26th 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

2024 – CHW (images to follow)

2023 – CHW

Acer tsinglingense just starting to colour up.

Acer tsinglingense
Acer tsinglingense
A good newly planted clump of 4 Rhododendron crassum which we watered through the early summer drought.
Rhododendron crassum
Rhododendron crassum
Camellia japonica ‘Takanini’ out here in October! Several flowers at the very top of the plant.
Camellia japonica ‘Takanini’
Camellia japonica ‘Takanini’
Nice yellow colours just now appearing on Tilia kiusiana.
Tilia kiusiana
Tilia kiusiana
Berries and flowers on several of the Corokia.
Corokia
Corokia
Corokia
Corokia
First flower on Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’. Is this an October record for this Camellia? I need to explore the diary from of old.
Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’
Camellia x williamsii ‘St Ewe’
The fifth ancient Camellia sasanqua by the Stable Flat is now full out.
Camellia sasanqua
Camellia sasanqua
Out of season Magnolia flowers have been browned off and knocked to the ground in Storm Babet which more or less missed Cornwall.
Magnolia flowers
Magnolia flowers

2022 – CHW
Further perambulations with Susyn and Brian. The last few tail end flowers on an ancient Rhododendron decorum.
Rhododendron decorum
Rhododendron decorum
Clethra pringlei full out at its normal time. Much later than other species.
Clethra pringlei
Clethra pringlei
Melicytus crassifolius now covered with white berries on the lower part of the shrub.
Melicytus crassifolius
Melicytus crassifolius
Myrcia laurotteana var. paraguayensis with its last flush of flower weeks after it first showed. By now raining heavily!
Myrcia laurotteana var. paraguayensis
Myrcia laurotteana var. paraguayensis
Viburnum wilsonii with even better autumn colours than a week earlier.
Viburnum wilsonii
Viburnum wilsonii
A recently planted Mahonia sp. Ogisu 94056 now in full flower. Horrendous prickles!
Mahonia sp. Ogisu 94056
Mahonia sp. Ogisu 94056
Hemiptelea davidii with its leafy twigs which turn into long pointed spines. To be avoided.
Hemiptelea davidii
Hemiptelea davidii
Cotoneaster delavyanum with its last remaining berries.
Cotoneaster delavyanum
Cotoneaster delavyanum
Cotoneaster parneyi (a gift from Fromfield Nurseries and the true plant which is not to be confused with C. lacteus) also with its last berries.
Cotoneaster parneyi
Cotoneaster parneyi
This Tilia henryana tree in Penvergate snapped off low down but has started to regrow and flower in September. Seeds setting now.
Tilia henryana
Tilia henryana

2021 – CHW
A drab drizzly afternoon to start our programme of autumn planting.
planting
planting
planting
planting
Pomaderis elliptica in flower (from New Zealand) for the second year.
Pomaderis elliptica
Pomaderis elliptica
Microtropsis petelotii has seeds like a euonymus. Burncoose stocks this but our first attempt at growing this novel new genus from S. Yunnan and Vietnam.
Microtropsis petelotii
Microtropsis petelotii
Flowers out on Euonymus theafolia as it gets planted. Half a dozen euonymus species and the same number of viburnum species all together.
Euonymus theafolia
Euonymus theafolia
Euonymus theafolia
Euonymus theafolia
The white form of Rhododendron nobleanum is getting established.
Rhododendron nobleanum
Rhododendron nobleanum
The newly planted area above Higher Quarry Nursery (bed).
above Higher Quarry Nursery
above Higher Quarry Nursery

2020 – CHW
Still plenty of colour in the borders around the house.Pink nerine by the dining room. We saw whiter forms flowering here earlier.
nerine
nerine
Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ as good as ever in October and, frost permitting, it will carry on to December.
Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’
Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’
Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’
Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’
Fuchsia and Echium seedlings outside the drawing room. The fuchsia looks as if it is in August.
Fuchsia and Echium seedlings
Fuchsia and Echium seedlings
The evergreen Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is excellent as well.
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ with tassel flowers which will be out before long.
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
Ripe seed heads for Asia on the Hedychium.
Hedychium
Hedychium
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’ is now four years on from planting and doing well. The medlars are enormous!
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’
Medlar ‘Westerveldt’

2019 – CHW
Repairs going ahead well on re-bedding in the slate slabs on the top wall and using lead capping to prevent water ingress between the buttresses and the wall. The buttresses were rebuilt last summer. About another 80 yards still to go but I doubt that the budget will stretch to completion of it all this year.
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
slate slabs on the top wall
Malus hupehensis covered in fruits despite only being planted in 2017.
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Malus hupehensis
Violets in flower above the top wall.
Violets
Violets
A variegated Cornus with mole damage. The mole hill has covered the graft in soil and this would have been a casualty soon without remedial action
mole hill
mole hill
Another peculiar clump of fungi.
fungi
fungi

2018 – CHW
A warm day at Burncoose on Tuesday.The climbing Senecio confusus in flower for the first time in the nursery and quite startling.
Senecio confusus
Senecio confusus
Senecio confusus
Senecio confusus
Phymosia umbellata is now fully out in flower and impressive as well even if also a tender greenhouse plant.
Phymosia umbellata
Phymosia umbellata
Phymosia umbellata
Phymosia umbellata
Two different coloured forms of Rostrinucula dependens. The pink form is nicer. A dependable late autumn herbaceous plant growing up to 6ft in height.
Rostrinucula dependens
Rostrinucula dependens
Rostrinucula dependens
Rostrinucula dependens
Camellia ‘Takanini’ is always early into flower. Generally outside in the garden here by Christmas. In the nursery tunnel a few flowers in October!
Camellia ‘Takanini’
Camellia ‘Takanini’
Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’ with a flower developing. Growing on a hedge outside the old packing shed.
Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’
Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’

2017 – CHW
Ripe yellowish orange berries now on Pourthiaea beauverdiana var. notabilis.
Pourthiaea beauverdiana var. notabilis
Pourthiaea beauverdiana var. notabilis
Pourthiaea beauverdiana var. notabilis
Pourthiaea beauverdiana var. notabilis
Half rotten and slug eaten secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Yakeo’.
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’
Huge and very advanced buds on Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’ which flowers in July! Getting its seasons wrong I fear.
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’
Rhododendron ‘Pink Polar Bear’

2016 – CHW
The formal registration certificate for Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’ has just come through. One of my father’s hybrids which we have registered to commemorate the centenary of the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group.
registration certificate
registration certificate
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’
Rhododendron ‘Red Centurion’

2015 – CHW

Few people ever venture along Sinogrande Walk to the largest (of the two) tree fern quarries where some 25 mature Dicksonia antarctica nestle in the quarry well protected from most winds and happily self ‘seeding’ up the banks. One tree fern is simply attached to the damp rock face and its trunk or roots have no contact with the soil at all. It derives all its nutrients and moisture from the damp rock face itself. This would be almost impossible to believe if you did not have the actual evidence in front of you. Now a mature and well established plant.

Dicksonia antarctica
Dicksonia antarctica
Dicksonia antarctica
Dicksonia antarctica

2002 – FJW
Sasanqua just coming – first to flower Pink by side door then A G white.

1933 – JCW
Mag delavayi decorum is good and so is neriiflorum. Heavy rain.

1929 – JCW
Hoheria on the terrace is the best thing with the cyclamen. Fuchsias are good and worth more care. Lapagerias are fair. No planting yet the ground has been so dry.

1927 – JCW
Decorum, Royleii, Neriiflorum well out. Several bits of the Impeditum set. A good Maddeni hybrid in the New Planting. Hydrangeas very good indeed.

1925 – JCW
Some Decorums (Delavayi’s) open and Haematodes and bits of other things. Far the most brilliant plants are the Enkianthus japonicas. Some Sasanqua’s open.

1919 – JCW
The first Sasanqua is open. The hydrangeas are very nice. There are some fair roses, one heath is open but there is not much in flower otherwise.

1910 – JCW
Cyclamen and hydrangea are going over. Some Camellia sasanqua coming out, some roses opening. Solanum is good. Some daffs are up.

1902 – JCW
I saw the first C coum open.