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!
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.
The ancient clumps of Cyclamen hederifolium under the yew trees on the lawn are flowering away from their massive corms.
Elephant or hummingbird hawkmoth caterpillar? Grazing happily on a weed in Kennel Close. The former I believe.
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.
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.
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.