16th November | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Blush’ and Camellia sasanqua ‘Snow Flurry’ out together.

Osmanthus fortunei with much more flower than usual.

Still a few tail end flowers on Abelia floribunda.

The Camellia x williamsii ‘J.C. Williams’ hedge around the Rockery is now full out.

Camellia ‘J.C.W’ and the 70 year old Magnolia dawsoniana which we were so worried about in the droughts. Still full of leaf and now decent sized leaves but no buds are showing. The neighbouring Magnolia dawsoniana is loaded with white buds.

The pruning in the Rockery has exposed our only surviving plant of Rhododendron longistylum which was the Queen Mother’s favourite rhododendron species.

2023 – CHW
A young plant of Quercus palustris ‘Flaming Suzy’.

A more established plant of Quercus palustris ‘Flaming Suzy’ has somewhat different colours today.

Stewartia monodelpha is, today, easily the best of the Stewartia species for colour.

Another Enkianthus serrulatus with different autumn colours to those seen a couple of days ago.

2022 – CHW
Yellow then, finally, red tints on Stachyurus chinensis. A better show here than Stachyurus praecox.

A good show on the clump of Camellia sasanqua ‘Narumigata’ in Roger’s Quarry.

Secondary new growth emerging post drought on a clump of Rhododendron crassum.

The water tank base installed at Tin Garden.

Tilia kiusiana and Liriodendron chinense both yellowing together.

Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’ turns from green to brown.

Magnolia obovata ‘Pink Flush’ and the contrasting Liriodendron chinense.

2021 – CHW
The enormous Camellia taliensis is now full out.

The buds have all rotted on a young Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’. I think it has muddled its seasons (for the second year in the last three) and tried to come into flower before the buds rotted off.

A fine and unexpected show from Magnolia ‘Daybreak’.

The removal of the leylandii hedge is nearly complete with only four more to go. The digger is due soon to remove the stumps but we are trying to burn some of them to reduce the stump digging beforehand.

The last four still to go.

2020 – CHW
Cyclamen still in flower on the bank and around the summerhouse.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Winter’s Dream’ I think. A pale colour and variable mainly semi double flowers.

Berries turning colour now in profusion on Ilex perado subsp. perado.

First time flowering that I have seen of Azalea ‘Glendoick Glacier’ – a nice double white evergreen form. Presumably this is a secondary flush.

The very first flowers this year (blown open) of Camellia x williamsii ‘George Blandford’. Variable in shape and form as ever.

Trevor Green’s gift of Sorbus ‘Pearly King’ looking good but not quite fully ripe near Georges Hut.

First flowers on the old Camellia ‘Noblissima’ by Georges Hut.

Juicy black fruits on the Ligustrum confusum which fell over three to four years ago and then reshot profusely from the stump. Very quick to become mature enough to fruit in such profusion.

The Neolitsea polycarpa which we pruned back to a single stem on planting this year has shot vigorously from the base and only a little at the top. Watch it for a bit then cut the main stem to ground level.

Pheasants shelter in the lee of another south westerly gale. Another day not to be a seafarer!

2019 – CHW
As ever in the aftermath of a storm more trees down. Here a sycamore and some dead elms block the road at Tubbs Mill.

Another circle of large fungi which seem to be the same as those seen recently under the Michelia doltsopa.

These are more pictures of the oak tree which had half fallen by Four In Hand. Another day clearing up rather than doing something constructive in the garden on the worklist. Soon it will be leaf blowing.

The ilex oak has now been cleared up and burnt and a Pinus wallichiana installed in its place. This is a lovely rare blue needled pine which is not going to grow to a huge height and one which should retain its lower branches into old age. A height of perhaps 70ft eventually with a spread of around 30ft. A domed effect we hope which will be a feature from the front door.

2018 – CHW
Jaimie has completed the laurel cutting along the Main Ride. This was the last bit by Mr Rogers Quarry. A wonderful job to have completed by now leaving plenty of time for tinkering with smaller bits before we turn to leaf raking.

A striking Acer palmatum planted before 1997 but the label has been lost.

Acer palmatum ‘Scolopendriifolium’ appears as a lovely yellow cut leaf maple with exquisite foliage. However when you look closely there are flashes of red within the yellow. This is a ‘must have’ acer for autumn colour.

2017 – CHW
Only one seed pod on Stewartia sinensis and poor autumn colour or I have missed it?

A young Stewartia monodelpha has rather nice autumn tints.

Another young Stewartia sinensis has some decent autumn colour still in place.

A young Stewartia pseudocamellia var koreana is not bad either.

Pterostyrax triloba is however still green.

Stewartia serrata is colouring as a young plant in a similar manner to some (not all) of our Stewartia rostratas. It can only get better with age.

2016 – CHW
Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’ has only two flowers out and the odd bud showing on the now huge and very elderly plant in the Main Quarry. We have all known it out earlier and this is easily proved if you examine the diary. I fear the plant will need a stern pruning soon as it is getting straggly with some dieback. It has not enjoyed the wind up its bum for the last 10 years since all the ponticum was
removed from the nearby hedge.

2015 – CHW
The ancient bank of erica at the Four in Hand is just starting to come out as a light pink. Is this one of the Lanarth bred hybrids by P D Williams? Perhaps ‘St Keverne’. By heather standards it has already lived three lifetimes on this hot dry bank which was completely covered 40 years ago.

Liriodendron tulipifera has shed in the wind but the sides of the drive show what the gales tore off.

The first daffodil bulbs are just showing by The Fernery on the edge of the drive. Not unusual but quite a surprise as it is every year in a mild wet autumn with no hint of a frost as yet. They will be in flower in February.

Carpinus betulus still retains enough leaves to show itself off but it is too dull a day for a decent show. Hornbeams are seldom found in Cornish woodland but are an attractive tree, especially the fastigiate form planted along the roadsides below Two Hills which will one day be a feature avenue.

A few nasty looking red fungi on the lawn which the pheasants are clearly enjoying – or something is! No idea what they are or if poisonous.

1992 – FJW
November Pink has been out for some time – wet and warm alternates with cold.

1947 – CW
Almost frost last night. Cam sasanqua very good seldom more flower at one time. Oleifera out on wall and just one in wood. Lapageria and Yellow Hammer (Rho) good. Hardly any other flower except fuchsias.

1935 – JCW
Cold but no real cold. Magnolia delavayi is moving past notwithstanding the rough and cold winds.

1932 – JCW
Several C sasanqua are very good indeed. Lapagerias holding on well. We cleared the big fuchsia hedge next to the Green Gate.

1926 – JCW
C sasanqua and lapageria remain good. No E darleyense yet. Many scraps of rhodo species as Mucronulatum, Neriiflorum, Decorum, Lutescens, perhaps out forms Dicroanthum hybrid wild. Cotoneaster salicifolia and Stransvaesia salicifolia are the best things showing colour.

1915 – JCW
Only about 6 buds on Camellia sasanqua here but plenty at Werrington. The heath, E darleyense have begun to open, but the lapageria is the only thing really making a show.

1904 – JCW
Camellia sasanqua very fine indeed. No break in the weather, much leaf on yet, a few more daffs up.

1900 – JCW
Picked an Iris stylosa.