Huge leaves on Corylus chinensis also in the Giddle.

Carya ovata with autumn colour above HQN.

Viburnum ‘Pragense’ flowering out of season.

The first flower heads ever with us on Schefflera macrophylla.

Vast numbers of berries on Ilex cyrtura in the Rookery – well work Asia collecting in a week or two.

Marking up rhododendrons to dig around, lift and move out for planting in Rookery Nursery. This is the top half of the Nursery bed.

One forgets how fragrant and what a good show of flower that Elaeagnus ebbingei puts on at this time of the year.

The bottom half of Rookery Nursery with even more large rhododendrons to plant out in the next month. Autumn planting of rhodos now seems essential and we discuss buying in bagged mulch for them.

2025 – CHW

The ancient pink Camellia sasanqua at its very best.

The last two flowers on Arum lillies.

Cornus drummondii ‘Sunshiny Drops’ colouring up.

Cotoneaster franchetii and Metasequoia ‘Goldrush’.

Colour showing on Liquidambar ‘Red Star’.

The new swimming pool rises from the ground.

Secondary flowers on Rhododendron davidsonianum.

2024 – CHW
Disanthus cercidifolius just starting to put on its autumn show.

Euonymus tonkinensis with still unripe seed heads.

Viburnum hoangliense now with ripe red fruits.

Euonymus echinatus with a few ripening seed heads.

The leaves on Cornus macrophylla droop down and curl in on themselves before dropping.

Azara uruguayensis has odd leaflets between the proper leaves.

Schima superba not flowering well this year.

Schima khasiana flowering better than last year but nowhere near as well as the tree at Burncoose.

Clethra pringlei is now just about out.

2023 – CHW
Piles of plants for planting out in different areas next week.

The 3 new items on the Burncoose website needing more pictures.

Vaccinium dunalianum var. magaphyllum was originally a gift from Rod White. Now a thriving large shrub and covered in unripe berries.

Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Wilsonii’ covered in red berries. A female form which got a FCC in 1899. A large plant above the Aucklandii Garden.

Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Hodginsii’ is a male form and hence the buds and autumn flowers. Leaves have variable amounts of spines. A large specimen tree today above Crinodendron Hedge.

A little colour showing on Camellia x williamsii ‘November Pink’.

Secondary flowers on Rhododendron impeditum ‘J. C. Williams’.

2022 – CHW
Second cut grass cutting now over for the year with just a bit of weeding to do around newly planted plants in wire netting surrounds.Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’, a splendid sight in the sunlight outside the front gate. It flowers for weeks and weeks.

Further progress with the tree surgery on the drive.

The many seed heads on Michelia doltsopa start to ripen but not there quite yet. I pick all the ripe seedpods off Magnolia globosa opposite before the squirrels find them.

Not quite turning colour yet are the plentiful seed heads on Photinia beauvardiana var. notabilis. A splendid weeping tree.

Hand weeding around newly planted plants in the autumn is an essential task to help ensure survival in the next drought. Weed free plants absorb more water when it rains.

Callicarpa shirasawanum is nearly as good as Callicarpa ‘Profusion’.

Zanthoxylum coriaceum laden with peppers. Best showing from this species so far.

2021 – CHW
An email from a diary reader in Germany concerning the unusually variegated Camellia ‘Kerguelen’.Here are a few pictures of our own plant showing exactly the same problem with older and unsightly leaves. Nothing to worry about really I suspect. I have replied accordingly although I am surprised this obviously delicate variety can be grown in Germany. Mr Schroeder wisely covers his plants in fleece for the worst of the winter.