2024 – CHW
A day looking at the progress with some of our newly planted and new to us Camellia species.
Camellia edithae is going on nicely and making a decent shaped plant.
Camellia yunnanensis is not at all compact but has very distinct new growth.
Camellia chekiangoleosa has good secondary new growth but is quite slow to get going.
Camellia trichocarpa is now well established.
Magnolia virginiana ‘Pink Halo’ has had a growth spurt this summer.
The last flower on Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’.
‘Polar Bear’ flowers being devoured by slugs.
Camellia forrestii only 1 year on from planting is getting going.
Viburnum henryi seed’s are as impressive as its flowers even if I have missed the best of them.
Camellia minutiflora is far from being a compact grower but is making floppy headway.
Camellia costei has tiny leaves and rather slow to get established.
2023 – CHW
To the Kitchen Garden to see how the Malus collection is performing after the drought in their first year after planting.Black fruits on Cornus walteri.
To the Kitchen Garden to see how the Malus collection is performing after the drought in their first year after planting.Black fruits on Cornus walteri.
Secondary flowers (and no fruit) on Malus ‘Dr Campbells’.
Malus ‘Red Sentinel’.
Malus x robusta ‘Fruitilicious’.
Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’ which I have not seen fruiting before.
Malus ‘Golden Hornet’.
Malus ‘Neville Copeman’.
Malus hupehensis.
2022 – CHW
A pole cat caught in one of our squirrel traps in Old Park. Until 18 months ago pole cats had never been found at Caerhays. Sightings are now quite regular and we clearly have a large population which will inevitably impact on other species in the food chain. Rabbit numbers still to recover and this may well be one key reason as they are likely to be the primary prey. A farmers chicken coup of 30 birds wiped out last week not by a fox or badger but by a pole cat.
A pole cat caught in one of our squirrel traps in Old Park. Until 18 months ago pole cats had never been found at Caerhays. Sightings are now quite regular and we clearly have a large population which will inevitably impact on other species in the food chain. Rabbit numbers still to recover and this may well be one key reason as they are likely to be the primary prey. A farmers chicken coup of 30 birds wiped out last week not by a fox or badger but by a pole cat.
Two young roe grazing happily along the Main Ride and taking no notice of the quad bike.
A squirrel investigating one of our new box traps.
Hydrangea sp (5247 N.E. Vietnam) with its first decent flowers.
First berries ever seen (and only 3) on Ilex ficoides.
The trunk of a young Nothofagus which I pushed over today. Another drought casualty.
Eucryphia moorei full out high up, but going over lower down.
Acer henryi has now gone red all over in under a week.
Arundinaria vagans can be a nuisance and grow to a smothering 1½ – 2 feet tall but an annual strimming readily keeps it under control.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ with much smaller panicles of flowers in a drought year and a rather quicker change from white to pink.
2021 – CHW
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ just developing its pink tints.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ just developing its pink tints.
Hydrangea aspera (a gift from Lord Howick in 2018) about to make a good late show.
Early autumn colour as usual on Cladastris kentukea.
A few more x Cupyrocyparis leylandii (to give it its latest botanical name) got cut down in Kennel Close. The foliage goes to a supermarket foliage supplier so less to burn and some minor income.
The few hips on Crataegus aprica are still not ripe.
Callicarpa shirasawanum in full flower in Tin Garden.
A few more seedpods showing up now on Michelia doltsopa but not yet ripe.
Hand weeding around the base of newly planted trees most important at this time of the year. Sadly it has revealed a few deads smothered in grass.
Acers starting to show autumn colour above the greenhouse.
Pinkish and white pampas grass flowers in profusion on the lake.
2020 – CHW
A visit to Leslie Baker’s garden at Brookvale near St Austell to see the early autumn colour which was fantastic.A second flowering on Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum as the leaves turn purple.
A visit to Leslie Baker’s garden at Brookvale near St Austell to see the early autumn colour which was fantastic.A second flowering on Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum as the leaves turn purple.
Amaryllis belladonna and Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ make a wonderful September combination.
As do Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ and Verbena bonariensis intertwined.
Anemone hopehensis ‘Hadspen Abundance’ was very fine and Leslie gives us a plant. One of the very best of the Japanese anemones – five petals.
A fine hanging basket.
Aster novi-belgii ‘Patricia Ballard’ just coming out.
Aster ‘Little Carlow’ was making a stunning show. About 3-4ft tall as a huge clump.
Unable to identify this which grew to 6ft or more. [It is Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’]
A 35 year old Malus ‘Golden Hornet’ laden to the gunnels with fruit.
Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ with nuts on an old tree pruned up to give summer shade to his dogs.
An odd secondary flowering on Rhododendron yakushimanum. I do not remember ever seeing this species do this before.
A fine combination of Dicksonia antarctica and Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’.
A fine mature plant of Thujopsis dolbrata with a little irregular leaf variegation here and there as is normal.
Pulmonaria longifolia standing out as a foliage plant even now. Impressive!
Two fine pink waterlilies.
2019 – CHW
Interesting to see what is still nicely in flower in the nursery in late September on a day of meetings at Burncoose.Kniphofia rooperi has regularly been the last of the red hot pokers to flower.
Interesting to see what is still nicely in flower in the nursery in late September on a day of meetings at Burncoose.Kniphofia rooperi has regularly been the last of the red hot pokers to flower.
Lobelia ‘Compton Pink’ was still looking splendid in the cash point.
Colutea arborescens nearly over.
Calliandra surinamensis with its first ever flowers at Burncoose. A delicate ‘fluff’ of pink on a two year old plant. Tender but well worth it.
Grevillea ‘New Blood’ which was a new introduction for us a couple of years ago is a splendid red.
Lagerstroemia indica ‘Rosea’ just coming out. Superb at this time of the year.
Berries galore on Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Red’ and ‘Saphyr Orange’ as usual even on small plants in pots.
And early autumn colours too starting to appear here and there.
Asimina triloba has leaves which are nearly yellow as those on the Cladastris kentuckea. They go yellow then nearly white before dropping.
Carya ovata turning early too.
Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ quite superb on the tree lines.
Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ not yet quite doing its stuff.
2018 – CHW
A morning in the nursery.Kniphofia rooperi in full flower and much later out than most of the other forms.
A morning in the nursery.Kniphofia rooperi in full flower and much later out than most of the other forms.
Abutilon ‘Red Hot Lava’ with its curiously veined orange flowers. A nice new batch for sale from our own cuttings.
Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala just starting its vivid red autumn colours at the tips of some twigs.
2017 – CHW
Sparse seeding on the wild collected form of Magnolia cylindrica. Some seed pods are rounded with only a few seeds. Others a more normal magnolia seedpod shape.
Sparse seeding on the wild collected form of Magnolia cylindrica. Some seed pods are rounded with only a few seeds. Others a more normal magnolia seedpod shape.
Fruits on Cornus wcberi which is clearly a misspelling which I once sorted out but now forget. They are very red and rounded. Lots of new growth here from below the graft to remove or this plant will die.
2016 – CHW
Another mature castanopsis which may well be Castanopsis cuspidata has seed forming but not yet mature.
Another mature castanopsis which may well be Castanopsis cuspidata has seed forming but not yet mature.
Sassafras tzumu has very distinct leaves and was well known to James in France.
Clethra pringleyi is another (the second) new species which we have missed in flower. Clearly tender, this plant has taken a while to get going.
2015 – CHW
One of the debates of the last decade has been when will the large Cryptomeria japonica which has been leaning and defying gravity for many years finally succumb to gravity? A tough old historic tree which can certainly be seen in pre World War I pictures of the castle.
A plant you often see in formal designed landscapes. We all enjoyed the Alan Titchmarsh programme on Belvoir Castle last Thursday outlining the Duchess of Rutland’s attempts to recreate the 200 plus year old Capability Brown landscape which never got beyond the design and mapping stage. Emma Rutland’s book is due out soon with, we hope, credits to Burncoose for creating a new woodland garden at Belvoir. Lots of photos of Burncoose planting at Belvoir can be found on the Burncoose landscaping section.
Verbena bonariensis is another ‘last of the summer’ herbaceous plant to cheer us up as well as the butterflies which seemed to be having a day off today which is rather overcast.
2002 – FJW
Very dry since mid August – a few showers but main rain has fallen elsewhere in the country. Not too hot but east wind.1969 – FJW
All grain and straw in – big rain hold up for fortnight and last 3 ½ acres.
1916 – JCW
The following rhodo’s with bits of flower open – R scintillans, 10333. fastigiatum, racemosum, flavidum, intricatum, rupicolum, decorum, ponticum, and chrysanthum hybrids nobleanum and mikado.