27th 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

2024 – CHW (images to follow)

2023 – CHW

A tour with Geraint Richards, Richard Trant and Barcham Nurseries who gave us an Aesculus indica.

Magnolia ‘Genie’ just out.

Magnolia ‘Genie’
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Then a torrential downpour of biblical proportions so photography had to wait.
First Spanish bluebells out in flower. I spotted a few violets just out beside them.
First Spanish bluebells
First Spanish bluebells
Magnolia ‘Apollo’ on the drive a bit battered by the heavy rain.
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Beside it a young Magnolia ‘ Cleopatra’ with slightly darker colours than the one in Kennel Close.
Magnolia ‘ Cleopatra’
Magnolia ‘ Cleopatra’
Camellia reticulata ‘Fee de L’Aulne’.
Camellia reticulata ‘Fee de L’Aulne’
Camellia reticulata ‘Fee de L’Aulne’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’ a bit bedraggled now after the rain.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’
Camellia ‘Optima’ by the side door with just small flecks of pink.
Camellia ‘Optima’
Camellia ‘Optima’

2022 – CHW

On a visit to the nursery it was good to see that we are now only selling peat free compost.

Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Schmetterling’ in the nursery.

Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Schmetterling’
Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Schmetterling’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’ has a little pink to it when first out in the tunnels.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Wildcat’
Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’ was new to the catalogue last year.
Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’
Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’
Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’
Loropetalum ‘Carolina Moonlight’
New this year is Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’ with a sensational leaf/flower contrast.
Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’
Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’
Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’
Loropetalum ‘Ruby Snow’
Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’ in flower.
Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’
Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’
Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’
Telopea x speciosa ‘Braidwood Brilliant’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’ making a decent tree.
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’
Magnolia ‘Darkest Purple’ x Magnolia ‘Betty Jessel’
The first flowering of Magnolia ‘Toro’.
Magnolia ‘Toro’
Magnolia ‘Toro’

2021 – CHW
I have been trying to name the seven ancient Camellia japonicas growing on the walls outside the back yard and along under the Stable Flat referring back to what is listed in the James Veitch & Sons 1892 catalogue of camellias. These plants have been pruned many times over the last century and probably arrived here in 1902 from Reuthes nursery as part of a large batch. Sadly, no individual names were recorded.The first has been called (by Philip Tregunna) Camellia ‘Mathotiana’ (syn. Mathotiana Rubra). It is a late season flowerer as it should be. The flowers are variable in shape which is also true of what I am looking at here. It is in the 1892 catalogue and ties in with modern reference books (nearest rubbish bins).
Camellia ‘Mathotiana’
Camellia ‘Mathotiana’
The second might well be Camellia ‘Mathotiana Rosea’ which was bred by the Veitch nursery in 1874 (touching the right of the arch facing in).
Camellia ‘Mathotiana Rosea’
Camellia ‘Mathotiana Rosea’
The third one is a semi double white with crimson flecking which might be the one on the Veitch lists called Camellia ‘Duchess d’Orleans’ (today known as ‘Bella Romana’). That is only a guess and there are few flowers left today. Pretty close to ‘Tricolor’ in reality and clearly sports a lot! ‘Tricolor’ is on the 1892 lists.
Camellia ‘Duchess d’Orleans’
Camellia ‘Duchess d’Orleans’
The fourth one is very probably Camellia ‘Mathotiana Alba’, a Ghent raised sport from ‘Mathotiana Rosea’ in 1858. This too is in the Veitch catalogue.
Camellia ‘Mathotiana Alba’
Camellia ‘Mathotiana Alba’
The fifth one is a deep red which holds itself half open for a long time in bud and opens as here. It might well be Camellia ‘Imbricata’ which is described as carmine-rose or a fine deep rose which I guess this is. The reference book photographs agree.
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
Camellia ‘Imbricata’
The sixth has no flowers at all at present.

The seventh is reputed (again by Philip Tregunna) to be Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’. As we have seen earlier in the year the plant exhibits pink paeony flowers and sports to much paler but similarly shaped flowers at the top of the bush. I have to say that I agree although ‘Preston’s Rose’ is not in the Veitch 1892 listings (nearest the round tower of the Stable Flat). When you google it, you prove the point, so we all seem to agree Philip was correct.

Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’
Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’
Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’
Camellia ‘Preston’s Rose’
Asia might now put nametags on the five varieties we are fairly sure of while they still have flowers as plenty of future cuttings here. Mystery nearly solved. I attach three pages of the Veitch catalogue.
Veitch catalogue

2020 – CHW
I speak at length to a close friend who has been in bed with a touch of the corona for five days. Now is the critical phase but, thankfully, he seems to be on the mend.A frenetic day trying to write to all our shooting clients asking if they are prepared to honour their shooting deposits due (mainly) on 1st June. If they will not then they leave the whole risk of rearing birds for the season entirely with us and we will have to adjust the numbers we raise in line with what they tell us. Just another example of the enormous cancellations paperwork trail. Justine is inundated with calls from our holiday let clients wanting to cancel (refund) or delay/postpone their holidays. The wedding cancellation/delay issues are a nightmare for Sue too but at least these can be dealt with from home. The first demands for rent holidays or postponements from tenants creates a lot of work too and the maintenance team have had to be furloughed (health issues) so the gardeners have had to fit a new electric pump on the sewage treatment plant at Portholland which is overflowing. No electricians or engineers available of course but we do collect a pump left outside the shop for us. It is the smaller day to day issues and problems which mount up but still have to be dealt with somehow.Meanwhile Edwina and I have knocked up a few articles for the Caerhays website which will go live soon. One is about climate change or the lack of it in the garden here over the last 120 years. As we stand today climate change is the least of our worries.The package announced by the chancellor yesterday for the self-employed gets the usual treatment from the bastards at the BBC. Not an incredibly quick response to a very difficult financial/fairness issue but merely more opportunity for those ‘left out’ to gripe and criticise. Many self-employed businesses could actually carry on working perfectly safely but it appears much of the country think they are ‘entitled’ to a government paid holiday. The ramifications of this for the future work ethic and social security handouts is enormous. As Corbyn’s farewell stated yesterday he has now got all the nationalisation which he wanted. The greatest setback in history for the free market economy without (yet) a communist takeover. Why do not the BBC do a Trump and at least blame the Chinese a bit before Boris nationalises them too!Off to Forty Acres Wood in the sunshine to see if the yellow magnolias were out. Unbeknown to me the overnight frost in the centre of the wood had browned everything off. Little on the ground to see at 7am this morning.On the main bank I find clumps of unusually pale wild violets.
wild violets
wild violets
Magnolia ‘Manchu Fan’ is well up the bank and had largely escaped.
Magnolia ‘Manchu Fan’
Magnolia ‘Manchu Fan’
Magnolia ‘Manchu Fan’
Magnolia ‘Manchu Fan’
The rhododendrons, lower down, had not.
rhododendrons
rhododendrons
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides is making good headway as a small tree (Podocarpaceae family).
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Powder Puff’ had caught it!
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Powder Puff’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Powder Puff’
This part of Forty Acres Wood was a 1991 replanting after the hurricane and is about to have its second thinning.
1991 replanting
1991 replanting
Mainly 30 year old beech with lots of old squirrel damage but I find a young ash badly infected with ash dieback and half dead. All the ash will have to go in the thinning.
ash
ash
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ still had some unfrosted flowers in Penvergate but was not as yellow as normal.
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’
Magnolia ‘Butterflies’
This pale yellow magnolia has lost its label but I did catch it a couple of years ago with a name.
pale yellow magnolia
pale yellow magnolia
pale yellow magnolia
pale yellow magnolia
Paulownia fortunei was out high up. The flowers are white but had been frosted.
Paulownia fortunei
Paulownia fortunei
Magnolia officinalis ssp. biloba still in tight bud thankfully.
Magnolia officinalis ssp. biloba
Magnolia officinalis ssp. biloba
An elderly Magnolia x soulangeana has fallen over but still flowering well. It may well layer itself in the crown and carry on.
Magnolia x soulangeana
Magnolia x soulangeana
Another (magnolia) branch crashes into a young magnolia which has just survived. Lots of winter storm branch damage to clear up in this area with a few deads.
branch damage
branch damage
Another good young Magnolia ‘Apollo’.
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Yet another new one flowering for the first time. This is Magnolia ‘Scented Gem’. Fairly crappy flower but gorgeous scent.
Magnolia ‘Scented Gem’
Magnolia ‘Scented Gem’
Magnolia ‘Scented Gem’
Magnolia ‘Scented Gem’
Magnolia ‘Golden Gala’ just coming out but a few days from its best.
Magnolia ‘Golden Gala’
Magnolia ‘Golden Gala’
Magnolia ‘Golden Gala’
Magnolia ‘Golden Gala’
As was the champion tree of Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’
Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’
Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’
Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’

2019 – CHW
Some newish magnolias in Kennel Close.In a magnificent Michelia year Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’ (it is purple really) stands out.
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’
Michelia ‘Touch of Pink’
At last a young Magnolia nitida which is getting away with its red new growth showing already.
Magnolia nitida
Magnolia nitida
Magnolia nitida
Magnolia nitida
Magnolia ‘Angelica’ – second flowering.
Magnolia ‘Angelica’
Magnolia ‘Angelica’
Magnolia ‘Angelica’
Magnolia ‘Angelica’
Magnolia ‘Spring Rite’
Magnolia ‘Spring Rite’
Magnolia ‘Spring Rite’
Magnolia ‘Spring Rite’
Magnolia ‘Spring Rite’
Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’ – third year of flowering – planted 2014.
Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’
Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’
Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’
Magnolia ‘Paul Cook’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’ – a really good deep colour in a small rounded flower.
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’ – first flowering and not quite what I would expect from a x brooklynensis hybrid. ‘Titan’ is a brand new one to us so perhaps it is correct?
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’
Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’
Magnolia ‘Anya’ – buds recurved.
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Anya’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’ – smallish buds but very floriferous on a small plant.
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Sentinel’
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’ – this really is not at all bad with a whitish rim to the tepals.
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’
Magnolia ‘Amethyst Flame’

2018 – CHW
This camera got dropped recently and is performing badly as you will see.By far the worst frost damaged genus after hoheria is drimys. Here Drimys winteri largely defoliated and with what will soon be complete leaf drop. A severe prune back in a month or so to rescue it I fear.
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Camellia ‘Nuccios Jewel’ is just coming out. A good new thing to propagate.
Camellia ‘Nuccios Jewel’
Camellia ‘Nuccios Jewel’
A white Rhododendron calophytum seedling just showing. Not quite true to name really but good enough here.
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
More Rhododendron calophytum – a better pink form here with the leaves the right shape but still smallish flowers.
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
Rhododendron calophytum
An elderly (40 to 50 years) Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’.
Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’
Camellia reticulata ‘William Hertrich’
Camellia ‘Midnight Variegated’ – the variegation is on the outside of the outer petals and only evident on fallen flowers.
Camellia ‘Midnight Variegated’
Camellia ‘Midnight Variegated’
Camellia ‘Midnight Variegated’
Camellia ‘Midnight Variegated’
An elderly Rhododendron sutchuenense. Not as good as the young plant seen earlier in the week.
Rhododendron sutchuenense
Rhododendron sutchuenense
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’ with irregular red flecking in some but by no means all the flowers. Similar in habit to ‘Mrs D W Davis’. Perhaps the best new camellia to emerge since the cold and snow. Aptly named too!
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia ‘Extravaganza’
Camellia cuspidata finally full out.
Camellia cuspidata
Camellia cuspidata
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’ just starting to flower.
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’
Camellia ‘Miss Charleston’ rivals ‘Dr Burnside’ as the best double red Camellia japonica. The latter is more popular today with the public but undeservedly so. It flowers much later than the Dr too.
Camellia ‘Miss Charleston’
Camellia ‘Miss Charleston’
Camellia ‘Miss Charleston’
Camellia ‘Miss Charleston’
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Sir Charles Lemon’ just coming out. Except Sir Charles should be white flowered! The leaf indumentum is correct but not the flower. Definitely Rh. arboreum but I was ‘sold a pup’ many years ago by someone!
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Sir Charles Lemon’
Rhododendron arboreum ‘Sir Charles Lemon’
Osmanthus delavayi just out below Donkey Shoe. These plants were replacements for an elderly hedge which died off of old age here. They were too old to cut back to reshoot (20ft plus).
Osmanthus delavayi
Osmanthus delavayi

2017 – CHW A nice young clump of Camellia tsai below the Rookery in full flower. A bit late out for this but full shade here.

Camellia tsai
Camellia tsai
Camellia tsai
Camellia tsai
Magnolia ‘Burncoose White’ (or ‘Tennis Court’) – the near white form of mollicomata is flowering profusely in the Rookery. Now that the Bond Street plant has split in half this will be a good substitute. Planted only in 2009.
Magnolia ‘Burncoose White’ (or ‘Tennis Court’)
Magnolia ‘Burncoose White’ (or ‘Tennis Court’)
Magnolia ‘Burncoose White’ (or ‘Tennis Court’)
Magnolia ‘Burncoose White’ (or ‘Tennis Court’)
Beside it is a magnolia which on the plans is shown as ‘Pegasus’. Clearly it is not! Perhaps a ‘Charles Raffil’ or a ‘Princess Margaret’. I think the original plant died and was replaced but the label has vanished.
magnolia which on the plans is shown as ‘Pegasus’
magnolia which on the plans is shown as ‘Pegasus’
magnolia which on the plans is shown as ‘Pegasus’
magnolia which on the plans is shown as ‘Pegasus’
2010 planted Magnolia ‘Apollo’ just coming out. We now have three or four of these good New Zealand hybrids of a similar age. Another good magnolia we seem not to have planted with all the others in the early 1990s after the hurricane clearances.
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Magnolia ‘Apollo’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’ – the third of these x loebneri forms in the last three days. Less tepals here perhaps but certainly nice enough. All of them make an excellent impact. So we still have to find ’Donna’ and ‘Mags Pirouette’ for a full comparison of all of them.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’
A wild collected seed Magnolia cylindrica just coming out. The reddish stripe at the base of the flower is hardly yet visible. Our original ?1950s cylindrica is smaller growing and pure white.
Magnolia cylindrica
Magnolia cylindrica
Magnolia cylindrica
Magnolia cylindrica
One of the original white arboreums on Burns Bank. The second plant beyond this is about to die of old age at 60ft. Too dark now to catch this.
white arboreums
white arboreums
A young Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’ bought from France is flowering for the first time below Burns Bank. Different in colour and shape from the Tregullow plant in the Auklandii Garden. Stamens much smaller and less visible and more of a partial semi double.
Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’
Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’

2016 – CHW
Easter Sunday. To Burncoose for family Easter lunch with my brother and a very fit Mrs Piper. There has been a serious cock up with the export quotes and orders. Basically the office have not done any since early January and I find a file deliberately hidden away with over 40 to do. What plonkers we look to our potential customers. I am not feeling in a charitable mood as everyone pathetically blames each other / not my responsibility. Better not say any more here but they will all be done by the end of bank holiday Monday!Amid the heavy showers (some hail) I manage a quick trip to the Top Lodge to look at one or two new magnolias here. A couple have died and a few struggle.

Magnolia soulangeana ‘Dr Callies’ is flowering for the first time in the teeth of the wind. I guess it is a soulangeana variety but I can see very little to get excited about. From Eisenhut originally.
Magnolia soulangeana ‘Dr Callies’
Magnolia soulangeana ‘Dr Callies’

Along the top bank above the drive we planted, in 2008, alternate magnolias and birches with good bark. Some of the birches are shaping up nicely but the labels have mainly not survived the exposure and then the rain drives me back to the car.Rob and Tim have cut up the fallen pine and macrocarpa from the Wednesday northerly gale. A neat job and we now need to plant other trees or conifers in this exposed gap.

cut up fallen pine and macrocarpa
cut up fallen pine and macrocarpa
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’ looks good beside where I have parked the car.
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’
2015 – CHW
Annual Caerhays Gardening Weekend starts badly.  Harvey Stephens, who runs the Savill Gardens, has decided to compete with Caerhays in the magnolia classes at the Boconnoc Cornwall Garden Society show (Jim Gardiner judging).Caerhays thinks it owns the magnolia cups after 10 years and outside competition, especially from Windsor, unwelcome!  Harvey is Cornish (although Nadia his wife is not) and started working life at the Probus Demonstration Garden with Jaimie so perhaps he can just be forgiven.  Windsor hold another of the four Plant Heritage National Collections of Magnolia.  Anyway he brings gifts including a Mahonia,  so after we inspect this and Nadia’s Russian vodka we lose the competitive edge.
When I see Jaimie’s entries in the magnolia classes the competition is over anyway. It turned out  three magnolia cups returning to Caerhays and the Walter Magor rhododendron cup going to Burncoose for the first time since 2006. Well done Rob Toy!
MAGNOLIA Lanarth New Zeland Form
M. ‘Lanarth’ NZ Form
Selection of individual blooms
Selection of individual blooms
MAGNOLIA Darjeeling
MAGNOLIA ‘Darjeeling’
MAGNOLIA Shirazz
MAGNOLIA ‘Shirazz’
MAGNOLIA Caerhays Surprise
MAGNOLIA ‘Caerhays Surprise’
MAGNOLIA Caerhays Surprise
MAGNOLIA ‘Caerhays Surprise’
MAGNOLIA Ruth Philip Tregunna Lanarth
MAGNOLIA ‘Ruth’, ‘Philip Tregunna’ & ‘Lanarth’

1987 – FJW
Another very bad gale – more damage at Burncoose than here. Irroratum blown over. Magnolias show they were blasted by January cold.

1967 – FJW
Hale from above and oil menace growing.

1964 – FJW
Robusta in Donkey Shoe at its best – Irroratums have been good. ‘Mr Garden’ has been excellent but is now over. Poor magnolia year. St Ewe hedge just past best.

1934 – JCW
No real cold for a long time. 3 or 4 magnolias show some flowers. Mag denudata has the most bloom.

1923 – JCW
We are a long way ahead of 1917.

1912 – JCW
The Barbatums, Mrs Butler x, Thomsonii x, are at their best and so the Arboreum. Rho fargesii, the big quarry plant, is most beautiful. Anenome alpenina good, daffs at their best.

1908 – JCW
No Reticulata but stuff has moved well in the last week. ½ of (Narcissi) King A open.

1907 – JCW
Well ahead of 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1904. Citron is opening. Monarch open and nearly all King A.

1904 – JCW
Picked a Cam reticulata well out, only half King A open.

1901 – JCW
Jacko shows colour and Cardinal is picked, two flowers hardly open.

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