25th January 1897 – 2020

…JCW (Sunday afternoon) I was in the Beech Walk, a wonderful afternoon, the blood red scarlets were lovely and 3 big plants of Prunus conradinae in full flower, a remarkable…

26th January 1897 – 2020

…and Sutchuenense, Red Admiral etc. Far too early. Trewidden Argenteum has been first class.1969 – FJW First snowdrops.1958 – FJW Period of frost and snow left. 8° frost – little…

28th January 1897 – 2020

…to one third, bits of lutescens, scabrifolium, sutchuenense, Blood red hybrid and a fair bit of Nobleanum with a little mucronulatum. Erica hybrids very fine indeed. I saw the first…

30th January 1897 – 2020

…I admired shortly before Jeremy Peter-Hoblyn’s recent untimely death or a seedling from the original. It is a wonderful dark pink and, as you would expect from a campbellii, a…

9th February 1897 – 2020

…Magnolia mollicomata ‘Werrington’ Magnolia petals from the pale Magnolia campbellii scattered on the ground already in the wind. It was only just fully out. Magnolia campbellii Michelia moto has been…

25th February 1897 – 2020

…the lawn just starting to drop. It is noticeable how some blown open flowers are paler while others, more sheltered by the yew tree, are much darker and more as…

26th March 1897 – 2020

…kit does not yet work and he is still waiting for his new laptop computer ordered a while ago. Bugger the guidelines – apply common sense and distancing to survive!Even…

18th March 1897 – 2020

…size and nowhere near out yet. Michelia ‘Fairy White’ Michelia ‘Fairy White’ Michelia ‘Fairy White’ Magnolia ‘Early Rose’ is a Magnolia campbellii x Magnolia liliiflora cross bred in New Zealand…

8th March 1897 – 2020

…plant. Thankfully most of this has been amalgamated into one list with tail end sections on New Zealand bred hybrids and on ‘crosses and new things’. The latter is of…

22nd November

…buddeifolium trying to flower. Viburnum buddeifolium The views of the Isla Rose Plantation today in drizzle. Five years on now from when this area was cleared and planted. Isla Rose…

26th November

…Camellia cuspidata in the Rookery. All a bit battered. Camellia cuspidata The large dead white Rhododendron arboreum all cleared on Burns Bank. Rhododendron arboreum Euonymus moupinensis (E. echinatus) with attractive…

2nd July

…a flaking trunk. Pinus wallichiana A double flowered orange Hemerocallis in the frames which is incorrectly labelled. Hemerocallis Machilus yunnanensis with its reddish new growth. Machilus yunnanensis Asia’s plant of…

8th November

…many more varieties. 2022 – CHW First battered flowers on Camellia japonica ‘High Hat’. Very early as usual. Camellia japonica ‘High Hat’ Still a few decent flowers on Hydrangea ‘Madame…

3rd July

…Vaccinium dunalianum var. caudatifolium Euonymus echinatus (E. moupinensis) is already forming red seed pods resting on the leaves. Euonymus echinatus (E. moupinensis) A young Lindera benzoin has leaves which I…

1st February

…Caerhays. It is interesting to see the shelterbelt at the top of the old deer park only just established. The pink and white Rhododendron arboreums featured are still (exactly) there…

8th February

…Galanthus elwesii Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ may be storm scarred but the flowers are as good as ever. Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’ full out…

13th February

…which we saw last week this has not been blown open prematurely. Magnolia campbellii ‘Valentine’s Torch’ Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ moves forward. Magnolia ‘Todd’s Fortyniner’ As I had feared the (true)…

24th February

…Magnolia ‘Queen Elizabeth’ is looking rather fine. Magnolia ‘Queen Elizabeth’ First flowers out on the best large flowered Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ on the Main Ride. Magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’ Magnolia ‘Philip…

27th February

…ancient tractor Helleborus argutifolius just opening. Helleborus argutifolius Double flowered snowdrops (few singles) carpet literally acres of the woodland. Double flowered snowdrops More new spaces for planting flowering trees for…

18th March

…japonica ‘Bonfire’ just has a slight hint of pink in its buds but I assume the name refers to the very red new growth. Pieris japonica ‘Bonfire’ Grevillea ‘Fireworks’ –…