calibrate the rainfall. The jar cannot be left in the tube because of frost or, in our case, children/public so it all becomes quite a chore each day. The original rain gauges here at least calibrated themselves. The brass tube costs £460!

It seems as though it has rained for the last week and next week’s forecast is just as bad. A day of rain today which will be falling as snow further up country.