1st September | The Garden Diary

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CONTRIBUTORS:

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2024 – CHW

Self-sown seeds in a rotting Pinus insignis stump. This is fairly unusual in our high rainfall climate and the seedling sycamores and seedling alders are no surprise. Rather more interesting are the seedling ilex and rhododendron. The Ilex might be a mixture of I. opaca, I. kingiana, I. koehneana or I. latifolia since all 4 grow nearby. Since the holly berry germinated in behind the thick pine bark it was probably hidden there by a mouse, jay or squirrel. The rhododendron looks interesting. The bud shape suggests Rh. fortunei as do the leaves. What to do now? Leave the rhododendron hybrid to grow away where it is on the rotting stump and gently dig out the holly hybrid later in the autumn. Then grow it on in a pot for a bit before planting out.

Remarkably quick and good new growth on the Rhododendron davidsonianum cut down only 11-12 weeks ago. We need to do the same to the other clump now alongside the Main Quarry.

Magnolia ‘Sunray’ with a solitary secondary flower.

Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ below the Hovel Cart Road.

The start of cutting up the huge beech tree which blew down last November as fire wood for the castle. It has dried out nicely and should split fairly easily.

Hedychium x moorei ‘Tara’ planted in 2020 below the Rabbit Warren.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’ has turned a nice pinkish-red.

Hedychium tengchongense (WWJ 11964) just out.

Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’ just outside my office window. Plenty of buds yet to show and only one flower spike is out today on my birthday!

2023 – CHW
Hoheria populnea ‘Variegata’ still not quite out.

Hoheria populnea ‘Alba Variegata’ in the same state.

Seed well formed on Styrax obassia.

Lindera angustifolia (FMWJ 13156) is very prone to losing side branches in gales. Storm Betty in August damaged this very quick growing tree which, although only planted in 2020, is now 15 feet tall. An older plant lost half its side branches and this one 3 or 4.

Just look at the speed of growth here, the interesting bark and bark colours on the side branches.

First autumn flowers out on Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’.

Schefflera delavayi with huge flower stalks.

Rhododendron concatenans with its usual secondary autumn flowering.

The tassels on Carpinus fangiana are starting to ripen and turn brown.

2022 – CHW
White Styles drive with kerbs and all, now ready for pouring the concrete. Hope the new drains really do take the water away from the huge puddle which used to form outside the converted barns.

Contoneaster flinckii nearly ripe.

Contoneaster rubens just turning.

Contoneaster rhytidophyllus in a similar state.

Cotoneaster thimphuensis still completely green.

Cotoneaster hillieri was rated second best in berry last year but only now just turning. We have two plants and the pheasants can reach the berries on one of them.

The very end of the first grass cut at the top of the old park. Little need for any second cut anywhere this year apart from the drive which was cut first. Just a light strim of the edges really.

2021 – CHW
The conversion of the Hovel is now very nearly complete, as far as the builders are concerned, but Western Power have still to make the full new electric connections, so occupancy will only be possible in one of them for the moment. This is despite Western Power having been paid in full last November. Covid again, of course, but administrative incompetence on a grand scale.

2020 – CHW
Searching for some facts for a horticultural article we came across Arnold Dance’s contract of employment from 1958. Arnold was head gardener at Burncoose for 42 years and his son, Stephen, is office manager in the nursery today.

Amazing to think that a week’s wages was £7.10 shillings then (before the deduction of PAYE) and that there were only two weeks of holidays. This is only 62 years ago. The year after I was born!

The contract is attached.

2019 – CHW

The felling in Dry Walls is now complete and ready for replanting. Only a bit to finish after last year when the weather changed and access was too difficult. The timber is all going for firewood and will stay in situ to dry for another year.

Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ with large and well-formed secondary flowers in Penvergate. I have once seen this before but never with decent secondary flowers. We pick one for the house.

Sadly the Tilia henryana has collapsed. One bit of the tree split out a couple of years ago but now the whole lot has shattered. It will and is reshooting but we should have seen it today in full autumn flower which was the purpose of the trip to Penvergate.

2018 – CHW
The ancient clumps of Cyclamen hederifolium under the yew trees on the lawn are flowering away from their massive corms.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Oconea’ has a dwarfish rounded habit and is just showing its first autumn tints. Of the four different named forms of liquidambar which we grow this one has the best shape particularly for smaller gardens.

The dreaded climbing Toxiodendron (which is for the chop) has early autumn tints in anticipation of its demise. It seems a shame to cut it down really.

Dierama pulcherrimum has huge ripe seed heads ready for Asia to collect. These clumps have thrived in full sun in a very hot spot for decades.

2017 – CHW
Elephant or hummingbird hawkmoth caterpillar? Grazing happily on a weed in Kennel Close. The former I believe.

The tent for today’s 60th and 30th birthday party on Beach Meadow.

These are the hips on the white climbing rose which we hope Roy Lancaster can identify as a wild collected gift from him 30 plus years ago. The flower trusses have set relatively few small hips with some trusses having none.

Fruit just turning black on Vaccinum urceolatum. Fully juicy and ripe soon on this very rare plant.

Rhododendron aperanthum has survived for 100 years at Werrington and is still only 4-5ft tall there. This plant here in the Rockery suddenly looks more healthy. Nearly dead in the spring and never yet a flower after 10 to 15 years. Minimal growth in that time too. Our plants and the Werrington ones are in shade.

Rhododendron russatum has a single secondary autumn flower.

As does Rhododendron campylogynum although there are rather more here but half the bush has died over the summer. There seem to be seeds setting to collect later.

2016 – CHW
Magnolia ‘Yakeo’ has a massive second flowering in Kennel Close. The older plant flowered profusely by Georges Hut last autumn and again in the spring before turning up its toes.

Populus deltoides ‘Purple Tower’ has grown well since planting this spring. This is going to be a dramatic leaf colour plant against a predominantly green background.

Salix fargesii is now shaping up well after initial deer nibbling. The contrast between the red stems and large leaves is attractive and this is clearly a rounded shrub not a tree. It will be interesting to see how it shapes up for any autumn colour.

Sorbus japonica from Crug Farm was only planted in 2010 but is already a sturdy tree with attractive drooping branches and contrasting new growth to the old leaves. No fruits yet.

Sorbus thompsonii (also Crug and a 2010 planting) is very erect in habit with enormous leaves. Sadly again no fruits as yet. Both these newly introduced sorbus species are clearly very well worth growing. We have had relatively few sorbus species here historically but there are plenty of new ones now coming on in the garden.

2015 – CHW
Eucryphia cordifolia, late but now at its best. I have to wonder why the reference books say its flower is like a white ‘Rose of Sharon’ (Hypericum calycinum). A strangely absurd comparison between a white flowered tree and a yellow flowered groundcover plant currently very prone to dying of rust. Tut tut Mr Hillier!

1999 – FJW
Harvest finished.

1990 – FJW
Corn and straw in.

1975 – FJW
David killed first partridge – 2 in 1 shot.

1972 – FJW
Corn gathered in. A big lot of straw but yields poor.

1964 – FJW
Very blustery easterly gale (no rain). Lapageria good.

1958 – FJW
Returned from Scotland to find Lapageria out.

1957 – FJW
Charles Henry born.

1919 – JCW
Rhodo’s as above with Haematodes also. Roses fair, cyclamen nice, lapagerias moderate. R websterianum very pretty.

1917 – JCW
The following rhodo’s show bits of flower 10333 – 10278 – scintillans – rupicolum – 10311 – 12468 – decorum – trichocladum – Cunninghams Yellow. Buddleias are over, roses in the three beds are good, hydrangeas are good.

1916 – JCW
Bits of flower on the following rhodo’s – about 5 mountain species, decorum, chrysanthum, venustum, flavidum and auriculatum. The solanum is good, lapageria fair. wood hydrangeas of Wilson’s very nice, drive hydrangeas good, cyclamen nice.

1915 – JCW
The cassia is good, the cyclamen also, the lapagerias fair, the three beds are very good.

1914 – JCW
The cyclamen are at their best, the lapagerias are good, the 3 rose beds good. The cassia is very nice and that is about the end of it.

One thought on “1st September”

Forgecom says:

12th November 2015 at 10:00 am

Actually Charles I think the flowers are quite similar looking at it from a non-botanical eye, http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/large/hypericum_calycinum~1.jpg
but then I am a nerd! Julie H.

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