2025 – CHW
Jaimie spots a Kingfisher in the river.
In a single day the islands on Lake Patrick have been cleared of trees. Two very dead ash trees carted away by Ross.
The first plants of the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year arrive at Burncoose. Philadelphus ‘Petite Perfume Pink’.
Indigofera himalayensis ‘Silk Road’ flowering for the first time in the nursery.
Weigela coraeensis flowering its heart out at the entrance to Burncoose garden. Two flower colours which is most unusual.
2024 – CHW
For the record here is a list of plants from Crug Farm acquired at the Tregrehan Rare Plant Fair. The Uocodendron will replace ours that died last summer.- Debregeasia longifolia (BSWJ11686)
– Engelhardia spicata (HWJK2421)
– Eriobotrya aff. elliptica v. petelotii (BWJ16323)
– Juglans cathayensis (CWJ12451)
– Oreopanax glabrifolius (BSWJ14728)
– Rubus lineatus from Vietnam (HWJ892)
– Schima argentia (15423)
– Skimmia anquetilia (male)
– Sorbus rosea (SEP492)
– Sorbus sharmae (HWJK2197)
– Styrax japonicus from Taehuksando (BSWJ 14182)
– Uocodendron (Disanthus) whartonii (BSWJ11706)
For the record here is a list of plants from Crug Farm acquired at the Tregrehan Rare Plant Fair. The Uocodendron will replace ours that died last summer.- Debregeasia longifolia (BSWJ11686)
– Engelhardia spicata (HWJK2421)
– Eriobotrya aff. elliptica v. petelotii (BWJ16323)
– Juglans cathayensis (CWJ12451)
– Oreopanax glabrifolius (BSWJ14728)
– Rubus lineatus from Vietnam (HWJ892)
– Schima argentia (15423)
– Skimmia anquetilia (male)
– Sorbus rosea (SEP492)
– Sorbus sharmae (HWJK2197)
– Styrax japonicus from Taehuksando (BSWJ 14182)
– Uocodendron (Disanthus) whartonii (BSWJ11706)
Roy Lancaster’s Chinese specie rose which died a few years ago has produced a number of root suckers which are now coming into their own and flowering away. Some have been lifted and potted but this one has been left alone.
Cornus kousa ‘Doubloon’ at its best near the Rockery. Of all our named forms of C. kousa this one is near the top of my list.
Hidden away above ‘Doubloon’ are 3 pink Rhododendron decorum seedlings. All slightly different but nice enough. Our original pink decorum is on its last legs.
Fruits forming on Lonicera kamtschatica. (I may have the name wrong of this rather uninteresting species!)
This elderly Styrax below Burns Bank is nearly dead but shooting strongly from the base of the trunk. The basal shoots already full of flowers.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum on Burns Bank is nearly dead from the 2 droughts. Cercidiphyllum were very badly affected by this all over the country. A very dry spot with little shade.
A buddleia dies but shoots vigorously anew from the base.
Styrax japonicus ‘Paul Farges’ is nice enough but not really that different.
Rhododendron yuefengense in bud. The other two plants in this trio have paler flowers and are nearly over.
Cornus capitata just coming into flower quite well after the C. kousa.
Rhododendron nuttallii is superb today.
The elderly pink Rhododendron decorum up from the shop. Asia should grow more seed of this exceptional plant.
One seldom notices the flowers on Rubus tricolor.
Tropaeolum ciliatum just out in flower.
2023 – CHW
Flowers on Quercus semecarpifolia.
Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’.
Kalmia latifolia ‘Ostbo Red’.
Kalmia latifolia f. fuscata.
Flower heads on Dipteronia sinensis.
Viburnum parvifolium nicely in flower on Hovel Cart Road.
Aesculus turbinata in flower by the 4-in-Hand.
Pink and white forms of Azalea viscosum in Old Park.
Flowers are hard to spot but plentiful on Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Aureomarginatum’.
Pterostyrax corymbosa in Penvergate nearly over.
Quercus castaneifolia planted in 2000 in Penvergate.
Quercus coccifera with flowers and acorns forming also in Penvergate.
2022 – CHW
Deutzia pulchra just coming out.
The more unusual pink form of Rhododendron (Azalea) viscosum – swamp honey-suckle – in Old Park. One of the clump is a pure white form. This species hides its flowers a bit as you can see here.
Probably Deutzia paniculata (BSWJ 8592) planted in 2014. Label lost.
Probably Buddleia nivea var. yunnanensis just going over. Planted in 2018 and already needing a hard pruning back which it got in 2021.
Flower buds well formed on Asimina triloba alongside the leaf petioles. An odd shape which I had not taken in before.
2021 – CHW
A tedious day getting to grips with the proofing of the 2022 Burncoose Nurseries mail order catalogue. It normally takes about eight days in all. Meanwhile the G7 are having dinner at the Eden Project. Quite a long drive with the roads clogged so I assume helicopters but have heard nothing yet tonight? Another day of sea mist and drizzle.Our landscape team finally finished working at 6.30pm on Wednesday at the Carbis Bay Hotel. A project which they started in January! Boris and Carrie arrived just before that. Working in a maximum security site with machine guns, snipers and hundreds of troops/police was a good experience which they enjoyed. The bay ringed with military vessels and at least one carrier visible offshore. A once in a lifetime event putting Cornwall on the map – assuming nothing goes wrong in the next three days!Two granite gateposts destined for the gateway to the new graveyard extension at St Michaels church. Not yet consecrated by the bishop who has been asked.
A tedious day getting to grips with the proofing of the 2022 Burncoose Nurseries mail order catalogue. It normally takes about eight days in all. Meanwhile the G7 are having dinner at the Eden Project. Quite a long drive with the roads clogged so I assume helicopters but have heard nothing yet tonight? Another day of sea mist and drizzle.Our landscape team finally finished working at 6.30pm on Wednesday at the Carbis Bay Hotel. A project which they started in January! Boris and Carrie arrived just before that. Working in a maximum security site with machine guns, snipers and hundreds of troops/police was a good experience which they enjoyed. The bay ringed with military vessels and at least one carrier visible offshore. A once in a lifetime event putting Cornwall on the map – assuming nothing goes wrong in the next three days!Two granite gateposts destined for the gateway to the new graveyard extension at St Michaels church. Not yet consecrated by the bishop who has been asked.
Schefflera rhododendrifolia with its new growth three years on from planting.
Metapanax davidii securely deer fenced.
Schefflera species nova (NJM 13118) just getting going. Bleddyn Wynn-Jones said on Monday that they were no nearer to naming it properly yet with botanists and taxonomists.
Last few flowers on a yellow Rhododendron royalei hybrid. About three colours remain of what were once six named different coloured hybrids.
Last flower too on the Rhododendron lindleyi clump.
The old original Rhododendron griersonianum has, however, only just come fully out.
The Embothrium above Rogers Quarry has much redder flowers (and later) than the others in the garden. It is 25 to 30 years old and showing its age after a spring scorching in the east wind. It is probably therefore Embothrium coccineum Lanceolatum Group.
Pterostyrax psilophyllus var. leveillei has three lobes at the end of each leaf and is suddenly in full flower. It was in tight bud on Tuesday.
Styrax japonicus ‘Emerald Pagoda’ was sadly not out for the styrax lecture and tour on Tuesday but the week’s drizzle and overcast days have sped it on and out.
