Camellia sasanqua ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ just out.

Two of the ancient Camellia sasanqua.

Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ starting to show up well below Kennel Close.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Snow Flurry’.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Gay Border’.

A single flower on Camellia sasanqua ‘Shōwa-no-sakae’ is perhaps wrongly named as the reference books say it is a blotched (white and pink) double flower? Came from France originally.

Two plants of Rhododendron hyperythrum ‘Omo’. One struggling after the drought. The other, in more shade, looking far better.

Another dead Scots Pine leaning on an Abies near George’s Hut.

Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’ – the slugs and snails have started.

2025 – CHW

A planting morning at Burncoose in the large new area above the tunnel.Ripe fruits on Lycium barbarum.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Survivor’.

Camellia ‘Scentuous’ smelling good in a tunnel.

Callicarpa dichotoma better than I have ever seen it.

Aloe striatula still in flower in October!

Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ at its best.

Grevillea ‘Coastal Sunset’ with two flowers.

Out of season too are flowers on Chitalpa tashkentensis.

Ilex mutchagara with black berries galore.

Cotoneaster bullatus at the garden entrance as good as ever.

Bomarea acutifolia in flower.

2024 – CHW
A single swan has taken up residence in the top pond. Probably after the dust up between this year’s cygnets and their parents and 3 of last year’s cygnets which was in the diary a week or two ago. The top pond is small but has any amount of pond weed for a swan to gorge on. Flying away in an enclosed space will be very difficult and I assume this swan will have to walk down the water meadows to achieve lift off.

The recent gales have destroyed what little autumn colour there was so far and broken a few leading stems and side branches on younger magnolias.

Cladrastis kentukea is half blown away.

First flowers out on Camellia oleifera.

Meliosma species (TH 5092) unknown with secondary new growth.

Malus x purpurea ‘Crimson Cascade’ has dropped most of its fruits but is making a decent tree.

Cornus capitata laden with fruits as usual.

A side branch blown out on Mangolia ‘Daphne’.

Acer japonicum starting to turn.

Acer takesimense just starting.

Aesculus chinensis is briefly rather good.

2023 – CHW
A garden tour with Peter Mills.Seed heads on Viburnum taiwanianum.

First flowers out on Schima superba.

Clethra pringlei nicely out in flower.

Disanthus cercidifolius just starting to turn colour.

Schefflera delavayi now full out.

Hoheria populnea at its best in the mist.

Hoheria populnea ‘Alba Variegata’ now in flower.

2022 – CHW
Buddleja speciosissima was planted out last spring. Interesting new growth today.

Buddleia heliophila with its first flowers which are pleasant enough for this time of the year. Also planted last spring.

Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘Chinese Garden’ has even darker rich, pinkish-red bark than the quite similar Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘Bowling Green’. Both original plants were Wilson introductions in 1910 (W4106) which grew at Werrington. One is, I believe, now dead but I gave Mike Williams a few replacements from Burncoose a while ago which I think are planted by the White Bridge. Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘Werrington’ grew here until the 1980’s. All rather confusing. Both ‘Werrington’ and ‘Chinese Garden’ grew here 40 years ago but died of old age. Good that replacements are now well established.

Nearly ripe fruits on Euonymus moupinensis which will soon split open.

Ilex opaca is making a spreading tree but no berries. We have one other plant which I have never seen flower either.

A carpet of fallen flowers under Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ in October!

Secondary flowers on Rhododendron ‘Blue Tit’.

2021 – CHW (photos to follow)Our spring order of daffodil bulbs has just arrived from Ron Scamp’s son. These are what we hope they will go on to look like next spring growing along the bank as you walk under White Stiles field on the way to Old Park. They are all old Cornish bred varieties from one of the very last small scale daffodil growers and breeders left in the traditional Cornish business of daffodil production which goes back to the 1880s. All power and success to Mr Scamp! Other Cornish daffodil growers are larger scale (mainly Dutch) growers and cut flower sellers who would not bother with old traditional varieties like these.