1st March | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

The magnolia season is absolutely at its peak as we hit 1st March. Showery but not too bad.

Rhododendron ‘Golden Oriole’ outside the front gate.

First flowers on Magnolia dawsoniana creeping out a month early.

Jaimie’s Magnolia x veitchii seedling below the drive on Bond Street is turning into something very nice. A better colour and more flowers each year.

Lambing started 3 or 4 days ago.

Huge fodder beet which the cattle relish over winter. A drought resistant root crop which enjoyed the August rain.

First early flower on Rhododendron ‘Emma Williams’.

Rhododendron moupinense at its absolute best.

Last late flower on Rhodendron nobleanum.

The best Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling on the drive now full out in the gloom.

The same plant with a Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ seedling behind it.

First undamaged flowers out on Magnolia denudata ‘Forrest’s Pink’.

2023 – CHW
The Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ seedling on Bond Street is good today in the sun.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’ on the drive has rather fewer flowers this year. Drought I assume. It is, I think, a better colour than campbellii ‘Sidbury’ but that is a personal choice.

Fallen flowers on the drive under a row of Camellia saluenensis at the top of the drive.

Two of the large azalea ‘Hinomayo’ by the Top Lodge are still dormant but the third is approaching its best.

The view through the arch is improving day by day.

On a visit with Jaimie to decide which rhododendrons to plant out where from the Rockery Nursery we find a large forgotten (but our only decent sized and half mature) Melliodendron xylocarpum with its first few flowers out. A triumph after several other failures with poor plants or rootstocks overtaking their grafted hosts.

Beside it is a much younger Illicium philippinense (CWJ 12466) just in flower. Rather good but not that different to other species which flower early in the season. Illicium species flower in spring, summer and autumn.

2022 – CHW
Asia has been busy with our magnolia grafting and air layering. Click here to see what she has grafted onto what.There will be mistakes and successes but this is the name of the game.

Also here camellia cleft grafting.

Another (as yet) unnamed young magnolia hybrid is performing. This is Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ x Magnolia ‘JC Williams’. My vote so far is 6/10.

We had all missed a very big Pinus insignis branch down at the Pound in Storm Eunice. This may well need a tree surgeon to get down safely to the ground.

The new FJW plaque now installed on the door of the Tin Garden shed.

2021 – CHW
A day so pleasant it is easy to forget COVID altogether.

What could look better at the garden entrance today than Rhododendron moupinense.

Camellia ‘Dear Jenny’

Camellia x williamsii ‘Debutante’ and Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’ out side by side.

The camellias on the drive down from the top lodge all now have Karol’s smart new green labels.

A closeup of a Camellia ‘Magnoliaflora’ flower.

Camellia ‘Desire’ with some blemishes from the wind.

Plenty of leaf on our hydrangeas on the 1st March!

Camellia ‘Debutante’. The colour fades quickly on the flower.

Camellia ‘Lady Saumarez’ here, in full sun, has yellowish foliage.

Looking at 50 different camellias in flower today Camellia x williamsii ‘Mary Phoebe Taylor’ takes some beating.

Camellia ‘Duchess Decaze’ also blemished.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Rosemary Williams’ as a quick growing upright bush.

Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’ often holds its dead flower heads to spoil the overall effect but just about perfect here.

The first magnolia showing in the distance in Giddle Orchard.

This year few flowers on Magnolia campbellii ‘Lamellyn’. Today not as good as campbellii ‘Sidbury’ but probably more storm damage.

In so far as the flowers open on x Sycoparrotia semidecidua this is about as good as it gets. About 10 days since I last photographed this tree.

One flower each of Camellia ‘Debutante’ and Camellia ‘Adolphe Audusson’.

2020 – CHW
You need to get here quickly – everything is rushing out and magnolia mania at full momentum!We have wondered if this seedling on the drive is worth a name? Suddenly it has become an enormous tree but it has only actually flowered for about 12 to 15 years. We have speculated as to its parentage and, looking today, it must have a fair bit of campbellii or even a touch of ‘Lanarth’. A paler form of ‘Betty Jessel’ perhaps but like all these types the colour will change over the next few days. The flowers are more of a sprengeri size but that does not explain the colour. I give it 7/10 today but have given it more in previous years.

Magnolia campbellii ‘Charles Raffil’ just coming out on the drive.

Leaves already on Acer mandchuricum as usual. High risk if we do get frost.

Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’ early as usual.

A hydrangea cut down two years ago still in full leaf after a mild winter.

Magnolia ‘Westonbirt’ just emerging. I assume a campbellii from Westonbirt?

Magnolia ‘Aurora’ just coming out at the top above Hovel Cart Road.

I have often said in past year’s how much better Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ is than its New Zealand bred sister (ie the same cross) ‘Susanna van Veen’. This year it is clearly the other way around because the wind has spoilt Belle. This is Susanna.

This is the ‘Caerhays Belle’ nearby as it looks today. Belle is a much bigger tree and quicker growing though.

Magnolia ‘Bishop Michael’ just coming out in Rogers Quarry. Only the very top of the tree has colour as yet.

Rhododendron moulmainense (formerly Rhododendron stenaulum) is out already and, alarmingly, where there are no flowers the new growth is already 6in long.

Magnolia ‘Philip’s Surprise’ just coming out at the very top of the garden. A huge tree now.

Ripe buds on Magnolia ‘Albatross’.

A Rhododendron griffithianum seedling with full new growth already!

The original Magnolia campbellii above the garden shop from Rookery path. Not as big as the other record tree but a good colour when you catch the light right later in the day as here.

2019 – CHW Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ in all its glory about a month earlier than normal and quite possibly a record. The younger plants in the garden are already further advanced than this.

This is an, as yet, unnamed seedling magnolia on the drive which has been performing better and better each year. Clearly there is more than a trace of ‘Lanarth’ colour here but the flower colour is quite different and far more ‘reddish dark pink’ (if that makes any sense). Smallish upright flowers too so perhaps a ‘Diva’ or, more likely, a campbellii seedling which is a cross between the two. Very different to Magnolia ‘Mr Julian’ in flower shape and colour. Quite exciting really and one to exhibit properly one day before naming and registering.

First flower I have spied on the common garlic but I saw a bank of garlic full out beside the main road in Truro two days ago.

The magnolias along Bond Street are so often frosted that I have seldom seen them this good in the sun. The first one here is another ‘Caerhays Belle’ sister seedling although not as good and the second seems paler but similar.

2018 – CHW
Before the blizzards set in at lunchtime today here are a few pictures of Caerhays in the snow. The worst cold east winds and snow for 25 or 30 years I think. Everyone sent home from work here and at the nursery.Very strange to be sitting in the gloom. Our Canadian and Dutch visitors have cancelled their 5 night stay at The Vean. The Nare party tonight to launch the “spring” season has been cancelled. So too the High Sheriffs dinner at Pentille and next weekends Rosemoor show.

The Daphne bholua outside my window is definitely deceased in the cold wind. How many magnolias which are still in tight bud will survive and go on to flower remains to be seen. Don’t hold your breath! What was out a week ago are not even dog turds on sticks any more. Horrible and life threatening to small birds. The keepers are braving the elements to keep the feeders topped up and wild bird seed spread daily in the cover crops on the farm.The day was spent having the first bash at the annual BPS farm grant form quiz. In 3 hours we resolved no less than 67 line entry errors by the Rural Payments Agency. Now we have to find the ones they have not flagged up to us. I dislike this imbecilic annual quiz as much as the blizzard outside.

Dad keeps asking the date as he views the snow piling up on the lawn. Yes, it really is 1st March and the first day of Spring. About -7, -8C with windchill. The lake is starting to freeze at 4pm.

The last time it was this bad and we were totally snowed in for what was then the New Year was when my brother had a house full for his 18th or 21st birthday, He is 57 now.

2017 – CHW
A trip to the nursery with Shayne House to make video clips of topical tips for the website. We made 19 which was rather more than expected. Still time however to photograph a few new plants in the 2017 catalogue.Corydalis ‘Chocolate Stars’ is only just starting to reshoot but the leaves really are a delicate brown.

Corylopsis glabrescens ‘Chollipo’ – poor pictures in the sun between hailstorms but a good indication of the size of the plants.

Rhododendron williamsianum ‘White Form’ – this is an Exbury form which we have not stocked before. It will not be out for six weeks.

Rhododendron calostrotum subsp riparium Nitens – a dwarf clump forming species with single mauve or purple flowers.

Restio-Rhodocoma capensis – an attractive reed like plant with architectural merit in a border.

Rheum palmatum – I have never noticed these plump red buds before. They soon burst to reveal the first reddish leaves.

A batch of Iris unguicularis is in full flower in the hailstorm.

2016 – CHW
Jaimie has placed out 30 of Burncoose’s specimen camellias in Kennel Close to break it up a bit and help create the microclimates which we need here at the top of the hill.

The evergreen azalea clumps, planted in the autumn, have settled well but they now have rather bronzy foliage from the wind.

2006 – FJW
Snow.
1993 – FJW
Very early year until frost.
1985 – FJW
My father A.M.W died.
1965 – FJW
Snow all day. 7 degrees of frost.
1958 – FJW
Came back from Plymouth to find Donkey Shoe Robusta full out. Flowers also on Michelia by Georges Hut. Sutchuenense in 40 Acres very good.

1947 – CW
Returned early. Most snow gone but Church Hill for 100 yards still one way traffic. No colour on any rhododendron except a few Sutchuenense hybrids, and almost all camellia buds brown that had begun to open. Hamamelis alone never hurt at all. Michelias losing almost all leaves.

1934 – JCW
Just out of several frosty nights, a very late daffodil year. R lutescens is very good in several places. Only one daffodil in all 4 gardens with a bloom nearly open.

1932 – JCW
Sutchuenense a fair lot showing colour, no calophytum yet Camellia speciosa has been and is very good. A very few daff moving. R sulfureum has been and is good. A cold wind for a week and today it is very cold indeed but no frost to speak of.

1918 – JCW
Rhodo sutchuenense and calophytum are at about their best, and the blood red x Thomsonii have never been so good.

1912 – JCW
Camellias very good. Prunus pissardi is going over. Most of the bulbs starting well.

1906 – JCW
Clematis indivisa open on terrace, picked a dozen incomps in Tin Garden.

1903 – JCW
We are ten days earlier than 1902, I see King G showing colour and Sirius is nearly showing colour.

1902 – JCW
Narcissi H Irving and Tenby several out, Caerhays a few, G Spur shows colour, many thrumpets in KG, R praecox and barbatum half open, some arboreums, crocus at their best, snowdrops also.

1897 – JCW
Some tulips nearly out (Ban, Thol), Barbatum nearly over.