15th October

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2021 – CHW

Sweet chestnut fruits low down on a tree with very small seeds. This has not stopped a squirrel making a pile of eaten ones.

Large numbers of blue seedpods nearly ripe on Decaisnea fargesii.

Vitex agnus-castus finally out in flower.

Colour on the most recent new growth on Carpinus tschonoskii.

Amazing leaves on Catalpa pulverulenta.

2020 – CHW

Lapageria rosea ‘Picotee’ still in full flower on the wall with a couple of buds still and some lower flowers dropping.

Sorbus japonica covered in berries. When you look at them you could be forgiven for thinking that they were malus berries! Red fruits with brown spotting on them as you can see here when they are fully ripe. Quite a show today on this rare species which was planted in 2010.

Felt and batten now covers half the new roof at The Hovel. Soon dry enough inside to pour concrete for the base and working inside the building can start properly.

The very last and rather pathetic raspberry on Rubus tricolor.

2019 – CHW
Quercus x schuettii ‘Silver Shadow’ putting on a nice autumn show in the frames.

Quercus x wavei ‘Chimney Fire’ has turned a lovely red too. Both are new oaks to go out shortly into Kennel Close.

Indigofera pendula was grown from seed given to us by Peter Moore. This seedling is already 6-8 feet tall with its first spectacular flower. Very vigorous but rather fragile.

The first cartload of plants for the newly cleared area above the Auklandii Garden. This is an extension to the Styrax and Stewartia planting undertaken 3 years ago now that the remaining large beech trees have been felled.

2018 – CHW
Podocarps aplenty on several bushes above Hovel Cart Road.

Quercus buckleyi with its extraordinary red new growth. Very eye catching today but risky indeed in an early frost.

A seed on a Magnolia grandiflora on the Top Wall which may, in time, contain viable seeds. Only after a hot summer is this magnolia ever likely to set seeds properly in our climate.

2017 – CHW
The Cornwall construction industry training awards dinner at St Mellion golf club – KPK are awarded ‘builder of the year’. The less said about the ‘dinner’ the better!

At the dinner I purchase a picture of Ian Botham smoking a cigar in the changing rooms. The great man is here shortly for our charity dinner so I thought we could auction the picture again! If it does not make its reserve we can hang it for posterity at The Vean hopefully with another shot of Sir Ian ‘in repose’!

2016 – CHW
Only one unripe seed pod on the young Magnolia globosa. Probably its first ever and well worth Asia collecting in a couple of weeks. This magnolia species flowers in May to June so you would expect the seed to mature a little later than other species which flower much earlier in the year.

The clump of Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’ is full out at the Hovel turning. A secondary flowering of course (which is normal on this Caerhays hybrid) but I doubt it would ever look better in the spring!

A couple of seed pods from the magnolia seedling which the Queen Mother planted beside Georges Hut. Not good enough for a name but these very nearly ripe (and certainly gatherable) seed pods are much larger than any I collected last week. On reflection however they are still quite small and can be twice this length with far more seed in a good seeding year.

Despite all our other ongoing efforts I still managed to eliminate five squirrels today. Saw many more than this carrying off food (ie nuts, fruits and seeds – one with a whole Cornus kousa strawberry fruit in its mouth) in the afternoon sun. It is now a race against rodents rather than time to collect whatever seed is ripening.

2015 – CHW
A new Chinese species to Caerhays awaits planting next spring. Liquidamber acalycina only came to the UK in the early 1980s. It has easily recognisable large three lobed leaves but the autumn colour is still a bit hard to interpret. Said to be a very hardy and vigorous species which will need plenty of room in Kennel Close. Perhaps this liquidamber does not have exciting autumn colour? Time will tell.

1997 – FJW
Housemartins still here.

1959 – FJW
Flower full out on Camellia November Pink.

1950 – CW
Returned today from a very wet season at Glenquoich, same here and a bad harvest. Very good growing season. Yellow Hammer, Auriculatum and one Maddeni a lot of flowers, also Mag grandiflora. Camellia sasanqua outside stables past best. Others becoming nice. Cyclamen and fuchsias very good also lapagerias. Some daffodils up Sol d’Or on terrace 3 inches high.

1934 – JCW
Much as in 1933. Just as in 1933 and there is hardly a flower anywhere.

1933 – JCW
Hydrangea suffered from the lack of rain. Except on Mag delavayi and grandiflora. There are very few blooms. Cyclamen nice.

1931 – JCW
Back from Scotland, a very warm autumn, very little flower except fuchsias and lapagerias.

1919 – JCW
Good flowers on Mag delavayi and grandiflora very good. Hoheria is nice, very few rho’s open. Hydrangeas good, the cyclamen very good. Plants look fair in spite of no rain for August and September. No camellias show yet.

1928 – JCW
Magnolia delavayi has several nice flowers open. Clematis panniculata is good. Camellia sasanqua starts.

1923 – JCW
Very little flower bud on most rhodo’s. 3 big Argenteums dead. No camellias open. No Ericas but mauriana. A few lapagerias , one maddeni in flower a little.

1909 – JCW
No seedlings up in the pans. C panniculata and cyclamen very good. Solanum and lapagerias fair.

1905 – JCW
No seedling daffs up yet in pans or beds, excepting Polyanthus. No frost to cut things yet.

The Garden Diary

A Cornish garden diary from Caerhays Estate over 100 years

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