2024 – CHW
Another deluge and a good half inch of rain in a couple of hours.
The second ancient Camellia sasanqua has a single white flower (just on from the first).
The first Camellia sasanqua also has a single flower at ground level. (This is the one to the left of the ladies loos).
Ross has tidied up and his swing shovel has now departed as has all the timber. A good neat job which was thankfully executed before the latest rainstorm.
2023 – CHW
A visit to our developing collection of specie Cotoneasters. About a third have still to produce any fruit. A couple are already over and their berries have fallen and one or two are the worse for wear after the June drought.Cotoneaster wilsonii had largely shed its berries.
A visit to our developing collection of specie Cotoneasters. About a third have still to produce any fruit. A couple are already over and their berries have fallen and one or two are the worse for wear after the June drought.Cotoneaster wilsonii had largely shed its berries.
Cotoneaster thimphuensis not quite fully coloured up but far better than ever before.
Cotoneaster rubens is improving and well worth growing.
Cotoneaster rhytidophyllus in varying stages of ripeness.
Cotoneaster tengyuehensis may well be dying.
Cotoneaster ‘Saint Andrews Blaze’ was a welcome gift from Fromefield. Not fully ripe and coloured yet.
Cotoneaster teijiashanensis with not many berries as yet.
Cotoneaster erratus becoming very decent indeed and well worth growing.
Cotoneaster rokujodaisanensis also has few berries and not yet fully coloured.
Cotoneaster schubertii is well covered in berry and a good orange which will probably get redder yet.
Cotoneaster parneyi was also a gift from Fromefield. Oddly coloured berries in a rather different sort of display.
2022 – CHW
A look around to see how the early autumn colour is progressing.Cladrastis kentukea at its finest but the yellow leaves which we looked at 10 days ago have already blown off.
A look around to see how the early autumn colour is progressing.Cladrastis kentukea at its finest but the yellow leaves which we looked at 10 days ago have already blown off.
Cotoneaster ‘Exburyensis’ just turning yellow. Very similar to C. ‘Rothschildianus’
Acer pseudosieboldianum with good red tints.
Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’ turning nicely.
Acer takesimense with the seed heads turning as well.
Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ with a late show in Tin Garden and the slugs are too late!
The newly planted Callicarpa membranacea putting on a good show.
Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ simply splendid. Everyone should grow this even if the leaves are still present today.
2021 – CHW
A huge seed head developing on Rhododendron suoilenhense which will not be ripe enough to pick for at least two months.
A huge seed head developing on Rhododendron suoilenhense which will not be ripe enough to pick for at least two months.
Yesterday at Tregrehan we were looking at Tom’s Gevuina avellana which was looking as bad as ours after summer droughts and spring east winds going back to the 2018 ‘Beast from the East’. Strangely Jaimie chose yesterday to prune out the debilitated and dying main stems of ours to encourage the basal suckers to regenerate as we hope they will. Tom needs to be as ruthless as this too but we have all been dithering and hoping (in vain) for a recovery. I suggested to Tom that he ‘bite the bullet’ but had (then) no idea that we already had.
A few small Gevuina avellana flowers.
Our mature Schefflera macrophylla (not nearly as good a form/specimen as the one which died here this year or Tom’s plant seen yesterday) covered in ripening seeds. They were black and ripe rather earlier last year.
A large dead sycamore felled which was threatening the two new barn conversions at what we now call White Stiles Cottages. A neat and tidy job by Treleaven tree services.
The berries are now ripe on Cotoneaster ‘Rothschildianus’. I am not at all sure Cotoneaster ‘Exburiensis’ is much different (photographed 10 days or so ago).
More fungi to try to identify but I now have experts to consult after the Cornwall Fungus Group visit here in the last few days.
2020 – CHW
The same bit of the huge Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ outside the front arch which always has secondary autumn flowers which are a bit out of shape is just showing colour.
The same bit of the huge Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ outside the front arch which always has secondary autumn flowers which are a bit out of shape is just showing colour.
Work at The Hovel is moving on apace. The new roof beams and hips are nearly complete and the foul drainage is going into the floors before the floor concrete is laid which looks to be imminent. We will have some problems on the drive with the three huge cement lorries which will pump this down the hill.
Now resuming the search for hollies.
I was given Ilex perado (pure) by Peter Cox having seen it growing well at Glendoick Gardens. I cannot find it or remember where I put it. This is Ilex perado subsp. perado (now called perado subsp. azorica) which remained unidentified as a huge clump before the visit of Philippe de Spoelberch in 2002. This was subsequently verified by Susyn Andrews. You can see berries forming but they will still be ripe and red in the spring as new flowers emerge. Widely distributed by birds in the periphery of the garden here. The leaves are largely spineless but with a point at the tip.
I was given Ilex perado (pure) by Peter Cox having seen it growing well at Glendoick Gardens. I cannot find it or remember where I put it. This is Ilex perado subsp. perado (now called perado subsp. azorica) which remained unidentified as a huge clump before the visit of Philippe de Spoelberch in 2002. This was subsequently verified by Susyn Andrews. You can see berries forming but they will still be ripe and red in the spring as new flowers emerge. Widely distributed by birds in the periphery of the garden here. The leaves are largely spineless but with a point at the tip.
Berries on Photinia davidiana.
I fail to find Ilex saponaria supposedly planted in the Rookery.No sign of any berries on the windbreak grove of Ilex perado subsp. platyphylla.
A newly planted Ilex aff. gagnepainicina (FMWJ 13168) just below the main ride.
I fail to find our Ilex mutchagara above Crinodendron Hedge.Ilex aquifolium ‘Aurea Marginata’ has some berries but has a shoot or two with a reversion to green leaves that need to be removed.
Ilex x altaclarensis ‘Camelliifolia’ with berries turning colour. Attractive and mainly spineless leaves. Pyramidical habit.
The ancient clump of Cotoneaster conspicuus has more berries than usual above The Hovel.
I then hunt the American Ilex opaca between the ferneries. Despite its holly like trunk I suspect this is not the American species but an Osmanthus. More research needed.
2019 – CHW
A few berries and flowers on show in the nursery today.Ilex verticillata with as good a crop as I have ever seen. This is one of the few hollies which is deciduous.
A few berries and flowers on show in the nursery today.Ilex verticillata with as good a crop as I have ever seen. This is one of the few hollies which is deciduous.
Cotoneaster conspicuus looking good too.
Elsholtzia stauntonii making a fine October show. One of the best things for late flowering in the herbaceous border.
X Gordolina grandiflora now in flower with gorgeous reddish foliage around the white flowers.
Sycoparrotia semidecidua ‘Purple Haze’ has startling blackish-purple new growth and is a new plant for the website.
Telopea speciosissima with a flower just coming. These need moving from the tunnel into a glasshouse for the winter.
Camellia ‘Shinonome’ out early and impressive for this stage in the camellia season.
Euonymus grandiflorus ‘Ruby Wine’ with a multitude of seed pods which will colour up more. The undersides of the leaves are already a tremendous colour.
The main event at Burncoose today was to welcome Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach and various other Openreach officials and media. Openreach have made a film about the fast fibre connection to the businesses on Burncoose Estate and this was the follow up. You can read our press release or watch the film below.
This is a list of attendees.
Clive Selley on the lawn at Burncoose.
Then back to Caerhays for our second group of Americans this week for a house and garden tour. Quite a day!
2018 – CHW
Up in Northumberland, earlier in the week, I stopped to photograph Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus, the snowberry, growing in the village of Frosterley. The snowberries were very fine and just starting to drop off the trees in a wind.
Up in Northumberland, earlier in the week, I stopped to photograph Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus, the snowberry, growing in the village of Frosterley. The snowberries were very fine and just starting to drop off the trees in a wind.
A magnificent Sequoiadendron giganteum in the grounds of Allenheads House.
A huge Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ – a grafted plant but still quite magnificent.
The front wall had several plants of Cotoneaster simonsii with berries just starting to turn light orange. This upright growing semi evergreen shrub was making good progress as a freestanding wall shrub.
2017 – CHW
Jaimie found this banana flower in a cottage tenant’s garden near Portholland. No leaves seen by me but it must be Musa basjoo to be alive and flowering outside. The tiny bananas are forming and the flower is clearly a draw for insects. Ours at the nursery has yet to flower after 25 years but I have seen larger fruits on the clump at Lanarth. The flower is quite magnolia-like when you think about it.
Jaimie found this banana flower in a cottage tenant’s garden near Portholland. No leaves seen by me but it must be Musa basjoo to be alive and flowering outside. The tiny bananas are forming and the flower is clearly a draw for insects. Ours at the nursery has yet to flower after 25 years but I have seen larger fruits on the clump at Lanarth. The flower is quite magnolia-like when you think about it.
2016 – CHW
Eleven different new named Matsumae cherries have arrived and I have today sorted with Michael where they are to go. These are almost brand new to the UK nursery trade and first seen by us properly until last spring at Windsor and Wisley. They come from northern Japan and have been bred by one family over two or three generations. They are hardier and less prone to cankers than our (relatively few) popular street grown flowering cherries. The University of Keele has a collection as does Chris Lane in Kent. These Matsumae are going to become enormously popular before long. If you want to see just how floriferous and delicate they are have a look at these pictures taken on the rhododendron society tour.
Eleven different new named Matsumae cherries have arrived and I have today sorted with Michael where they are to go. These are almost brand new to the UK nursery trade and first seen by us properly until last spring at Windsor and Wisley. They come from northern Japan and have been bred by one family over two or three generations. They are hardier and less prone to cankers than our (relatively few) popular street grown flowering cherries. The University of Keele has a collection as does Chris Lane in Kent. These Matsumae are going to become enormously popular before long. If you want to see just how floriferous and delicate they are have a look at these pictures taken on the rhododendron society tour.
Eleven varieties will be on sale from Burncoose from January after searching for many years.
2015 – CHWThe eucryphias are all very late this year and Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’ still looks good. A very upright and erect habit. The old plant of Eucryphia moorii is also full out like the small plant photographed last week.
The colour of Acer palmatum ‘Ozahazuki’ on the drive is approaching its best and Liquidamber styrachiflua by Georges Hut is beginning to turn nicely.
For the first time ever a secondary flowering on the young plant of Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ beside the ‘St Ewe’ hedge. Small flowers which will never open properly and are near white. Disgusting.
Nearby is Magnolia ‘Yakeo’ with a rather decent second flowering which is arguably better than the spring effort. Quite a surprise on such a small plant.
The Rhododendron cinnarbarinum clump at Donkey Shoe is having a decent second flowering as is often the case and the unknown cotoneaster species above the Hovel is covered in berries. Surely someone can recognise this?
1995 – FJW
First Sasanqua in flower by Side door. Seed on Reticulata by Georges Hut.
1989 – FJW
First Sasanqua indoors. Could be an early season? White cyclamen splendid.
1934 – JCW
Just about as in 1913.
1918 – JCW
The cyclamen and hydrangeas are both good. The roses and lapageria are fair. R decorum is nice. There are several other rhodo’s showing bloom including Dahuricum and Micranthum.
1913 – JCW
Came back from Scotland. The cassia and Clematis paniculata perhaps the best things, though the fruit on R moyesii is very good indeed. Some roses. Flowers on the rhodo’s Nobleanum, Gallatium, Primulinum, Intricatum, and Cilliatum.
1908 – JCW
Returned from Scotland. Cassia nice, lapagerias fair, cyclamen good and have been fine. The three roses nice. Solanum very good. The big group of Hydrangeas are good. Panniculata very nice.
1906 – JCW
Returned from Scotland, all but the Iris as above, the best year for Bananas ever known. Loniceras have done well. Woodwardia badly. Clematis panniculata V.G. Ipomoea nice.
1901 – JCW
Returned from Scotland. Cassia, lapageria, cyclamen, roses G P M , P Gontier, General S all very good. A few Iris alata of the new batch in flower.
One thought on “7th October”
Comments are closed.