14th October

FJ Williams Profile Picture
FJW 1955-2007
CH Williams Profile Picture
CHW 2015-
JC Williams Profile Picture
JCW 1897-1939
C Williams Profile Picture
CW 1940-1955

2023 – CHW

The Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’ has opened more fully and so has the seed pod.

Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Magnolia virginiana ‘Havener’
Hard pruning of Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (yellow) on the Main Ride.
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (yellow)
Rhododendron ‘Bo Peep’ (yellow)
The Magnolia delavayi which split in half has been tidied up. Is the darker wood in the centre of the stem rot or not? I think not as I have seen this before.
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Magnolia delavayi
Vitex agnus castus in the sun on a remarkably hot afternoon.
Vitex agnus castus
Vitex agnus castus
Cladrastis kentukea turning yellow early as usual.
Cladrastis kentukea
Cladrastis kentukea
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Araucarioides’ was only planted in the spring but is doing well below Sinogrande Walk.
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Araucarioides’
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Araucarioides’
Flowers on Ilex cornuta.
Ilex cornuta
Ilex cornuta
Cupressus cashmeriana in the sun.
Cupressus cashmeriana
Cupressus cashmeriana
Cupressus cashmeriana
Cupressus cashmeriana

2022 – CHW
Cotoneaster glomerulatus with berries (ex. Roy Lancaster). The older plants on the drive and below Slip Rail have none after the drought.
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
Cotoneaster glomerulatus
Taxodium distichum ‘Falling Waters’ just starting to turn brown. Extraordinary habit.
Taxodium distichum ‘Falling Waters’
Taxodium distichum ‘Falling Waters’
The last fruits remaining on the leafless Crataegus schraderiana.
Crataegus schraderiana
Crataegus schraderiana
Sorbus hedlundii (KR 1801 A – best clone) with its first fruits.
Sorbus hedlundii
Sorbus hedlundii
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’ showing a variety of bark colours before and after shedding its older bark further up the tree.
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Betula luminifera ‘White House Farm’
Keteleeria davidiana (ex. Roundabarrow) with secondary new growth. This nearly died after planting but is now getting going.
Keteleeria davidiana
Keteleeria davidiana
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ with its fine autumn display.
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
The true Photinia villosa (we also saw P. villosa var. coreana two weeks ago). A group of 3 large shrubs below Slip Rail which Susyn Andrews identified for us last year. Seeing the fruits proves it. The comparative flowers were more of a puzzle!
Photinia villosa
Photinia villosa
Photinia villosa
Photinia villosa
Photinia villosa
Photinia villosa
Fallen fruit under Sorbus cyclophylla next door to Photinia villosa. I don’t remember seeing this species fruiting before but have seen the flowers. Fruits have already fallen.
Sorbus cyclophylla
Sorbus cyclophylla
Vitex agnus castus from a distance – now full out. Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’ the best thing in flower in the garden today but this is a close second.
Vitex agnus castus
Vitex agnus castus
First flashes of autumn colour on Tilia kiusiana.
Tilia kiusiana
Tilia kiusiana

2021 – CHW
Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ starting its brilliant autumn tints.

Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'
Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’
Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'
Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’
Flowers on Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’. This form and Hoheria ‘Alba Variegata’ are both tender and struggle in a cold winter. Tucked away here in shelter they produce a fine October show.
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’
Hoheria populnea full out at around 20-25ft in height.
Hoheria populnea
Hoheria populnea
A splendid second autumn flowering as usual on Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’.
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’
Podocarps swelling on Podocarpus henkellii.
Podocarpus henkellii
Podocarpus henkellii
The horrid smell of quinces again fills the air by Slip Rail.
quinces
quinces
quinces
quinces

2020 – CHW
A neat job on the laurel hedge below Rookery (top) Path which needed a hard pruning.
laurel hedge
laurel hedge
And a clear up of a fallen oak branch by the Engine House. Some camellias to hat stand here too.
fallen oak branch
fallen oak branch
Corokia x virgata ‘Sunsplash’ with red berries and a few flowers left. Slightly odd.
Corokia x virgata ‘Sunsplash’
Corokia x virgata ‘Sunsplash’
Corokia x virgata ‘Sunsplash’
Corokia x virgata ‘Sunsplash’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ is putting on a decent autumn show although the best of its orange twigs are yet to emerge as the leaf drops.
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’
Carpinus caroliniana is the first species of this genus to be showing autumn colour in Kennel Close. The rest are all still green.
Carpinus caroliniana
Carpinus caroliniana
Carpinus caroliniana
Carpinus caroliniana
Photinia niitakayamensis with its first cluster of fruits that I have seen. Hilliers describe these as ‘pinkish-red’ but they look more orange to me. The leaf shape and habit however suggests the true species.
Photinia niitakayamensis
Photinia niitakayamensis
Rhododendron concatenans (tissue culture grown by Ross Smith at Rosewarne) flowering away well for the second time (as usual) below Donkey Shoe. Planted 2015 in a place where the cinnarbarinum x concatenans hybrid ‘Caerhays Philip’ grew 40 years ago before the curse of mildew.
Rhododendron concatenans
Rhododendron concatenans
Rhododendron concatenans
Rhododendron concatenans
The pheasants are going mad for the fruits on what I think is definitely Malus hupehensis by the sales point. This plant was a seedling from the original in the Chinese garden at Werrington. There are two at Burncoose.
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
First flowers high up on the second ancient and slightly darker pink Camellia sasanqua.
darker pink Camellia sasanqua
darker pink Camellia sasanqua
darker pink Camellia sasanqua
darker pink Camellia sasanqua
The first slightly lighter pink one is now making a reasonable show.
lighter pink one
lighter pink one
lighter pink one
lighter pink one

2019 – CHW
Seed on the ground from Illicium aff. Griffithii (WW 711911). It still does not look quite ripe yet but we will store it and see.
Illicium aff. Griffithii
Illicium aff. Griffithii
Still a few flowers left (with scent) on Illicium tashiroi.
Illicium tashiroi
Illicium tashiroi
Illicium tashiroi
Illicium tashiroi
One of the young Camellia pitardii with ripe fruits. I don’t remember many flowers last spring.
Camellia pitardii
Camellia pitardii
Now the slugs are devouring the orange casings on individual magnolia seeds. No wonder so few germinate outdoors here.
slug damage
slug damage
Tree ferns in the quarry and one has a 2 year old yew seedling in its trunk which did not enjoy the last dry summer. There is a yew tree nearby and presumably a mouse or a squirrel hid the seed here.
Tree ferns in the quarry
Tree ferns in the quarry
Tree ferns in the quarry
Tree ferns in the quarry
A Parrotia subaequalis above Quarry Path has finally got going. We lost the other young plant by George’s Hut. What spectacular black autumn colour this new species has! We have yet to see any flowers on this plant.
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Parrotia subaequalis
Gathering seeds from Magnolia Nitida which is seeding excessively. It only does this about 1 year in 10.
Gathering seeds
Gathering seeds
And here are the collected seeds.
collected seeds
collected seeds
2018 – CHW
More ripe fruit on another medlar tree.
medlar tree
medlar tree
First white flowers on the sasanqua clump below the greenhouse.
sasanqua clump
sasanqua clump
Secondary flowers on Rhododendron zaleucum.
Rhododendron zaleucum
Rhododendron zaleucum
Rhododendron zaleucum
Rhododendron zaleucum
Superb colour on another Rhododendron kiyosumense.
Rhododendron kiyosumense
Rhododendron kiyosumense

2017 – CHW
Tree surgery work on an elderly oak tree at the entrance to the Auklandii Garden. It was threatening to fall on a record tree; Lithocarpus pachyphyllus. Some evidence of bleeding cankers and rot at the base.
elderly oak tree
elderly oak tree
elderly oak tree
elderly oak tree
elderly oak tree
elderly oak tree

2016 – CHW
Cotoneaster hualiense has very ripe berries which are starting to fall. I saw these first last year but they were not then as ripe as this. Another Crug Farm discovery.
Cotoneaster hualiense
Cotoneaster hualiense

A week ago I looked at a very few camellia seeds on this Camellia japonica variety and they were still green and unripe. Today, after a warm, dry week, the seed casings have split and shed most of their seeds. I should have picked them unripe (in theory) and left them to open and shed in the potting shed.

Camellia japonica seeds
Camellia japonica seeds
Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’ is going over but I saw and photographed a flower on this plant last January. Good value!
Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’
Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’
Cladastris kentuckea is at its best in the late afternoon sun. Amazing but early autumn colour.
Cladastris kentuckea
Cladastris kentuckea

2015 – CHW
Azalea ‘Babeuff’ outside the backyard showing good reddish purple autumn colour.

Azalea ‘Babeuff’
Azalea ‘Babeuff’
Azalea ‘Babeuff’
Azalea ‘Babeuff’
Azalea ‘Babeuff’
Azalea ‘Babeuff’

Above it on the wall the old brown flower heads on Hydrangea seemanii hang down from the plant in an attractive way which I had not seen before. Another big plus for this curious evergreen self clinging hydrangea.

Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Hydrangea seemanii
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’ now full out with its pale pink flowers which seem larger this year than usual. None of the other sasanquas are yet showing colour. I think there are two forms of single pink sasanqua here on these very ancient plants along the west facing castle wall. Damp and shady which they like.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Rosea’

1995 – FJW
Use of Rododendron Nobleanum in church.

1991 – FJW
Sasanqua bottom of Auklandii Garden well open and Rho mucronulatum outish at front gate.

1990 – FJW
Sasanqua bottom of Auklandii Garden well open – also largest white larger R.

1973 – FJW
White cyclamen back after 10 year lapse.

1930 – JCW
Came from Scotland 3 days ago. Camellia sasanqua has some flowers. Mag grandiflora has flowers. M nitida has one flower, the cyclamens are very good. C panniculata is good on the big wall. Fuchsias are good. I am starting to clear the wall opposite this window for them in the newer forms. Hydrangeas very good. Many Haematodes and neriiflorums show flowers.

1928 – JCW
Much as in 1927 Camellia sasanqua shows flower also late Maddeni on a wall. Several flowers on the Mag delavayi, some blooms on Auriculatum x Decorum.

1927 – JCW
Came from the north last night. The hydrangeas V.G. Hoheria very nice. Plants as a whole have done very well. Cyclamen quite fine yet.

1924 – JCW
Hydrangeas good. Rhodo’s up to 25 species have some bloom. Haematodes is the best. Roses fair, Cassia nice. Flower bud for next year is very bad but better than 1921. Cyclamen quite nice.

1921 – JCW
The Yuccas are our best flower after the great heat, hydrangeas bad. Camellia sasanqua good, one with strong scent. Some Erica [?] are very good. Clematis paniculata is nice and so are the lapagerias.

1918 – JCW
Rho decorum still the best rhododendron, other things as before.

1910 – JCW
The rain came three days since, and the summer has gone. Solanum and hydrangeas are the best things. Some roses are nice.

1901 – JCW
Several Iris alata open. Roses good yet also cyclamen. The weather has not broken yet.

1899 – JCW
Cyclamen very fine. Lapagerias moderate. Some Rho nobleanum in flower in the Drive.

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