14th June

…– CHW The G7 has brought lots of covid to Cornwall I am told. Two hundred police or security billeted on a specially chartered cruise ship in Falmouth harbour have…

6th May

…Cover’ Podocarpus ‘Red Embers’ just starting to live up to its name. Podocarpus ‘Red Embers’ Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’ not quite into new growth yet. Podocarpus ‘County Park Fire’ Podocarpus…

20th March 1897 – 2020

red buds on last year’s new growth. Illicium simonsii Illicium simonsii Illicium simonsii Illicium simonsii Persea brevifolia with red new growth just starting. Persea brevifolia Debregeasia longifolia plastered in flower….

4th April

…13156). The tree has grown extraordinarily quickly, is semi-evergreen, and absolutely plastered in flower high up at 15-18ft. Attractive yellow flowers against the reddish stems. Lindera angustifolia Lindera angustifolia Another…

7th May

…floribunda Olearia floribunda Carpinus betulus ‘Rockhampton Red’. It’s the autumn leaves which go red. Carpinus betulus ‘Rockhampton Red’ Carpinus betulus ‘Rockhampton Red’ Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’ is one of my…

12th March 1897 – 2020

…A good red hybrid. Rather better than ‘Cornish Red’ and very near the original clump of Rhododendron ‘Red Admiral’. red hybrid red hybrid A newly planted (today) Podocarpus spinulosus which…

11th November

…light to the rhododendrons below. elderly magnolia Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’ also has a pruning for the same reason. Magnolia ‘Ian’s Red’ Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’. Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ First…

12th May

…more. Enkianthus campanulatus Enkianthus campanulatus Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’ has fine new leaves. Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’ Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’ Acer heldreichii looks very much like an A. platanoides!…

17th November

…Pink’ ‘Plantation Pink’ ‘Plantation Pink’ ‘Dazzler’ – excellent ‘Dazzler’ ‘Dazzler’ ‘Dazzler’ ‘Borde Hill Farm’ – another Loder one ‘Borde Hill Farm’ ‘Borde Hill Farm’ ‘Crimson King’ ‘Crimson King’ ‘Crimson King’…

15th May

…need a great deal of staking. The plants were delivered by Tuckermarsh nurseries from Tavistock (Mark Fillan) who I enjoyed taking around. He brought our order of Lithocarpus glabrata and…

31st May

…‘Porcelain Dove’ Crataegus aprica covered in flower. Pink in bud opening white. Crataegus aprica Crataegus aprica Tilia oliveri with gorgeous yellowish new growth. Tilia oliveri Cornus ‘Venus’ making a splendid…

4th October

…after this peculiar summer. Malus ‘Jelly King’ Malus ‘Jelly King’ Sorbus commixta var. sachalinensis heavily laden with fruit. The largest crop so far on this 13 year old tree. Sorbus…

5th January 1897- 2020

…single flower on it. Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ The large Drimys winteri has a mass of buds nearly open. This Chilean plant normally flowers in April and is…

21st April

‘King George’. Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ Rhododendron haemaleum var. atrorubum (perhaps?) Rhododendron haemaleum var. atrorubum Magnolia floribunda still has plenty of flowers on its lower branches. Magnolia floribunda Nasty looking

2nd November

…to be coloured. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Silver King’ 2022 – CHW Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’; the best thing in the garden today. Butterflies and wasps galore! What a tremendous clump which,…

20th April

…Magnolia ‘Golden Goblet’ Magnolia ‘Golden Goblet’ The huge clump of Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’ is now full out but, sadly, the public never realise it is there. Rhododendron loderi ‘King

21st October

…Yet another Carpinus with a name implying good autumn colour which is most disappointing (as yet) here. Carpinus caroliniana ‘Red Fall’. Carpinus caroliniana ‘Red Fall’ Carpinus caroliniana ‘Red Fall’ Now…

April 2024 Ireland Trip (Day 1)

Back to the 25th April First day of our annual trip to Ireland, first stop Hillsborough Castle Gardens…… A fine isolated clump of Rhododendron loderi ‘King George’. Rhododendron loderi ‘King

15th March

…Rhododendron ‘Ostara’ Magnolia × loebneri ‘Wildcat’ and Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’. Magnolia × loebneri ‘Wildcat’ and Rhododendron ‘Cornish Red’ A few late but very dark flowers on Magnolia ‘Delia Williams’. Magnolia…

29th July

…berries forming on Ilex kingiana. Most years these only go red in the New Year but I cannot see this not happening much earlier this year. Ilex kingiana I thought…