First flowers on Magnolia wilsonii.

I have just watched John Marston’s video of Magnolia ernestii ‘Red Bud’ and rushed off to see if our plant also has red bud coverings to its future flowers. It did but not (today) have buds as large or red as those at Gorwell Garden but they are certainly reddish. I have sent our pictures to John.

Good flower on a young Rhododendron polyandrum below Donkey Shoe.

A hidden away and easily forgotten Rhododendron ‘Fragrantissimum’ near the Quercus acuta.

A good flowering year for Rhododendron concinnum.

Flowers just coming on Rhododendron ‘Polyroy’.

Flowers on Acer laevigatum (FMWJ 13439) which I have not seen before.

2024 – CHW
I see what I fear is a rather sick shelduck by the pond. Never seen one here before.

Last few flowers on Magnolia ernestii.

John Marston sent me a picture of his M. ernestii which he is planning to register as ‘Redbud’.

Aucuba aff. chlorascens (BSWJ 11815) nicely in flower.

I find we do have two young plants of Rhododendron hunnewellianum with its distinctive new growth. Our plant by LQN died years ago and the one at Burncoose looks sick.

I then find an unknown plant of Rhododendron aberconwayi by George’s Hut.

Magnolia x foggii ‘Jack Fogg’ just coming out but no great scent as yet.

2023 – CHW

A newly planted Acer kawakamii. The old tree in the Aucklandii Garden died last year, and the stump came out when the digger was last here. The one beside the drive died several years ago. A ste

Cotoneaster silverstrii flowering well below White Styles. One of the first to show flowers in our newish collection of c.30 species.

Rhododendron wadanum ‘Album’ – sub species of Rhododendron reticulatum perhaps? Surely a Rh. reticulatum subspecies would have some evergreen leaves?

Staphylea colchica ‘Black Beauty’ now into leaf. It will get darker yet.

Juglans major has interesting new growth. As nice as Juglans ailantifolia?

Rhododendron ‘Mrs Lionel de Rothschild’ is one we always forget to propagate from cuttings. Need to remind Asia.

This clump of Rhododendron formosum in the Higher Quarry Nursery Bed was cut back hard 3 years ago but already a good show of flowers (possibly better). Many of the scented rhodo’s would not respond well to this sort of chopping back but formosum has. Unexpected!

Rhododendron ‘Tibet’ a (new to us) williamsianum hybrid, flowering well in the nursery. These plants will need to get planted out next spring. On reflection I think it used to grow on Hovel Court Road in the williamsianum hybrid groups there?

A rare flower on a struggling big leafed rhododendron. Despite watering of the nursery bed these plants had horrid time in the drought and produced little new growth and only small deformed leaves as you see here.

A newly planted Abies delavayi with good new growth.

The Pheasant Eye daffodils on Hovel Court Road still good in May and, as usual, the very last of the daffodil season.

Rhododendron augustinii nearly over with the new growth coming. All too brief a flowering season.

2022 – CHW
Exciting looking early results in germination of the many scores of rhododendron seedlings sown at the nursery this year.

Excellent flowering of the Caerhays bred Rhododendron ‘Rescassa’.

Rhododendron ‘Mrs Lionel de Rothschild’

Leaf and flower on Acer henryi.

Rhododendron ‘Nancor’ and Rhododendron ‘May Day’.

This fuchsia had flowers left on it in late December and here it is in flower again already.

First flowers out on Paeonia delavayi.

Syringa microphylla ‘Superba’ by the front door.

At Burncoose to welcome the arrival of our entry for Plant of the Year at Chelsea. From Eire comes a new iris with yellow leaves.

Rhododendron roxieanum

Rhododendron concinnum

Rhododendron lindleyi

Not sure if this is Southern Marsh Orchid or, more probably, Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) except that its leaves are plain green and not black spotted as were the ones seen at Bonython which were also lighter in colour in the flowers. Anyway these grow on the verge (when the council manages not to cut them) opposite the entrance to Gargus Farm on the turning to Caerhays.

2021 – CHW
James Williams sends me pictures of Acer palmatum ‘Scolopendrifolium’ on the drive at Burncoose Nurseries which was just coming into leaf. It is equally stunning in its yellow autumn colour.

Also, from Tregullow, his plants of Rhododendron ‘Colonel Rogers’ which is a Rhododendron niveum x Rhododendron falconeri cross. Very splendid this year. Last year it had relatively few flowers.

Rhododendron reticulatum full out in the Rockery.

Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ just coming out. A good contrast soon between the other colours.

Rhododendron kiusianum was cut back hard two years ago and has responded well with more larger flowers.

A plant of Rhododendron tethropeplum with larger than usual flowers in the Rockery. This plant was being swamped by a Podocarpus which has now been pruned back. I had completely forgotten it was here.

Berberis amurensis var. latifolia (from Korea) is now developing into a substantial shrub with attractive new foliage and flowers.

Azalea oldhamii just out but sparse flowering this year even on youngish plants.

Rhododendron neriiflorum making a decent show. Another species which had died out here now making a comeback.