4th June

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

A trip around the garden with Thomas Methuen-Campbell.

Styrax shiraianus just emerging into flower.

Styrax shiraianus
Styrax shiraianus
Styrax japonicus ‘Sohuksan’ as floriferous as ever which many of the other species are not this year.
Styrax japonicus ‘Sohuksan’
Styrax japonicus ‘Sohuksan’
New growth on Tristaniopsis.
Tristaniopsis
Tristaniopsis
Styrax japonicus ‘Wespelaar’ with a hint of pink. We have not seen this before and it is certainly a bit different.
Styrax japonicus ‘Wespelaar’
Styrax japonicus ‘Wespelaar’
Fagus longipetiolata with its bronzy new leaves.
Fagus longipetiolata
Fagus longipetiolata
Styrax hookeri var. yunnanensis. It clearly isn’t at all like our Styrax hookeri in its flower form. S. hookeri generally has flowers in pairs or singles. I thought the name was a bit of a muddle when I bought it and now I am none the wiser.
Styrax hookeri var. yunnanensis
Styrax hookeri var. yunnanensis
Styrax hookeri var. yunnanensis
Styrax hookeri var. yunnanensis
Styrax japonicus ‘Columnar’ also has very dark coloured leaves.
Styrax japonicus ‘Columnar’
Styrax japonicus ‘Columnar’
Picrasma quassioides has just finished flowering.
Picrasma quassioides
Picrasma quassioides
Styrax ‘Purple Dress’ just coming out.
Styrax ‘Purple Dress’
Styrax ‘Purple Dress’
Thomas gives me the name of this oak but I have sadly forgotten it.
oak
oak
Sorbus dunnii looking good.
Sorbus dunnii
Sorbus dunnii
Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’.
Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’
Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’
Brassaiopsis dumicola (KWJ 12217) growing on rather better than the last one.
Brassaiopsis dumicola (KWJ 12217)
Brassaiopsis dumicola (KWJ 12217)
Brassaiopsis dumicola (KWJ 12217)
Brassaiopsis dumicola (KWJ 12217)
Brassaiopsis mitis (ex-Raf Lenaerts) looks fine as well. Extraordinary leaf structure. We saw many of these for sale yesterday at Tregrehan.
Brassaiopsis mitis (ex-Raf Lenaerts)
Brassaiopsis mitis (ex-Raf Lenaerts)
Brassaiopsis mitis (ex-Raf Lenaerts)
Brassaiopsis mitis (ex-Raf Lenaerts)
Caesalpinia gilliesii just coming out.
Caesalpinia gilliesii
Caesalpinia gilliesii
Styrax formosanus var. hayatiainus.
Styrax formosanus var. hayatiainus
Styrax formosanus var. hayatiainus
First flowering of a young Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei near Tin Garden. Some slug damage.
Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei
Magnolia macrophylla subsp. ashei
Viburnum wrightii just coming.
Viburnum wrightii
Viburnum wrightii
A young Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113) with a few flowers.
Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113)
Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113)

2023 – CHW
The hot weather persists and we start to talk about watering the nursery beds.Illicium philippinense (CWJ 1246), planted in 2017, is covered in some new growth.

Illicium philippinense (CWJ 1246)
Illicium philippinense (CWJ 1246)
Viburnum wrightii with slug damage around the flower.
Viburnum wrightii
Viburnum wrightii
A newly planted Picconia excelsa has just finished flowering but not looking too happy in a dry spot. Water this week.
Picconia excelsa
Picconia excelsa
Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113) in full flower above HQN.
Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113)
Illicium merrillianum (KWJ 12113)
Equally impressive new growth on Schefflera delavayi to that seen yesterday on rhododendrifolia.
Schefflera delavayi
Schefflera delavayi
Syringa reticulata flowering better than I have even seen it in a dry location.
Syringa reticulata
Syringa reticulata
Syringa reticulata
Syringa reticulata
Deutzia x elegantissima ‘Rosalind’ above the Drive near the current laurel cutting.
Deutzia x elegantissima ‘Rosalind’
Deutzia x elegantissima ‘Rosalind’
Syringa komarowii subsp. reflexa or is it Syringa x josiflexa ‘Bellicent’? The two are very similar and the planting plans a bit vague. There may be clumps of both quite close to each other.
Syringa komarowii subsp. reflexa
Syringa komarowii subsp. reflexa
Syringa josikaea (one of two clumps).
Syringa josikaea
Syringa josikaea
An azalea gall or two on Azalea indica by the front door. Not the first time I have seen this here.
An azalea gall
An azalea gall

2022 – CHW

Four hours of welcome heavy rain overnight and more to come to dampen the Jubilee festivities.

rain
rain
Another decent plant of Pterostyrax psilophyllus var. leveillei in full flower.
Pterostyrax psilophyllus var. leveillei
Pterostyrax psilophyllus var. leveillei
Bladders already formed and turning pink on Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’. This species has not produced ‘bladders’ as a young plant before while the other species do but rather later in the year.
Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’
Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’
Stunning foliage on Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’. A few buds but nowhere near out. This young plant was tiny when planted out only five to six years ago.
Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’
Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’
Rhododendron griersonianum now full out.
Rhododendron griersonianum
Rhododendron griersonianum
Rhododendron nuttallii nearly over. Not much different to Rh. excellens which we saw the other day.
Rhododendron nuttallii
Rhododendron nuttallii
Rhododendron polyandrum still has decent flowers, as here, but the very similar Rh. crassum is just over.
Rhododendron polyandrum
Rhododendron polyandrum
First flowering here of a recently planted Syringa wilsonii (now S. tomentella). A return to Caerhays for a species which most probably was here decades ago. A name change along the way too. Fragrant.
Syringa wilsonii
Syringa wilsonii
Syringa wilsonii
Syringa wilsonii
New growth on the ancient pink flowered Camellia sasanqua is dark bronzy-red. The white flowered forms have quite different new growth.
Camellia sasanqua
Camellia sasanqua
Camellia sasanqua
Camellia sasanqua

2021 – CHW
A hurried early morning visit to Burncoose for meetings.Our Burncoose stock plant of Abutilon vitafolium var. album ‘Veronica Tennant’ by the mist houses.
Abutilon vitafolium var. album ‘Veronica Tennant’
Abutilon vitafolium var. album ‘Veronica Tennant’
Abutilon vitafolium var. album ‘Veronica Tennant’
Abutilon vitafolium var. album ‘Veronica Tennant’
Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fire’ in full new growth in the nursery car park.
Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fire’
Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fire’
Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fire’
Podocarpus x ‘County Park Fire’
I have been trying to photograph Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’ in flower for years and suddenly here it is.
Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’
Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’
Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’
Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’
Landscaping work for my cousin on the north Cornish coast. Still more areas to complete as here.
Landscaping work
Landscaping work
Landscaping work
Landscaping work
Convolvulus cneorum growing well out of a stone wall topped by Eleagnus ebbingei in my cousin’s garden.
Convolvulus cneorum
Convolvulus cneorum

2020 – CHW
The pink decorum above the shop is just coming out.
Rhododendron pink decorum
Rhododendron pink decorum
This is what Tom has confirmed as Malus rockii at Slip Rail. We had no clue.
Malus rockii
Malus rockii
Malus rockii
Malus rockii
Aesculus chinensis in full flower in Kennel Close. One of the later flowering species. A small slow growing tree rare in cultivation.
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Aesculus chinensis
Crataegus schraderiana is finally out in flower. Flowers sit well with the white hue to the leaves which are attractive on their own.
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Philadelphus satsumi just out.
Philadelphus satsumi
Philadelphus satsumi
Philadelphus satsumi
Philadelphus satsumi
Still good flowers on Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’.
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’
Azalea flowers burnt off prematurely in the heat on Hovel Cart Road.
Azalea flowers burnt off
Azalea flowers burnt off
Two new passing places on the drive installed today by Frankie Tregunna with a mini digger. We used concrete railway sleepers to create the new areas which now need hard coring.
passing places
passing places
passing places
passing places

A very nice Caerhays sort of thing happened today. Bob Tregunna had been going through his eldest brother’s things and thought we might like to keep and put on display his medals. There was also an album of photographs from 1981 showing the Queen Mother’s visit here and the magnolia planting by Georges Hut with a line-up of estate staff to greet her. Philip did the actual planting of course!

The medals which Philip Tregunna won from the RHS included:

• 50 year long service award*

• A J Waley Medal for his work on rhododendrons – 1968

• What we think is the Corey Cup medal which went with the award for breeding of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Surprise’ in 1976

(* The award is undated. Philip was head gardener here from 1956 to 1996. He started work here well before 1956 but went away on national service prior to returning to Caerhays. I guess the award was made 2000-2002 as, in semi-retirement, Philip continued to work in the house and greenhouse.)

50 year long service award
50 year long service award
A J Waley Medal
A J Waley Medal
Corey Cup medal
Corey Cup medal
These items can certainly go on public display when we reopen next March in a secure cabinet. It is staggering that there have only been four head gardeners at Caerhays since 1897. I can think of other Cornish gardens who have had three in 10 years!

2019 – CHW

A cuttings collecting day here with Enkianthus, Staphylea and others with softwood new growth. About 30 different things to set.

Rhododendron yuefengense flowering in the Higher Quarry Nursery Bed. A very distinct leaf shape and a species I first saw at Tregrehan. The plant came from Glendoick.

Rhododendron yuefengense
Rhododendron yuefengense
Syringa reticulata flowering for the second time below Donkey Shoe. Not a patch on the flower of another new Syringa species which we saw last week.
Syringa reticulata
Syringa reticulata
Kalmias planted in 1991 are now a bit too much in the shade but we did, last year, uplift a few nearby tree branches.
Kalmias
Kalmias
Abies pinsapo with a multitude of blue cones with spurs on each segment of the cones. This is only the second year that this young tree has performed (nothing last year) and about 35 to 40 cones overall. Abies delavayi nearby is similarly adorned.
Abies pinsapo
Abies pinsapo
Abies pinsapo
Abies pinsapo
Stewartia ogisu flowering for the first time. Smallish flowers with pink buds.
Stewartia ogisu
Stewartia ogisu
Stewartia ogisu
Stewartia ogisu
Supposedly a young Stewartia sinensis but I fear that the flowers are far too large. Need to see the seeds to key it out in full even if the calyxes look right.
Stewartia sinensis
Stewartia sinensis
Stewartia sinensis
Stewartia sinensis
Stewartia monodelpha about to flower. I am reasonably confident that this young plant is correctly named if only from its foliage colour last autumn.
Stewartia monodelpha
Stewartia monodelpha

2018 – CHW
To Tregullow to look at the garden there. A regular occurrence when we lived nearby at Burncoose for 20 plus years. Much pruning of huge rhododendron clumps in progress after the February/March gales.Picea breweriana making great headway by the stables. A slow and awkward tree to get going which needs careful staking initially. A variable plant if grown from seed but this is a good form.
Picea breweriana
Picea breweriana
Picea breweriana
Picea breweriana
Rhododendron ‘Rubicon’ nearly over. James Williams gave us a plant rooted by their head gardener. A cross between Rhododendron ‘Kilimanjaro Group’ and Rhododendron ‘Noyo Chief’ or so I look up.
Rhododendron ‘Rubicon’
Rhododendron ‘Rubicon’
A superb Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’. Plastered in flower and by far the best thing in the garden today.
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’
Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’ just going over. Rather paler than our form so I am not quite convinced this is the right name.
Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’
Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’
Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’
Rhododendron ‘Tortoiseshell Orange’

2017 – CHW
The Daily Telegraph has a picture of a 16ft tall Echium pininana growing outside. This beats the 14ft one growing at the Welsh Botanic Gardens in a biome featured in the papers before Chelsea. I suspect ours outside the library window are easily a match for the new Guinness Book of Records entry but am disinclined to prove it. I think that in this record echium year there will be many competitors for the prize – such as it is.Then the rare plant sale at Tregrehan where it rains hard for an hour and a half as Justin and I set up. A good turnout none the less and we sell 50 plants in the first two hours from the 150 which we took.
rare plant sale at Tregrehan
rare plant sale at Tregrehan
rare plant sale at Tregrehan
rare plant sale at Tregrehan

Back to a lunch for nine including Gerard and Nicky Clinton and, of course, a garden tour.

Another pinkish Rhododendron royalii hybrid has one flower.

pinkish Rhododendron royalii hybrid
pinkish Rhododendron royalii hybrid
Here is part of the group photo.
group photo
group photo
group photo
group photo
group photo
group photo

2016 – CHW
A viburnum species above Hovel Cart Road which is unnamed on the planting plans is looking good beside the newly collected (relatively speaking) Quercus oxyodon.
A viburnum species
A viburnum species
A viburnum species
A viburnum species
Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’ is out in flower after its superb berries and autumn colour last year.
Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’
Sorbus folgneri ‘Emiel’
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’ is looking good on the drive but not as good as ‘Daphne’.
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Magnolia ‘Green Bee’
Enkianthus hirtinervus is just out, much later into flower than every other species and variety.
Enkianthus hirtinervus
Enkianthus hirtinervus
Rhododendron ‘Treberrick’, one of Dad’s last hybrids, is doing well and he is pleased with some cut flowers.
Rhododendron ‘Treberrick’
Rhododendron ‘Treberrick’
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briottii’ above the greenhouse is a superb compact growing plant and well worth its place. Aesculus are never perceived properly as welcome flowering additions to June in woodland gardens.
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briottii’
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briottii’
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briottii’
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briottii’

2015 – CHWMore wanderings and Photima villosa var koreana is flowering nicely in full sun.  Photima villosa is a dull and common plant but this is much better with trailing branches of flowers.

Photima villosa var Koreana
Photima villosa var koreana
Photima villosa var Koreana
Photima villosa var koreana
Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’
Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’

Then Magnolia ‘Porcelain Dove’ a hybrid between Magnolia globosa and Magnolia virginiana growing in full sun along from George’s Hut.  Exceptionally good and a ‘must have’ for magnolia collectors.

Magnolia globosa
Magnolia globosa

Nearby on the other side of the path is I think our only surviving plant of Magnolia globosa  from Eisenhut in Switzerland.  Two died in this spot but now we have the first flowers or buds anyway.  Magnolia globosa is short lived but this is the Chyverton form with delicious furry golden indumentum to the new growth.  I may be wrong but I think it is the Indian form of Magnolia globosa rather than the Chinese.  I tried to propagate this with material from Nigel Holman’s plant eight or ten years ago but failed.

A check on Magnolia virginiana in a thicket shows no buds anywhere near out.

Similarly Magnolia rostrata (Tom Hudson form and rather different leaves from our old original plant – now dead).  No sign of any flower buds this year but the plant is at least 20 feet tall and tucked away beside the podocarpus clump.

Magnolia ‘Summer Solstice’ is also a Magnolia globosa x Magnolia obovata cross.  We await Magnolia globosa being full out.

Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’ is absolutely superb but will need plenty of room.

Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Rhododendron ‘Lems Monarch’
Magnolia sieboldii
Magnolia sieboldii

Another larger Magnolia sieboldii much as yesterday.

Rhododendron griersonianum
Rhododendron griersonianum

An original clump of Rhododendron griersonianum much used by JCW in his and many other people’s hybridisation work as it sets regular seed and flowers late and over a long period.

embothrium
Embothrium

The battery on the camera runs out but I manage one last picture of the Embothrium above Mr Roger’s Quarry.  Still full out weeks after the first one on the drive.  Embothriums used to grow in numbers in Lower Rockery but died out of old age 30 years ago.  Most of our newer plants today are in their prime after only 25 years growth. A hard plant to get going but glorious when it does. A quick visit to the Royal Cornwall Show earlier in the day as Lizzie under the weather with a cold.  Burncoose have won a Large Gold Medal but I hear David Knuckey was one of the judges!  Stand looked good with many of the Chelsea plants and Stewartia rostrata (wrongly named!).  Justin is in his usual selling mode with no prisoners.

1927 – JCW
Griersonianum is at its best.

1915 – JCW
Fortunei hybrids by Park are going over, Azaleas (white, yellow, red) are about their best, good too in the Drive. Madame Lemoine lilac good for a week, all but the Waterer rhodo’s are over now. Loder’s White good yet. Viburnum plicatum and mariesii good.

1913 – JCW
We are picking daff seed but most of it bad in the stem. Azaleas, deciduous good some of them, picked the first Harrow hybrid sown in 1908, R boothi open for the first time and plicatum and laburnum good. R baylei remains good. Auklandii over. Roses nice. I go back tomorrow.

1905 – JCW
Picked some Caerhays seed nearly all bad. Ponticums well out, also Viburnum plicatum, moved a lot of bulbs. Solanum crispum our best thing.