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!


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!
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.



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!
2020 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ through the arch.
The first big leaf rhododendron seedling is full out. More Rhododendron macabeanum than Rhododendron sinogrande in this one probably.
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).






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.



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.
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).
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.