14th March

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


2025 – CHW

I have never seen the magnolias look better. This is a truly vintage year and I have just missed two days of it at Belvoir. We may not have the good weather like this at magnolia time for another decade. Karol is flying the drone and you will soon see his further efforts on YouTube.

Clearing the fallen leylandii below the Green Gate.

Clearing the fallen leylandii
Clearing the fallen leylandii
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’.
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia denudata ‘Double Diamond’
Magnolia ‘Anne Leitner’.
Magnolia ‘Anne Leitner’
Magnolia ‘Anne Leitner’
Magnolia ‘Pink Pyramid’ – second year of flowering.
Magnolia ‘Pink Pyramid’
Magnolia ‘Pink Pyramid’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’.
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Bjuv’
Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’.
Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’
Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’
Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’
Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’
Magnolia ‘Venus’.
Magnolia ‘Venus’
Magnolia ‘Venus’
Prunus × persicoides ‘Spring Glow’.
Prunus × persicoides ‘Spring Glow’
Prunus × persicoides ‘Spring Glow’
Prunus × persicoides ‘Spring Glow’
Prunus × persicoides ‘Spring Glow’
Magnolia ‘Summer Rose’ now full out.
Magnolia ‘Summer Rose’
Magnolia ‘Summer Rose’
Magnolia ‘Summer Rose’
Magnolia ‘Summer Rose’
Sorbus aff. ligustrifolia just into flower.
Sorbus aff. ligustrifolia
Sorbus aff. ligustrifolia
The Queen Mother’s Magnolia.
Queen Mother’s Magnolia
Queen Mother’s Magnolia
Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’ and Magnolia mollicomata in the Ririei Opening.
Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’ and Magnolia mollicomata
Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’ and Magnolia mollicomata

2024 – CHW
A pleasant email from Seamus O’Brien at Kilmacurragh Garden in Ireland.
email from Seamus O’Brien
email from Seamus O’Brien
email from Seamus O’Brien
email from Seamus O’Brien
email from Seamus O’Brien
email from Seamus O’Brien
A quick walk through the Rockery today.
Rhododendron ‘Wee Bee’ just out in Rookery.
Rhododendron ‘Wee Bee’
Rhododendron ‘Wee Bee’
John Bond’s Magnolia ‘Columbus’ (M. denudata x M. veitchii) is just coming out on Bond Street. Most years much later than this.
Magnolia ‘Columbus’
Magnolia ‘Columbus’
Camellia japonica ‘China Doll’ laden with flowers.
Camellia japonica ‘China Doll’
Camellia japonica ‘China Doll’
Camellia japonica ‘China Doll’
Camellia japonica ‘China Doll’
Magnolia x veitchii above the Green Gate. His was an open pollenated seed from the Chollipo Arboretum in South Korea.
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia x veitchii
Magnolia ‘Sweet Merlot’ beside it.
Magnolia ‘Sweet Merlot’
Magnolia ‘Sweet Merlot’
Suddenly 3 dead young yew trees in the Rookery. Roots waterlogged I would say.
3 dead young yew trees
3 dead young yew trees
Melliodendron xylocarpum now at its very best. Partial shade suits them with their toes in a damp spot. Finally we have 2 of these magnificent trees of flowering size after many attempts and several disasters. Even the buds are magnificent!
Melliodendron xylocarpum
Melliodendron xylocarpum
Melliodendron xylocarpum
Melliodendron xylocarpum
Melliodendron xylocarpum
Melliodendron xylocarpum
More drought casualties now apparent. This Rhododendron sinogrande was lifted and taken to Chelsea in 2016. A sad disaster.
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Beside it however is a survivor now in flower.
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Rhododendron sinogrande
Yet another dead big leafed rhododendron.
dead big leafed rhododendron
dead big leafed rhododendron

2023 – CHW
Replanting a cleared and tidied area at The Vean.
Replanting at the Vean
Replanting at the Vean
Giddle Orchard today from the drive. The magnolia in the background is Magnolia ‘Athene’.
Giddle Orchard
Giddle Orchard
Camellia x williamsii ‘Delia Williams’ just starting by the castle wall.
Camellia 'Delia Williams'
Camellia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ and the view through the arch today.
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’ and Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’
Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’
A sterile two year old female cone on Araucaria bidwillii which had fallen off the tree and had begun to disintegrate.
Female cone from Araucaria bidwillii
Female cone from Araucaria bidwillii
Buddleia pterocaulis longifolia in flower in the Isla Rose. Another new species to us.
Buddleia pterocaulis longifolia
Buddleia pterocaulis longifolia
A cock pheasant picks a fight!
A cock pheasant picks a fight!
A cock pheasant picks a fight!
Yet more pictures of the New Zealand form of Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ in its pomp.
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’

2022 – CHW

Asia has started layering our rarer lapagerias in the greenhouse. This seems to be the only way of propagating these plants successfully.

lapagerias
lapagerias
James Williams from Tregullow sends me pictures of his seedling Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ ‘flowering as well as it ever has’ at the back of the house.
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Lanarth’
Magnolia ‘Mr Julian’ which was put up for an RHS award at the Rosemoor show last weekend and received a Preliminary Commendation. Magnolia ‘Caerhays Splendour’ was awarded a First Class Certificate (FCC) at the same time which has pleased Jaimie and Michael.
Magnolia ‘Mr Julian’
Magnolia ‘Mr Julian’
Magnolia ‘Rebecca’s Perfume’ – another plant just out while others are over.
Magnolia ‘Rebecca’s Perfume’
Magnolia ‘Rebecca’s Perfume’
From the nursery a picture of our excellent Lampranthus plants just starting to flower rather earlier than one might expect.
Lampranthus
Lampranthus
Here are more pictures of our exhibits at last weekend’s Rosemoor show with a cup for the best magnolia flower at the show.
Unknown rhododendron
Unknown rhododendron
Rhododendron arboreum red
Rhododendron arboreum red
Magnolia sprengeri Diva
Magnolia sprengeri Diva
Magnolia Sir Harold Hillier Betty Jessel and campbellii Alba seedling
Magnolia Sir Harold Hillier Betty Jessel and campbellii Alba seedling
Magnolia Sargentiana robusta Queen Mother
Magnolia Sargentiana robusta Queen Mother
Magnolia Red Lion Caerhays Surprise_and sargentiana robusta Queen Mother
Magnolia Red Lion Caerhays Surprise_and sargentiana robusta Queen Mother
Magnolia Red Lion
Magnolia Red Lion
Magnolia Purple Sensation Mr Julian and Betty Jessel
Magnolia Purple Sensation Mr Julian and Betty Jessel
Magnolia Mr Julian and Caerhays Splendour
Magnolia Mr Julian and Caerhays Splendour
Magnolia Margaret Helen
Magnolia Margaret Helen
Magnolia Charles Raffill
Magnolia Charles Raffill
Magnolia Caerhays Surprise
Magnolia Caerhays Surprise
Magnolia Apollo
Magnolia Apollo
Magnolia Apollo
Magnolia Apollo
Magnolia
Magnolia
Display of x_williamsii camellias
Display of x_williamsii camellias

2021 – CHW
Two of the four boxes of plants from Pan-Global have arrived well packed and in good order. Hopefully the other two will turn up. Pan-Global are just as short of rare stock as Burncoose and the list I chose from their website availability list had to be adjusted to what was actually left! We know the feeling all too well this spring, but plants do not grow and multiply without time and propagation. You can only sell them once. Crûg Farm’s response to our order was much the same. We will bring what we can from your list when we visit but do not expect too much of it. Lots of new plants to investigate and think through the best places for them.Nothaphoebe cavaleriei – greenish white undersides to the leaves. SW China – laurel family.
Nothaphoebe cavaleriei
Nothaphoebe cavaleriei
Calocedrus formosana – rather more tender than Calocedrus decurrens.
Calocedrus formosana
Calocedrus formosana
Calocedrus formosana
Calocedrus formosana
Pittosporum glabratum with flower buds to add to our species collection. This one looks rather dull, I fear!
Pittosporum glabratum
Pittosporum glabratum
Cornus excelsa (F & M 57) is an evergreen species from Mexico.
Cornus excelsa
Cornus excelsa

A garden tour in the afternoon to look at the magnolias at their best on what would normally have been the annual gardening weekend.

Magnolia ‘Kew Surprise’ just out in the Auklandii Garden.

Magnolia ‘Kew Surprise’
Magnolia ‘Kew Surprise’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’ and Camellia japonica.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’ and Camellia japonica
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’ and Camellia japonica
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’ and Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta.
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’ one day on and fading slightly in colour.
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ one day on.
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’
Magnolia ‘Aurora’ just out in Kennel Close.
Magnolia ‘Aurora’
Magnolia ‘Aurora’
Magnolia ‘Aurora’
Magnolia ‘Aurora’
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ just starting but wind damaged overnight.
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta in its pomp.
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta
Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta
Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’ now nicely out.
Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’
Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’

One thought on “14th March

  1. Hi Charles
    Do you think the Rhododendron Register needs changing? It gives the hybridiser of ‘Bo-peep’ as L. de Rothschild, or perhaps they both did the same cross! The yellow-flowered one got an AM in 1937 and is the cultivar ‘Bo-peep’. The pink one, and subsequent crosses of those two species, would therefore be more accurately labelled as Bo-peep Group.
    Cheers, Mike

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