2023 – CHW
A great deal of wind damage in the week since Storm Ciaran and today we have Storm Debie. The BBC weathermen love this virtue signalling of safety and wellbeing as though, by naming a storm, it is somehow benign and they have saved lives. Storms do have victims whatever tripe the weathermen utter.
A large rhododendron blown over on Rookery path.
Far worse is the splitting in half of the very rare Styrax tonkinensis which is an evergreen. Very quick growth rates and equally quick to snap in half.
Nothing but green still in the leaves of Aesculus wangii.
Enkianthus serrulatus with fine red tints.
Scattered small branches blown down at every corner.
Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ blown away before we see the proper red in its leaves.
Acer campestre ‘Red Shine’ gets its name from spring new growth not autumn colour!
2022 – CHW
I bought some bulbs of Amaryllis belladonna crossed with Nerine in the spring. Only one has flowered in the first year. The RHS have recently renamed these hybrids.
I bought some bulbs of Amaryllis belladonna crossed with Nerine in the spring. Only one has flowered in the first year. The RHS have recently renamed these hybrids.
Camellia x williamsii ‘J.C. Williams’ now full out with many flowers two days after the first buds had colour.
First colour showing on Camellia ‘Yuletide’ even if the pheasants have nibbled at the first flowers.
Fagus sylvatica ‘Aspleniifolia’ and Liriodendron tulipifera at 4-in-Hand.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’ and Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Palo Alto’.
Cornus alternifolia with its ghostly autumn display. The best autumn colour in the garden today on several trees. This one on the drive.
2021 – CHW
More autumn colour in the sun – 12°C for the last few days with no wind.
Enkianthus cernuus with red and yellow autumn tints.
Enkianthus campanulatus with ripe seeds.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Wallaby’
Prunus ‘Hally Jolivette’
Acer pseudosieboldianum (BSWJ 8769)
Viburnum prunifolium
Amazingly Camellia ‘Takanini’ is now full out. This is a New Zealand bred japonica hybrid and is described as dark red with bluish tints. Is it because it is so early that the colour is really not ‘dark red’ at all?
Photinia niitakayamensis with plentiful berries.
The fruits on Cornus capitata are nearly ripe.
They contrast well with the group of Picea glauca ‘Piccolo’ below.
Brilliant colours on Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Atropurpureum’.
2020 – CHW
Yesterday at Burncoose where renovation work is progressing well.The new trade order loading and unloading bay.
Yesterday at Burncoose where renovation work is progressing well.The new trade order loading and unloading bay.
The herbaceous tunnel looks fantastic.
Wonderful fiery colours on Zenobia pulverulenta ‘Raspberry Ripple’.
One set of magnolias all re-potted and tidied up for winter.
The site is cleared for the new multi span glasshouse and two threatening trees have gone.
The camellia tunnel now all tidied and looking well.
First flower on Camellia ‘Apollo’.
Flowers on Camellia sasanqua ‘Alba Plena’.
First flowers on Camellia x williamsii ‘St Michael’.
The kalmias look as good as the camellias.
Still flowers on Hydrangea paniculata ‘Skyfall’.
The Pittosporum tunnel restocked.
Salvia ‘Waverley’ still in full flower.
Tibouchina urvilleana ‘Variegata’
Itea virginica ‘Merlot’ with autumn colours.
2019 – CHW
Camellia sasanqua ‘Dazzler’ has been more or less blown away recently and its flowers are scattered and nearly over for another year.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Dazzler’ has been more or less blown away recently and its flowers are scattered and nearly over for another year.
Araucaria bidwillii was the International Dendrology Society’s ‘Plant of the Year’ in their recently published yearbook. Under threat in Australia, too tender for anywhere in the UK except the very mildest locations. We lost another of these in a cold place on the drive but this one is going great guns.
Many seed clusters of Lithocarpus pachyphyllus have been stripped from the tree in recent gales but these two persist only 4ft off the ground with fat ripe acorns showing clearly. A squirrel has had a go so perhaps Asia ought to grab these two while they remain intact?
A good new display of cyclamen and winter pansies to brighten up the front door.
2018 – CHW
This huge bare root plant of Sorbus ullungdoensis had a hard top pruning when it was planted last December and has settled in well with, now, some autumn colour. The effect of the pruning has been to encourage new basal shoots which we will need to remove to send the sap back up to the crown of the tree.
This huge bare root plant of Sorbus ullungdoensis had a hard top pruning when it was planted last December and has settled in well with, now, some autumn colour. The effect of the pruning has been to encourage new basal shoots which we will need to remove to send the sap back up to the crown of the tree.
We saw Callicarpa shirasawana looking tremendous with some leaf a fortnight ago. It is even more striking leafless today. In the Isla Rose Plantation we have three new species of shrubby Callicarpa all with their first berries or fruits but, so far, this is the best.
This is labelled Vaccinum cylindraceum but I think it is very probably Viburnum cylindraceum judging by the description. These are its first flowers as a young plant in the frames. It is not like the V. cylindraceum at Burncoose so the jury is still out on this one. Asia will know where these plants came from? It certainly is not a Vaccinum!
2017 – CHW
Off to look at more stewartia species seeding and with autumn colour for next year’s article on the genus. This will take more than just today.Rhododendron moupinense with its first early or secondary flowers?
Off to look at more stewartia species seeding and with autumn colour for next year’s article on the genus. This will take more than just today.Rhododendron moupinense with its first early or secondary flowers?
Stewartia pseudocamellia with some autumn colour which is yellowish with a reddish hue on the side shoot growing from the base of the old three trunked tree. Two of the original trunks survive while the third has died. No leaf left on the older trunks.
A few ripe and one unripe seed pod.
The bark flakes in the spring and this year’s old flaking now looks like this. New flaking just starting at the base nevertheless.
2016 – CHW
Laurel hedges being cut and camellias pruned back prior to removal at the start of the Main Ride. No less than three bonfires and a great deal achieved in a small period of time. We have left some of the old clump of x williamsii camellias for now as a windbreak facing the Engine House. One forgets that laurel can grow out from a hedge by 10-12ft in half that number of years here threatening the nice clump of Rhododendron fragrantissimum and an aesculus.
Laurel hedges being cut and camellias pruned back prior to removal at the start of the Main Ride. No less than three bonfires and a great deal achieved in a small period of time. We have left some of the old clump of x williamsii camellias for now as a windbreak facing the Engine House. One forgets that laurel can grow out from a hedge by 10-12ft in half that number of years here threatening the nice clump of Rhododendron fragrantissimum and an aesculus.
Beside the fire there is a single secondary and very pale flower on a Rhododendron ‘Bow Bells’ planted only 18 months ago.
The seeds are now ripe on Meliosma dillenifolia subsp cuneifolia on the other side of the path. Time for Asia to collect them.
Brilliant red autumn colour on Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’. A very old but beautiful dome shaped plant died of old age at the Red Linney 25 years ago and my mother sprayed the dead plant white and used it as a Christmas tree. Several years to go before this one qualifies!
2015 – CHW
The ancient clump of Rhododendron lutescens is out but only at the very top of the plant and just a little second flowering I believe.
The ancient clump of Rhododendron lutescens is out but only at the very top of the plant and just a little second flowering I believe.
The forecasters say a hurricane is coming from the USA and the sea certainly looks ominous. It transpires that it hits Scotland and not Cornwall.
The seed on hedychium is certainly impressive. The pheasants do not seem interested so perhaps poisonous.
Mahonia japonica has odd rather insipid flowers. Some are out and over quickly while others in full bud. Needs a good cut back from the path before the spring visitors.
White cyclamen on the lawn under the yew trees. Is there a pure white form of the autumn flowering Cyclamen hederifolium? Assume so.
1981 – FJW
Charlie announced engagement to Emma.
1924 – JCW
A very few C sasanqua and lapagerias, the year was too cold and sunless, far behind 1903 on the page before. Rain and slugs are the main crop this season.
1921 – JCW
Lapagerias and C sasanqua remain nice in spite of one nights sharp frost. No rain to make the soil wet and I’m down since about May.