2nd May

Next Day > < Previous Day

CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2023 – CHW

The newly planted Euonymus monbeigii with surprising and vigorous new growth and emerging flowers below it in Kennel Close.

Betula utilis ‘Forest Blush’ with large numbers of enormous catkins for the first time with us.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Bicolour Sartini’ very fine as the new growth emerges. The tree is making headway.

The first of the newly planted Crataegus species to flower. Crataegus induta. Nothing very different!

Magnolia ‘Ula’ is a new German bred, Ian Baldick cross, flowering here for the first time and, as yet, not that startling as you would expect in a first effort 2 years after planting. It is clearly a very late season flowerer and is far better in maturity as the pictures on the Lunaplant website show. Burncoose now stock this and we have no website pictures as yet so those will have to do for now.

Crataegus miuvacis has been in the ground for 6 years and now performing well but I do not remember and decent fruits as yet?

2022 – CHW

Juglans ailanthifolia with a crop of male catkins well behind the new growth which I have not seen before. We did see tiny reddish female flowers one year as I think I remember?

Magnolia ‘Daphne’ now full out but with the leaves much in evidence despite the lack of rain. This plant is in full sun and the leaf much further on than another two in partial shade.

Sorbus hedlundii (KR 1810A – best clone) just coming into leaf.

Still spectacular leaf colours on Tilia endochrysa.

Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Stellar Acclaim’ in bud, partly and fully out to show the extreme colour changes. Quite good in bud but rather plain (and hardly yellow) when fully open. A lengthy flowering season though.

A very pale form of Rhododendron augustinii by Tin Garden and quite different to the one we looked at a couple of days ago on the drive.

Hairy leaves just emerging on what I believe is the Chinese form of Magnolia globosa.

Rhododendron ‘Hotei’ just out in a big clump by Georges Hut.

Rhododendron ‘Pink Pebble’ flowering better than for years after overhanging branches were removed. A Rh. williamsianum hybrid but not one of ours.

2021 – CHW
Rhododendron ‘Mrs Lionel de Rothschild’. Needs layering or propagating as we used to have a huge clump, and this is all that is left – one plant.

Down at Burncoose the diseased turkey oak by the tree fern has been tidily felled.

Honey fungus strikes one of these two Rhododendron bureavii. May is when you usually first see the problem of drooping leaves as here.

Staphylea holocarpa – the pure white form at Burncoose. Ours here are all pink or pinkish (Staphylea ‘Innocence’).

Tree surgery complete at The Copper House here around where the proposed new entrance will go in.

The wisteria on the top wall at Caerhays is suddenly out.

A young Rhododendron wallichii covered in flower.

Only one flower this year on Rhododendron smirnowii. Interesting new shoots.

My grandfather’s Rhododendron ‘May Day’ covered in flower.

2020 – CHW
A trip to the greenhouses to look for new plants which I had not (in the main) seen before.

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ just coming out on a wall. The whole plant was cut back hard to four main stems but has reshot well. This is however its first decent flowering since the cutback.

The stock plant of Berberidopsis beckleri is now in a shady corner on the top wall in shelter. It is not a climber as such but we can train it up the wall in time I hope.

Hydrangea anomala spp. quelpartensis is a dwarfish semi-climbing or creeping hydrangea which the nursery once stocked and could now easily do again.

Quercus palustris ‘Flaming Suzy’ presumably performs in the autumn or have I missed a spring show?

Corylopsis spicata ‘Golden Spring’ living up to its name.

Staphylea colchica ‘Black Jack’ was a gift from a Swiss nursery friend. A new one for the Staphylea collection and well worth propagating by the look of it.

Quercus yunnanensis with a new set of leaves.

Illicium merrillianum with good new growth.

Extraordinary male and female flowers on show on Akebia longeracemosa.

Vaccinum ovatum full out beside the greenhouses.

Ilex spinigera with berries forming on a young cutting recently potted up.

New growth on Abies forrestii var. georgii. The new Hillier’s says this name should be var. smithii. Very slow growing and squat in habit so far.

Abies forrestii var. georgii. (var. smithii)

Trachycarpus princeps with light bluish new foliage. Looks too tender perhaps for us.

Hydrangea sargentiana ‘Gold Rush’ is a standout plant in May! They will need dappled shade when planted out next spring for this effect to last well.

Deutzia subulata flowering nicely. Another newish deutzia (1981) introduction from China to propagate on for the catalogue soon.

Aesculus x mississipiensis with three flowers (properly Aesculus x bushii in the new Hillier’s).

Asia has propagated a fine batch of Ilex cornuta which can go into the next year’s nursery catalogue.

Magnolia fraseri var. pyramidalis with its first two flowers here. The old plants of M. fraseri which died out 15 to 20 years ago only flowered (yellowish) much later in the summer. Very odd mix of green, yellow and white in the two buds. Exciting to see them fully open in a few days.

The Daphnephyllum macropodum on the drive which I thought was nearly dead has put on some new growth and flowers!

Rhododendron ‘Assaye’ full out all over at 30-40ft tall in a clump.

2019 – CHW
To Exbury for a Garden Society tour and lunch in Exbury’s centenary year.

On the tables were superb displays:

‘Douggie Bettridge’ (fortunei x ‘Jalisco’)

‘Charlotte de Rothschild’ (fortunei subsp. discolor x ‘St Keverne’)

‘Naomi Paris’ (‘Aurora’ x fortunei 1926)

‘Hawk Crest’ (wardii x ‘Lady Bessborough’ 1940)

‘Gibraltar Bastion’ (‘Bibbani’ x elliottii 1939)

‘Ayesha’ (discolor x arboreum 1926)

‘Ilam Cream’ (loderi x ?)

‘Jessica Rothschild’ (decorum x hotei)

On the garden tour some notable (non rhododendron) plants in this amazing rhododendron garden:
Platanus orientalis – the original trunk and suckers which have now fallen sideways on this extremely elderly tree.

Cornus hongkongensis with bronzy new growth and flowers forming. A bit more colour in the new growth than in our tree of this species?

Laurelia serrata in flower which I had not seen before.

The very rare and record tree – Fokienia hodginsii which I had admired at Exbury twice before.

Sorbus harrowiana – in flower. Another new one to me although we have planted this.

All our old plants of Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’ have died out but here was a superb clump.

The new Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ which (unusually for a Davidia) flowers at a very young age. This plant was 6-8ft tall with 20 to 25 handkerchiefs.

At one end of the front of the house an elderly Diospyros kaki in flower but with old fruits from last season still in place. The tree has fallen and layered itself over many decades. Only Roy Lancaster could positively identify it.

Halesia monticola in full flower. Better flowers I think than Halesia carolina.

The presentation to Lionel de Rothschild.

2018 – CHW
A trip with Jaimie and Michael as planned to inspect what we have to cut down to reshoot after the cold spell. Not nearly as bad as I had feared. Some hoherias will need severe pruning, some not. We lightly pruned Carpinus kawakamii and Quercus insignis on the trip. The smaller michelia have dead buds but now new growth is thankfully starting. Lindera megaphylla, although leafless, is shooting all over the crown. Rhododendron stenaulum will be lightly pruned to start with but has more new shoots than we expected. It will get the Mount Congreve treatment to the stems. The drimys look much better than I feared and need a tidy up rather than hatstanding. The original Stewartia pteropeliolata has very few leaves left but is reshooting strongly. Even the ancient Camellia reticulatas which are leafless have new growth shoots breaking. Dung and fertiliser for them soon.

On the trip we, of course, get wildly distracted by nice new things.

Magnolia ‘Honeybelle’ is new to us and not bad for yet another yellow.

Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’ excellent as usual.

Magnolia ‘Lois’ as good as ever!

A fine young Rhododendron decorum full out.

Rhododendron ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ which we must layer and try aerial.

Our old Litsea japonica tree died and fell over in the recent gales. At the base it has several root suckers. Strangely the new growth on some of the suckers is bronze and, on others, light green as you can see. It is different from Neolitsea sericea (formerly Litsea glauca) although I remember the old tree being called Litsea glauca? Neolitsea sericea has very different new growth.

Ribes longiracemosa with its first extended flowers in the Isla Rose Plantation.

Magnolia ‘Green Bee’ is another good one. Nearly as good as ‘Lois’ and ‘Daphne’

2017 – CHW
The first cut of Kennel Close is now complete and it all looks very smart here. Two more cuts will probably be needed.

A big campaign to cut all the ivy out of the deciduous azaleas on the drive is well underway and well overdue! Some will be cut back to reshoot during the ivy removal. A few hydrangea clumps will have to go as well and one of them had to be spared for a bit as it contained a nest of fledgling long tailed tits.

At last some flower on the semi evergreen Polylepsis australis but it is not that impressive! Tiny greenish flowers with reddish anthers. The bark on the trunk is lovely though on its own and as good as Rhododendron cubittii or Rosa roxburgii.

A good show on Azalea ‘Hotspur Red’ with its orange flash beside the polylepsis.

A fine clump of Rhododendron canescens hidden away in the back of the drive. I did wonder if these were Rhododendron viscosum but think not because of the extreme length of the anthers and stamens in relation to the flower. A very delicate pink in the shade.

Magnolia ‘Sunsation’ in a more shady area than the one above the greenhouse. This won the cup for the best magnolia spray at Rosemoor 10 days ago. More yellow and brownish in colouring without the pinkish flash you get in full sun.

2016 – CHW
A tour with our Canadian cousins (originally from Muskoka) occupies half the day which is damp and overcast but the garden is not! Magnolia x veitchii ‘Peter Veitch’ still has a few flowers out low down on this enormous tree.

A fine new clump of Azalea ‘Melina’ has semi double flowers and is quite a show – well worth propagating.

You cannot miss the scent of Rhododendron edgworthii x leucaspis on the main ride. One passes this a hundred times during the year without a glance but just now you have to stop!

A new plant of Rhododendron decorum (white form) flowers for the first time below Tin Garden.

Over the weekend I have finished the article for publication on ‘Michelia Puzzles’ about the naming and identification of our 90 year old michelias. Just the photographs to sort now. Here is the much newer Michelia ‘Mixed up Mess’ in flower properly. The petals turn in on themselves rather than opening flat. As michelias go not that exiting and quite a small flower.

An ancient white form of Rhododendron racemosum. Normally this is pink.

Rhododendron ‘Countess of Haddington’ is rushing into flower and will be well over by Chelsea. Another candidate is out far too early.

The gorgeous scented Rhododendron ‘Ann Teese’ which we saw for the first time last year is again rather special. Staggeringly good.

Rhododendron pseudochrysanthemum is finally full out. The leaf undersides are more spectacular than the flower itself. It is normally a shy flowerer but not too bad today.

Then a complete surprise. A Magnolia campbellii ‘Peter Borlaise’ full out above Hovel Cart Road. A plant never seen in flower before but how can a Magnolia campbellii form really be out so late in the year? Close up, however, the buds and flowers do have a campbellii shape so this may be a rather special plant which merits more investigation and propagation. Peter Borlaise was the former head gardener at Lanhydrock.

Nearby a young Magnolia ‘Peachy’ has its first flowers. The big tree below Tin Garden is full out today. ‘Tropicana’ is a much more pleasing colour mix I think.

We have never really established the parentage of this startling big leafed rhododendron. The colour very quickly fades to creamy yellow which is hard to believe looking at it today. It may be Rhododendron hodgsonii but it is not quite pure. We showed it at Rosemoor last year but I cannot remember the expert’s conclusions.

As it rains we rush back home seeing:More overpowering clumps of Rhododendron edgworthii x leucaspis (Caerhays bred but not named)

A very pale form of Rhododendron augustinii looking delicate in the rain

The dwarf Rhododendron valentianum just coming out

2015 – CHW
A filthy day with strong wind. The plants are enjoying it.

A view over magnolias and rhododendrons at Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, UK

2001 – FJW
The rain that had begun in mid September and kept going until May 1st. Record rain in many places.

1926 – JCW
Auklandii pure is going back fast and zuelanicum x not come out yet, the soulei x campylocarpum very very pretty. The Davidia not quite open.

1911 – JCW
Recurvas not open as much as in 1909. Daff crossing over. Montana ⅓ open and so Auklandii’s.

1909 – JCW
No recurvas yet, a little of Campylocarpum. Auklandii not quite, ⅓ cushion Iris, frost at night, nearly finished crossing.

1906 – JCW
All recurvas open and late recurvas seedling. Rhodo yunnanense, campylocarpum, thomsonii, falconeri, auklandii, royali, augustinii, dalhousii (nearly) etc, etc. Crimson Hookeri shows colour. Roses opening in beds. Cushion Iris nearly all out, and crossing mostly over.

1901 – JCW
Picked some recurvas, sent two fine Poet flowers to Appleshaw.

2 thoughts on “2nd May”

luc de jonge says:

10th May 2023 at 2:11 pm

on the 2nd may blog you mentioned “ULA new german bred hybrid”
ULA is an Ian Baldick cross

Georg Ruf says:

25th April 2023 at 3:14 pm

’19 Exbury Laurelia serrata is now put in its own genus Laureliopsis philippiana, it looks like a drooping Laurelia sempervirens. Fokiena (Chamaecyparis) hodginsii is indeed rare and needs like its look-alike Calocedrus macrolepis steadily damp soil and shelter from dry wind.
This indeed looks like Diospyros kaki which becomes a tall tree here (Rhine); the cv. Vainiglia (Vanilla), with smaller fruits, is slow growing and can be kept below 4 meters. Needs a long autunm to grow its fruits properly. Ripening of fruits possible inhouse.
’18 Litsea japonica looks clearly different in leaf from Neolitse sericea; this sp. has three paralell veins from the base and tomentose new leaves.
’16 Your Rh. augustinii is quite late in flower; I saw it flowering beginning of April in the Merian-Gardens at Basel, St. Jakob, in different colour-types and hybrids ( Rhodos in special soil there). The view over your flowering tree-garden is always magnificent. Greetings

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

2 thoughts on “2nd May”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply