17th July

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Newly planted things in the Rookery.

Quercus pinnativenulosa planted very recently in the Rookery. Attractive red new growth.

Holly berry forming on the ancient Ilex dipyrena above Rookery Nursery bed.

Cotoneaster fangianus with its last flowers and first berries.

Lindera praecox now well established with good new growth.

Euonymus wilsonii is developing into a large evergreen shrub.

Meliosma dentata (TH 4032) – a gift from Tom in 2022 with its first flower and odd leaves.

Viburnum henryi is an excellent thing.

Eleutherococcus giraldii (BWJ 8091) getting established. Odd leaves here too.

Zanthoxylum acanthopodium just getting established.

2023 – CHW
Too much for a single diary entry day I have extended the Osborne House visit to a third day.We have finally arrived at the annual planting at the front of the house.Agave and Yucca set the scene.

The clock tower has recently been restored.

The lower fountain has been subject to subsidence.

A huge clump of Arbutus unedo and Arbutus andrachne.

Arbutus fronting a clump of Ilex oak and Pinus Radiata.

The feature Cupressus macrocarpa frames the view over to Portsmouth.

Two beds of Camellia japonica – unexpected!

A few running repairs needed.

2022 – CHW

The hottest day of the year in the UK if you believe the weather forecasters. 40oC in the Home Counties and another of the dreaded Met Office ‘Red Warnings’ which they so love post COVID. Storm Eunice in January a non event red warning then. Cornwall is only an amber warning as yet but there is a strong offshore breeze and its not yet stifling?

Romneya coulteri and Hemerocallis ‘Stella d’Oro’.

Romneya coulteri full out but flopping about in the wind outside our kitchen window.

‘Eggs and bacon’ (Lotus corniculatus) in the lawn – some with orange flowers. Also known as Birds Foot Trefoil.

Nepeta, clover and ‘Eggs and bacon’ with the leaves of Alchemilla showing as well. The lawn hasn’t needed cutting in this heatwave and that is good for the insects.

Last errant flower on Azalea indica ‘Balsamaeflora’ in the Rockery.

The near black flowers of Rhododendron sanguineum ssp. didymum on the Rockery steps.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Early Sensation’ just out with a hint of pink.

As is Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’.

Berberis insigne var insigne now restaked upright with long new growth shoots. The re-staking a year ago, which we made into a topical tip video, has worked well.

2021 – CHW
Aristolochia sempervirens has its first few flowers three years from planting out. Most peculiar they are too. I have seen species of Aristolochia with better and larger flowers than this.

Tropaeolum ciliatum is in full flower on the castle wall and has extended on into a neighbouring camellia.

More flowers of Tom Hudson’s Manglietia insignis with its small and very pink flowers. The tree is about 25-30ft tall and has flowers all over with many buds lower down still to come out.

Vaccinum dunalianum caudatifolium with attractive new growth.

Thankfully the Magnolia dawsoniana outside the front gates which lost all its young new growth to frost has recovered thanks to this good wet summer. Some dieback but nowhere near what I had feared three months ago.

At least one of Jaimie and Michael’s magnolia crosses made this spring has produced a proper seedpod!

2020 – CHW
The flower buds on what we know is not Michaelia compressa have not advanced much in a month so we remain none the wiser as yet.

Every day one comes across something completely new. Old seed cones and upright cylindrical male catkins on Platycarya strobilacea. The upright female cones which will eventually produce the reddish-black fruits or cones are smaller at present and at the very end of the twigs where they will readily catch the pollen from the male cones. Quite a spectacle in July.

The ground is littered with last year’s seed cones and male catkins as fertilisation of the female flower cones takes place above.

The second flower bud on Magnolia tamaulipana is swelling up. Out in 10 to 15 days I guess.

Eucryphia milliganii is quite superb today. Fifteen feet in height and 30 years old with a very upright habit. It starts as a dwarfish plant but becomes a small tree.

A tail end flower on a clump of Rhododendron ‘Tally Ho’.

Cercis canadensis ‘Appalachian Red’ with lovely secondary new growth leaf colours.

Cornus asperifolia var. drummondii ‘Sunshiny Drops’ is still not out in flower but is getting established and looks a lot better than it did in the dry spell. The label says C. drummondii but Hillier’s says different! The berries rather than the flowers are the main attraction which we must wait for.

Slugs always have a go at Chimonanthus praecox. As in the nursery so too outside even in full sun in a dry location.

The ‘best’ old blue clump of mophead hydrangeas below the Magnolia x veitchii are nearly full out. They will get even bluer.

2019 – CHW
A final trip to Ventnor Botanic’s where, as usual, I find several new things.One only ever looks at teasels when the flowers and stems are all dead beside motorways and the goldfinches come to enjoy the seeds. This is Dispacus fullonum which is a prickly biennial teasel with a very attractive flower.

I am not sure if this is Ballota acetabulosa? The flowers have purple-mauve veining. Here it is growing through and over a Grevillea. Flowers and seed heads rather better than Ballota pseudodictamnus I think but fear it is not hardy?

This is the seed of Bencomia caudata which has a leaf a bit like a Melianthus.

The first walnuts I have ever seen forming on a huge Juglans ailantifolia which is of Japanese origin.

Flowers on Diospyros cathayensis.

A huge Zelkova serrata has more readily identifiable leaves in the shade. In full sun, and where seed is forming, they are a different shape.

I think this may be a Myrsine species but am far from certain – no label visible.

Halorgis erecta has small yellow flowers all up its branches and on up into the twigs as well. A multi stemmed small evergreen tree which I had never seen before.

2018 – CHW
A visit to an Honnor & Jeffrey garden centre at Dalverton. There are in fact three garden centres only a mile or so apart near Arreton.Passiflora caerulea ‘Snow Queen’ rather better than the more common Passiflora ‘Constance Elliot’.

We stock three varieties of ‘Inca’ alstroemerias but not these three:

‘Inca Safari’

‘Inca Bandit’

‘Inca Battle’

Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ may have lovely foliage and contrasting flowers but, when the flowers are full out, they are particularly fine.

Allium senescens is a new species to me. A very decent late flowering pot full here.

2017 – CHW
Another trip to the greenhouses to see what is new there.Schefflera rhododendrifolia – this plant is now ready for planting out. A Crug collection from Taiwan which looks a bit different to the young plants in the nursery but matches up with the Hillier’s description. Attractive new growth and scales on the stem but not as distinct from other species as I had hoped from the young plants. Seems a bit like Schefflera taiwaniana. This is the only main species of schefflera not yet or already out in the garden and growing on nicely.

Seed forming on young plants of Camellia forrestii which is exciting. Huge seeds in comparison to the leaf size.

This is Hydrangea aspera ‘Kawakamii’ x Hydrangea involucrata just coming out. Nothing startling as yet.

The agapanthus are just out – a wonderful plant.

You can just see the tree surgeon dismembering a huge turkey oak in the new clearing.

2016 – CHW
The newer planted hydrangeas above the Green Gate are really starting to make a proper show.Hydrangea ‘Hobella’ is just out with a nice hint of pink in this semi shaded spot.

Hydrangea ‘Love you Kiss’ with its black stems is also just out. A clump of five planted in only 2013 and already four to five feet tall with a similar spread. Although taller growing the colour mix is very similar to Hydrangea serrata ‘Kiyosume’ as I have argued before.

A much older clump of Hydrangea ‘Libelle’ are doing well having again been cut right back a year or two ago. Still the best white lacecap hydrangea.

I am not sure if we have a close up of the plaque in situ in the granite bolder but I need one for the new catalogue proof anyway.

I photographed Hydrangea ‘Geoffrey Chadbund’ here with a flower on in January! Here it is coming into flower again just behind the plaque.

Tropaelum cilitum has been out for a while but this is the first time it has flowered below ten feet up the castle wall.

2015 – CHW

Clethra delavayi about to open above the main quarry.

Eucryphia milliganii full out with its dainty small white cup flowers. It looks dwarfish but achieved 20 feet at Burncoose in as many years.

Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum new growth takes quite some beating.

1975 – FJW
1st part of Delia’s Grand Design [tapestry] unveiled 5’11” x 3’1” – day space men shook hands.

1934 – JCW
Fuschias goodish. Romneya never so good. Mag delavayi very full of bud. M parviflora had 1900 pods taken off by Charles. He also took 1700 off another plant.

1933 – JCW
As in 1932

1932 – JCW
M delavayi, M parviflora, M nicholsoniana and M hypoleuca are showing bloom. Fuchsia are coming on well but ought to be much bigger to do their best. Eriogynum is very good. L giganteum is very nice indeed and so the galax.

1930 – JCW
Mag delavayi is good, some Parviflora flowers left. Styrax Langlongense is good. Plagianthus good. Romneya and American Pillars good. Lonicera macrophylla has been remarkable.

1927 – JCW
The Romneya is very good and the [rose] American Pillars. Plagianthus lyalii is nice. We still have blooms of Griersonianum. Eriogynum is over.

1916 -JCW
Plagianthus and Buddleia are starting, also the Romneya and Lonicera macrophylla is very good indeed.

1915 – JCW
About a week later for the buddleia. Plagianthus lyalii is the best shrub now.

1912 – JCW
Both buddleias are open and quite nice.

1909 – JCW
Returned from Scotland, R brunonis very fine. Mitraria nice. No cyclamen. No buddleia’s. R decorum flower buds not moving yet. R cinnabarinum good and shaping.

1897 – JCW
Anemone japonica open.

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

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