16th July | The Garden Diary

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View 16th July 1897 – 2020

CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2026 – CHW

A sweltering Seaview at 32°c after an 8 hour journey which the dogs did not enjoy. The smell of rotting fish at the Portsmouth ferry terminal was especially memorable.

The Backstay garden now has a lawn (brown) but the demise of the Pittosporum tree has turned the garden into a suntrap with no shade that has killed off several of the older shrubs and everything new that has been planted in recent years.

The Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ flowers have shrivelled and gone brown.

The Euryops pectinatus is dead.

As is the large Rhaphiolepis.

The Crinum powellii have hardly produced any leaves.

Only a few Agapanthus in flower beside a half decent Camellia.

The Myrtus communis var. tarentina has a few flowers high up.

Only the climbing Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ just about survives in the drought which is far worse here than in Cornwall.

2025 – CHW

My annual visit to Thompson’s Garden Centre and a chat to the manager.

Delphinium ’Red Lark’ as we sold it at Hampton Court a week ago. The foliage on their plants pretty awful in the heat as well.

I am writing a new article on Photinias. A few on display here.

Photinia x fraseri ‘Carré Rouge’ a new form to me.

Photinia x fraseri ‘Louise’ which Burncoose stocks.

The very similar to ‘Louise’ Photinia x fraseri ‘Pink Marble’ – also a Burncoose offering.

Hebe ‘Lady Ann’ looked good.

Liriope muscari ‘Nigrescens’ unusually with a flower.

2024 – CHW
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Mainstreet’.

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Russet’.

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Overton’.

Still a tail end Wisteria flower in mid-July?

Eucryphia cordifolia is difficult from cuttings. However, here you see ripening seed pods from last year alongside flower buds for late August. We should think of collecting seed.

Our best clump left of Rhododendron ‘Royal Flush’ – Pink is on Burns Bank.

Seed heads on Buddleia limitea. I suppose it is easy enough from cuttings.

Aucuba dying below Hardy & Bert’s Nursery.

Buddleja lindleyana just out.

2023 – CHW

Now into the garden itself at Osborne House.

A fine clump of Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’ with no cold damage from last winter.

Arisaema going to seed?

Salvia cacaliifolia – introduced 1858.

Salvia involucrata ‘Mrs Pope’.

Asphodeline lutea setting seed – introduced 1596.

One of the 4 historic cedars below over last December. The Royal Family bought Osborne House from the Blanckford family in the 1770’s and these cedars are believed to predate this.

Sciadopitys verticillata with cones from last year.

The largest Viburnum rhytidophyllum I have ever seen.

A good clump of Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’?

A large Nyssa sylvatica.

Quercus suber planted by The Princess Alice in 1847.

2022 – CHW

Smilax aspera, the evergreen and slightly prickly climber is another plant which we need more pictures for on the website Care Article. New growth only and no flowers as yet in July.

Echium pininana collapsing and dying.

This one has already shed its seeds and died.

This one has a few weeks to go before it succumbs.

The Caerhays Charity Fete raised £13,400 and was distributed as follows:
St Michael’s Church, Caerhays £4000
Cornwall Air Ambulance £4000
St Austell Scout Group £2500 (towards their new kitchen)
Pre school Tregony School £2500 (to fund outing for 171 Pupils to the Hall for Cornwall)

Here the Scouts receive their cheque.

And here the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

2021 – CHW
Excellent bronzy-red new growth on Sisygium smithii.

Maddenia wilsonii is making good progress too. Very different in leaf to Maddenia himalaica which we saw in flower for the first time in March.

Sapium sebiferum did not like the winter but is recovering well.

Two diseased and elderly beech trees and an oak have been felled by tree surgeons. A little damage with tractors removing the trunks but not too bad.

First flower out this year on Magnolia sapaensis (four yet to come).

Rhododendron excellens (Alan Clark 5615) is out much later than the more recently planted clumps by Georges Hut. It looks here much like Rhododendron nuttallii to me but that too is well over. The pinkish new growth is similar to Rh. nuttallii as well. I now need to check the new growth on the other Rh. excellens.

Our young Desfontainea spinosa have their first flowers. Much larger and longer than on the old dead plant here or the stock plant at Burncoose. Some slug damage to some flowers.

Hydrangea seemanii now full out.

A flower cut from a Manglietia insignis given to us by Tom Hudson years ago and planted by the camellia foliage patch. Small and very pink flowers compared to the one I photographed here a fortnight or so ago.

View 16th July 1897 – 2020