2024 – CHW
A planting day at Burncoose. The magnolias are a week behind those at Caerhays.
Magnolia ‘J.C. Williams’ very fine at the garden entrance.
Magnolia sprengeri var. diva ‘Burncoose’ a good colour this year.
Magnolia x sprengeri var. diva ‘Burncoose’ and the Record Tree Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta.
A spectacular show from the Record Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta.
Magnolia ‘Chyverton Red’ and Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’.
Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ and Magnolia campbelli ‘Charles Raffill’.
Magnolia ‘Brixton Belle’ has a dwarfish habit.
The view over the Tennis Court from the lower paddock.
Magnolia ‘Albatross’ at its best in the lower paddock.
Magnolia ‘Sweet Valentine’ – lower paddock.
Magnolia ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ – lower paddock.
Magnolia sprengeri var diva – lower paddock.
The remnants of the huge turkey oak felled last autumn as a threat to traffic on the main A39 road.
Magnolia ‘Genie’ flowering early in the nursery.
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Lv Xing’ which we used to call M. ‘Sunrise’.
Magnolia (Michelia) ‘Eternal Spring’ nicely out in a tunnel.
Skimmia japonica ‘Pygmy’. I have never seen it flowering better.
Viburnum tinus ‘Lisarose’ fully out.
2023 – CHW
Jaimie is considering putting forward his Rhododendron ‘Maisie’ for an award at the next RHS/ RMCG show at Rosemoor.
Jaimie is considering putting forward his Rhododendron ‘Maisie’ for an award at the next RHS/ RMCG show at Rosemoor.
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ now full out.
Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ and Camellia japonica on the Main Ride.
Corylopsis spicata and Camellia x williamsii ‘Brigadoon’.
Magnolia ‘Philip Tregunna’ now full out.
Magnolia campbelli from afar.
Camellia x williamsii ‘Caerhays’ in the shade.
The newly planted Magnolia ‘Snowblood’ now fully out in Kennel Close. Not bad for its first year!
Magnolia ‘Copeland Count’ has considerable die back from the 2018 Beast from the East but has recovered well and has several buds. The tree was cut back from 20 feet in height to only 6.
Camellia japonica ‘Adolphe Audusson’ looking very good below Tin Garden.
The top of Magnolia ‘Bishop Peter’ with a decent background today.
First flowers showing high up on the Donkey Shoe Michelia doltsopa.
2022 – CHW
Cold NE wind continues to do the garden no favours. Bloody freezing in fact but at least the ground is drying up. Rain now forecast for the rest of the week and the gardening weekend.
A morning tour with all the staff members of Edward Buckland Chartered Surveyors, who were going on to attend their much delayed Christmas party!
Magnolia ‘Red Lion’ on Bond Street in the wind. We saw it yesterday from above the on the drive.
We have planted lots of different Ron Scamp Cornish bred daffodil varieties along under White Stiles field on the visitor route to Old Park. Here are a couple of attractive doubles – ‘Tamar Fire’ and ‘Gossmoor’. Poor pictures in the wind I am afraid.
This is a young Magnolia ‘Chyverton Red’ opposite the daffodils. Blown open of course and not exactly ‘red’ at all in the first flowering but then this variety, which grows as a mature tree on the drive (and flowers later in the season), is not that ‘red’ close up either. The tree at Burncoose by the rockery is a stronger colour but not really ‘red’ like some of the New Zealand hybrids like ‘Ian’s Red’ or ‘Red as Red’. Nigel Holman bred this and Treseders Nursery offered this first for sale in 1965 so it predates New Zealand breeding.
This is incorrectly labelled ‘Jersey Belle’ (further along the path under White Stiles) as we knew last year and is clearly a young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ (‘Jersey Belle’ is a totally different cross between M. wilsonii and M. sinensis and we have a decent plant or two elsewhere).
This is a new one to us flowering for the first time in the middle of Old Park. Michelia doltsopa ‘Rusty’ which has no picture with it in the listing in the Eisenhut book:
This evergreen up to 5m tall variety is one of the hardiest forms of Magnolia doltsopa with strongly scented white flowers in early spring. Plant in sheltered sunny position. [Translation from “Magnolien und Tulpenbäume” by Heerdegen/Eisenhut]
Our plant came from Eisenhut in 2013/4 and was badly scarred and leafless with dieback in March 2018. Surprisingly it has recovered and has grown on 3 or 4ft in height. Although a little frosted today I am unsure what the name refers to exactly. The buds are orange but not much more so than on Michelia manipurensis which is what at least two of our oldest M. doltsopa are believed actually to be (see my article on Michelias on website) by other experts. The flowers are however more creamy than the more usual (here) yellowy then more white and they have an odd almost double flowered appearance as they fade away which is unusual and I have not seen before. I will enjoy showing this to Maurice Foster on Saturday if it lasts that long as he is one of the great experts!
This evergreen up to 5m tall variety is one of the hardiest forms of Magnolia doltsopa with strongly scented white flowers in early spring. Plant in sheltered sunny position. [Translation from “Magnolien und Tulpenbäume” by Heerdegen/Eisenhut]
Our plant came from Eisenhut in 2013/4 and was badly scarred and leafless with dieback in March 2018. Surprisingly it has recovered and has grown on 3 or 4ft in height. Although a little frosted today I am unsure what the name refers to exactly. The buds are orange but not much more so than on Michelia manipurensis which is what at least two of our oldest M. doltsopa are believed actually to be (see my article on Michelias on website) by other experts. The flowers are however more creamy than the more usual (here) yellowy then more white and they have an odd almost double flowered appearance as they fade away which is unusual and I have not seen before. I will enjoy showing this to Maurice Foster on Saturday if it lasts that long as he is one of the great experts!
A Magnolia campbellii var. alba seedling glistens in the windy gloom in Old Park.
Rhododendron arboreum subsp. cinnamomeum ‘Tony Schilling’ is nicely out at the far end of Bond Street. Only one of the three plants is flowering. One to remember for layering and seed collection. This got an FCC in 1974.
2021 – CHW
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’ just coming out on the drive. Reminds me of ‘Waterlily’. Most of the other varieties below the top lodge are nearly over now or frosted a bit.
Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’ just coming out on the drive. Reminds me of ‘Waterlily’. Most of the other varieties below the top lodge are nearly over now or frosted a bit.
The new laundry building motors ahead.
These blue barrels will be used as supplementary pheasant feeders for all the birds which survived the last, much-shortened, shooting season.
Prunus nipponica var. kurilensis ‘Brilliant’ on Hovel Cart Road in flower. A variety which I never knew we had. Too shady here really for it but not a bad show. Pink buds opening white.
We have layered the oldest clump of Rhododendron ‘Assaye’ over the years. As the huge branches have died or fallen over, we have simply left the layers in the same place without moving them at all to take over as there was always enough light for them to prosper. Here you see the old trunks and two sets of layers of different ages taking over. That is how you maintain an original Caerhays cross!
The first of the darker coloured magnolias above the wall remains unfrosted.
Much more frost damage to the magnolias than yesterday after a second night’s frost of -4.8°C (at the Hovel). It has crept further up into the garden but still has not touched much above the wall.
Through the arch looks dreadful!
However, the original Magnolia campbellii remains untouched.
The second original M. campbellii above the sales point, which I had not looked at yet this year, is fine too.
Buds just breaking on Magnolia sprengeri diva ‘Burncoose’.
The ancient clump of pink Rhododendron arboreum by the greenhouse are partly out.
Acacia melanoxylon is now just out above the wall. One tree is and one is yet to come out.
Rhododendron scabrifolium var. scabrifolium still just alive above the top wall under the Acacia melanoxylon.
Fuchsia excorticata just showing.
The magnolia through the front arch has also taken a frost battering although it escaped the night before.
And Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ on the lawn is now drooping brown paper bags! Such is life!
2020 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ through the arch.
The pure white form of Camellia reticulata.
A nice young plant of Camellia reticulata ‘Captain Rawes’. A different colour to the Tregullow bred one in the Auklandii Garden.
Magnolia ‘Burgundy Star’ in bud.
The view down over the Auklandii Garden today. On the right is Magnolia ‘Kew’s Surprise’. The ones in the centre and on the left are Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba Group’; seedlings. The one on the left is the best with larger flowers. These two were seedlings which never got planted out from an old nursery bed.
This original Magnolia ‘Lanarth’ was hit by a tree last autumn when we were felling elderly beech trees. Surprisingly two flowers survived. It will probably reshoot vigorously and give us lots of scions for grafting.
First bud prematurely showing colour on Magnolia ‘Genie’.
A Camellia reticulata ‘Red Crystal’ with a flower although it is only a one year cutting. Note the beetle hiding in the anthers and, presumably, eating the pollen.
2019 – CHW
The first big leaf rhododendron seedling is full out. More Rhododendron macabeanum than Rhododendron sinogrande in this one probably.
The first big leaf rhododendron seedling is full out. More Rhododendron macabeanum than Rhododendron sinogrande in this one probably.
First flowers (and very early) on Azalea ‘Black Hawk’.
The view from Rookery across to the Drimys winteri and the Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ seedling with a Rhododendron sutchuanense on the left.
A good clump of Leujocum vernum in the Rookery.
Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’ on the lawn from the Rookery.
Last viewing of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ before the storms. These photographs were taken at 4.30pm.
2018 – CHW
A filthy day with persistent rain. Jaimie and Michael are off to the Rosemoor Show with a few, mainly evergreen, exhibits and a vase or two of magnolias cut before the cold and hidden in the cellar with the buds wrapped in loo paper. That will surprise everyone!Here are the pictures of the exhibits {from J & M).
A filthy day with persistent rain. Jaimie and Michael are off to the Rosemoor Show with a few, mainly evergreen, exhibits and a vase or two of magnolias cut before the cold and hidden in the cellar with the buds wrapped in loo paper. That will surprise everyone!Here are the pictures of the exhibits {from J & M).
While cutting for the show Jaimie spotted Mahonia aquifolium just coming out.
The Cornwall Red Squirrel Project fundraising dinner at Newquay in the evening. We raised £18k from 100 attendees addressed by Lord Gardiner, a Defra Minister with strong support for culling grey squirrels to facilitate a reintroduction in Cornwall . We have red squirrels on the ground at Trelowarren in enclosures ready to, hopefully, begin a release in the next 12 – 18 months. 2616 greys have been culled on the Lizard by 3 trappers in the last 4 years. I replied in a ‘robust’ manner to the Minister’s speech and was in danger of political incorrectness on the subject of pine martins. A subject which I discussed with the late Duke of Westminster some 2 years ago and then we had the armed response to us all getting stuck in the lift!
2017 – CHW
A rather sad trip to Less & Co (wholesale) nursery in Lymington who are closing down with planning permission to build on the site. Ten acres of polytunnels but half the covers have blown away and the remaining stock in them is poorish. Plenty of excellent acers though and we acquire 350 at £15-25 each less a big discount. Burncoose have dealt with Lees & Co for the past 35 years. We will miss them!
The nursery all looks rather sad and untended. Just a few staff left.
A nice Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ with catkins which I do not remember ever photographing before.
Trellis trained Ribes speciosum which was unusual but effective. I did not buy any!
A newly potted batch of Cycas revoluta were looking good and I bought 15 for £15 each.
Also a huge batch of Fascicularia bicolor with no colour showing yet but good plants. I bought 50 at £4 each as our stockplant in the old Burncoose conservatory was demolished in the recent building works.
These are our 14 specimen acers for our stand at Chelsea. We normally sell them off at the end of the show and hence the need to replace them again each year. These cost £65 to £175 each plus VAT and no discount here!
Here are some of the acers which we bought for stock or, rather, to save having to import as many of them from New Zealand again this summer.
2016 – CHW
Very wet night moves on to a howling northerly gale all day. The magnolias for the Rosemoor show are blown to buggery and trees down at Herreswater, Gerrans etc. Tractor and Ross plus Jamie and Michael flat out coping with reopening the roads/lanes. Tiresome.
The old Pieris ‘Charles Michael’ below Donkey Shoe has gone over and, worse still, a huge beech has smashed into all our young lined out rhododendron seedlings planted last summer in Higher Quarry Nursery. One hell of a mess as you can see! Big losses of rare plants some of which we planned to plant out next week.
Quite rightly Jaimie shut the garden to the public (pm) which pissed off one family who had ‘travelled for an hour’ to get to us. Around the castle it was not too bad and on the Main Ride you would hardly know that the wind was blowing. However above the Hovel the trees were swaying and snapping alarmingly. Force seven at least facing north.I had a party of Ed Clarke’s Prudential investors to take around at 3pm and had to take evasive action taking them down above Burns Bank to avoid the danger areas. They were impressed but had little plant knowledge.
On the way to cheer (me anyway) up I managed a nice picture of:Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ (one of two just coming out) – what a colour – one in Auklandii Garden, one below Slip Rail (first flowering here two years after planting).
Magnolia ‘Shirraz’ on Burns Bank is now full out having started a month ago. A few new leaves have emerged beside the flowers already but are now wind scorched. A colour not dissimilar to ‘Black Tulip’ really. Both are six weeks earlier than normal / ever before. I always thought ‘Shirraz’ was a ‘muddy’ reddish-purple at Burncoose in the garden but this is nice. Some years at Burncoose the petals have had a slight white rim at the tip of the tepal but not here today. I now think this is an underrated magnolia.
The wind abates at dusk and the front door is no longer rattled by ‘flying’ magnolia leaves. Much greenery stripped from michelias and evergreen oaks by Georges Hut and the michelia flowers smashed up.
2015 – CHW
Leucojum vernum – Spring Snowflake – this attractive and more unusual snowdrop which enjoys shade was once prolific on the lawn but was mown and strimmed to extinction. Delighted therefore to find a large clump thriving but hidden away in the Rookery.
1991 – FJW
Picked first Magnolia (Diva x Tin Garden)
1958 – FJW
Very bad snow and frost. Bloom slashed off plants. Damage expected to be very bad. Aggravating as Magnolias were to have bloomed well.
1933 – JCW
I saw the first Kobus bloom showing colour today, the only one.1931 – JCW
One of the worst frosts for some while, it cut all the bloom and there was a fine lot of it.1929 – JCW
The following species Rhodo’ in flower – barbatum, moupinense, scabrifolium, sulfureum, dahuricum x semperivens, dahuricum, lutescens, keiskii, a form of wardii, floccigerum forms and neriiflorum.1922 – JCW
A hardish frost. Some Sutchuenense seedlings are nice. Prunus conradinae very good, scarlet hybrids very good. Yellow daffs well on and some good reds.1920 – JCW
Been away nearly three weeks at 21 Belmont St. The daffodils are far on, some poets opening, yellow trumpets and early reds are far advanced, several camellias open, Rho racemosum on the wane and so is fargesii, primulinum, oreodoxa, sutchuenense. Calophytum is well out and the heaths with the Berberis hedges are very fine, there are say 50 Rhodo species open and showing flower, a very early year.1917 – JCW
The white Camellia at the Engine House, no other open, moupinense has been lovely but cut out by the frost. No daffs but cyclamineus. Thomsonii x Arboreum have started.1914 – JCW
The first reticulata open at the back of the Library, 272 and some of the best trumpets opening. P Mary out quite, most of 32 are crossed. P pissardi are very good.1911 – JCW
The first C reticulata open, on a standard plant.1905 – JCW
Southern Star and Artemis open.1900 – JCW
Some Golden Spur and Italian Trumpet. All the standard things commonly open now are very far off.
Good evening,
I think there is a mistake in the name of Rhododendron arboerum presented on the 9th of March. It should be Rhodendron arboreum Tony Schilling, instead of Tony Shilling.
Best Regards
Thank you. I have corrected the spelling.