2026 – CHW (images to follow)
2025 – CHW
A top of the greenhouses to see what is new. Not that much as it turns out.
The yellow iris from several Chelsea’s ago – I have forgotten its name unfortunately.
Philadelphus melanocalyx from Tom Hudson with its first flowers. A hint of pink on the back of the flowers and on the flower stems.
Zelkova serrata ‘Variegata’ growing on nicely and now ready for planting out.
Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’ with its thin feathery leaves. A relatively new genus to us although we did plant R. alaternus ‘Argenteovariegata’ which died. I see that its name has now been changed to Frangula alnus ‘Aspleniifolia’ (Alder Buckthorn).
Philadelphus ‘Pearls of Perfume’ – the first flowering here of this superb new hybrid which Burncoose now sells.
Entelea arborescens with its first flower which rather reminds me of Sparrmannia.
Comptonia peregrinans now with horse chestnut- like fruits. A new genus to me but we saw the flowers and emerging leaves earlier this year.
The small growing Deutzia calycosa – a gift from Martin Rix. Not as good as D. calycarpa ‘Dali’ which Roy Lancaster selected and named which grows in Tin Garden.
Akebia longeracemosa with male and female flowers.
Magnolia ‘Yellow Sea’ – another yellow not really worth growing and so very similar to many others. One for the collection is suppose.
2024 – CHW
This is Karol’s picture of a burnt out tractor at Herreswater which we guess belonged to Dan Eames. (It did).
This is Karol’s picture of a burnt out tractor at Herreswater which we guess belonged to Dan Eames. (It did).
The Rhododendron stamineum seen from above the Rockery.
Cones just forming on Picea omorika.
Schizophragma hydrangeoides on the top wall is in its prime although wedged between two Magnolia grandiflora.
We saw Camellia japonica ‘Spring Fling’ flowers floating in a dish of water at Chelsea last week. Here they are on the bush which is covered in flower still.
In the Isla Rose the first decent flowers on a Cornus kousa var. chinensis.
Another look at the spectacular Buddleja speciosissima.
A young Styrax japonicus ‘Snowcone’.
The huge and ancient white wisteria which grows up a yew tree by the Hothead.
Yet another form of Deutzia longifolia by the Hothead. More the norm and without the vibrant centres to the flower of the Tregrehan form in Tin Garden.
The large clump of Pieris above the wall looked dead after the summer’s drought. I am glad now that we did not cut it down as it is now reshooting vigorously especially lower down.
Several dead new Buddleia species and varieties even after such a mild winter.
To my amazement Calliandra surinamensis has survived and is now putting on new growth.
Jasminum specio. ‘Lord Howick’, a gift from Lord H in 2018, is extremely vigorous. Just now coming into flower.
Another weekend coming and another teepee in Beach Meadow.
The Cordyline australis stumps have now gone.
A birdbath full of water (and growing grass) almost into June. No chance at all of this in the last 2 years.
2023 – CHW
To the greenhouses to look at the new acquisitions to plant out in the autumn and new things which Asia has propagated. Lots of treats in store and everything looking in very good order.
Maurice Foster’s gift of Hydrangea ‘Princess Diana’ hardly out yet. Odd leaves.
Malus trilobata with a tremendous flower and a very distinct leaf. Excellent species which I have never seen before and pride of place in the Kitchen Garden shortly.
Viburnum orientale in flower.
Prinsepia sinensis with a rather distinct leaf formation. We have one other species of Prinsepia.
Viburnum cassinoides is another good addition to the growing Viburnum collection – must be 40+ species now.
Maytenus magellanica is the second species of Maytenus here. Larger leaves!
Celtis tetrandra heralds the start of the new Celtis collection which I am concentrating on increasing. 3 new species to date. Interesting bark already.
Schisandra rubrifolia now visible on the top wall after a clear out of ivy and brambles a well as fuchsia pruning. I had not realised it had survived.
Schisandra rubriflora x S. grandiflora now similarly exposed. Cuttings for Asia here in due course.
Asia has successfully grown Tom Hudson’s (2785) Rhododendron yuefengense from seed and here a flower.
Raf Lennart’s gift of Magnolia figo var crassipes x (M. foveolata x M. laevifolia) with its first flower. Orange velvet on the new growth.
Magnolia opipara (also a gift from Raf this year) Formerly Michelia opipara from Yunnan. I have never even heard of this species.
Colutea arborescens from seed from Ventnor Botanics.
Boronia heterophylla not quite fully out yet. A useful stockplant to supply Burncoose.
Asia’s successful propagation of Camellia kissii from cuttings (ex Tregrehan).
Also Camellia parvilimba from RMC Group seed which arrived in Feb 2019.
Salix hylematica with its first red seed head or is it a flower? No trace of this species in Hilliers or IDS online. A tiny weeping species by the look of it. Let’s propagate.
2022 – CHW
Jaimie photographs a number of house martins taking mud for their nests from Porthluney carpark. Quite a long way to carry it back to under the castle battlements.
Magnolia globosa just into flower with one flower open. They go over speedily but over a few weeks.
One plant of Rhododendron excellens still in tight bud while its neighbour is nearly over.
Each week still brings another new magnolia flowering for the first time. This is the rather unremarkable Magnolia acuminata ‘Sleeping Beauty’. An erect tree and already 20ft tall before it performed – if you can call it that? The name sums it up.
Still decent flowers on Rhododendron ‘Moonstone’ a long while after I first photographed this clump.
Tom Hudson’s Meliosma species – unknown from N. Vietnam (TH 5092) with its unusual new growth. The old (evergreen) leaves have dropped but it looks healthy.
Magnolia wilsonii (ex DJHC 98369) now full out. We saw this last week.
Cercis canadensis ‘Flame’ has been out for several weeks but only on one branch unlike last year’s efforts which were rather better.
2021 – CHW
A warm and dry bank holiday weekend. An annoying brief power cut has upset the incubators, computers and camera systems.Only a very few plants of the Crinodendron hookerianum hedge as it once was remain. Even the replacements largely failed as the site is too cold and overshadowed today.
A warm and dry bank holiday weekend. An annoying brief power cut has upset the incubators, computers and camera systems.Only a very few plants of the Crinodendron hookerianum hedge as it once was remain. Even the replacements largely failed as the site is too cold and overshadowed today.
Tristaniopsis laurina into new growth one year on from planting. The one put out at Burncoose was squashed by a tree and the nursery plants shed a lot of leaf in the cold in tunnels this spring.
Further confirmation that the flowers of Halesia macgregorii are quite small and less standout than other species.
Interesting new growth on Nyssa leptophylla.
The double flowered and ancient Azalea ‘Narcissiflorum’ just out.
Syringa josikaea just showing too.
Mixed colours of aquilegia outside the old village school.
Azalea ‘Whitethroat’ full out on the drive.
Rhododendron (Azalea) kiusianum has very few flowers this year.
Jaimie has discovered that a (French) partridge has laid a clutch of 13 eggs near the greenhouses. The same pair roosted together in the shelter of the side door earlier in the spring cold and gales, I suspect, much to the dogs’ annoyance. Odd for them to be nesting in a woodland context but, not altogether stupid, if they are to have any chance of raising a successful brood. A one in a hundred chance sadly.
