12th March 1897 – 2020

…Ypsilandra thibetica better than I have ever seen it before. What an odd bulb? This will catch on and be a major seller. Ypsilandra thibetica Ypsilandra thibetica Ypsilandra thibetica Disanthus…

8th March 1897 – 2020

…‘Caerhays Belle’ Magnolia ‘Caerhays Belle’ 2016 – CHW Around the garden with John (Williams) after meetings at Tregaire and Newton about major building works on four derelict barns.Camellia reticulata ‘Captain…

11th September

…dwellings or holiday lets over time. A new hamlet in the countryside rather than this shambolic dereliction of a farmyard. Major investment though of £750k or so to do the…

17th September

…castle. English Heritage originally listed it as an ‘ice house’ in the early 1970’s but this has long since been corrected and updated. Major repairs are needed (i.e. a new…

11th May

…neatly written with the correct spelling of the Latin names on everything. This is a major issue with the judges and ‘the odd mistake’ is no good and no gold…

22nd August

…humus from the Rookery. 19 loads taken around the wood. First major feeding operation since the War. I think many old plants dying from starvation rather than disease. Lapagerias out….

7th May

…‘Asagi’ Prunus ‘Asagi’ Prunus ‘Ichiyo’ Prunus ‘Ichiyo’ Prunus ‘Ichiyo’ Prunus ‘Ichiyo’ Prunus ‘Shizuka’ Prunus ‘Shizuka’ Prunus ‘Shizuka’ These would make a major impact on the drive and rival JCW’s purchase…

10th February

…to Burncoose; the first for a couple of months because of the shooting season here which ended on the 1st February. All looking good and tidy with several major improvements…

19th February

…cash point. Camellia ‘Tricolor’ A bit of the top of a greenhouse blown off. No tunnel covers split or broken in the storm which is highly unusual in a major

19th March

…Magnolia ‘Leonora’ Magnolia ‘Leonora’ Magnolia ‘Leonora’ Magnolia ‘Leonora’ Magnolia x veitchii grown from seed from Chollipo Arboretum in Korea above the Green Gate is already making a major show. Magnolia…

28th March

…is doing night time major roadworks which seems sensible. Now that Boris has ‘got it’ what drama next? I fear for the occupants of Windsor Castle who I suspect are…

30th March

…and two on the way out now. One left. All a long way from each other. The last two seemed to have major rot at the base but this is…

2nd April

…shoot bookings than I expected. Our major building projects are proceeding on paper only with building regulation and planning applications. A few more BPS form filling problems. Agricultural rents due…

8th April

…had become recurved which I have never seen on the tree itself. Magnolia ‘Lemon Star’ Jaimie and Michael with our major magnolia class competitors. Jaimie and Michael The sell off…

9th April

…Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Geisha Girl’ on the lawn. Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Geisha Girl’ Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Geisha Girl’ 2024 – CHW Another major storm last night. Was it a named storm? No idea….

19th April

…Embothriums are flowering a month early. Embothriums Looking at Melicytus obovatus again with its tiny (but voluminous) quantities of flowers I notice that while the vast majority of the flowers…

26th April

…Clandeboye, despite the recent death of its last resident owner, still planting. Their mulching of young trees in poorer and water logged soils was exemplary. Deer damage a major problem….

27th April

…plastered in flower. Prunus ‘Gyoiku’ Prunus ‘Gyoiku’ Prunus mahaleb is in a key spot below the tower but I have made a major mistake with its location. The St Lucie…

29th April

…aging and getting rather grown in especially after lockdown neglect and a major loss of labels. Much to do to start new clearings and remove saplings and increase overhead light….

1st May

…Magnolia sprengeri ‘Copeland Court’ which was caught in early leaf by the 2018 Beast from the East. Starting to reshoot as I had hoped after two major cutbacks last year….