27th September 1897 – 2020 | The Garden Diary

FJW 1955-2007

CHW 2015-

JCW 1897-1939

CW 1940-1955

2020 – CHW
As usual I was wrong to say that the new cotoneaster (species) collection only had two species with berries. A closer inspection with more time revealed some exciting new berries even if the specie names are horribly unpronounceable. The only real reference book on cotoneaster was published in 2009 and written by Jeanette Fryer and Bertil Hylmö. Since they are all planted fairly close together below White Styles I guess we should try to propagate from cuttings rather than seed.Cotoneaster tengyuehensis. Forrest collected this on his 1912-14 expedition so it might well have grown here before. It is often misnamed as Cotoneaster franchettii or Cotoneaster wardii although I am doubtful as to why when I look at our C. franchettii.

Cotoneaster ‘St Andrew’s Blaze’ (a gift from Fromefield Nurseries). This is not in the Fryer/Hylmö book so I need to find out more. A vigorous thing!

Cotoneaster teijiashenensis is a recent introduction in 1996 (by Fryer) from Yunnan. It has a narrow erect habit and is said to be good for hedging.

Cotoneaster erratus originates from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It does come true from seed according to Fryer which makes it apomictic! Collected by Hylmö in 1957.

Cotoneaster rokujodaisanensis originates from Taiwan and is described as a good all-rounder shrub with a creeping and climbing habit. Our plant is certainly true to name looking at the illustrations in the book.

Cotoneaster thimphuensis is from Bhutan and is also apomictic. Interesting yellow to orange fruits as you see here. This species is a relative newcomer arriving only in 1984.

Cotoneaster flinkii was collected by a Sven Hedin in Gansu in China in 1931. A good autumn show of fruit and leaf colour as you can begin to see here.

Cotoneaster rubens is another Forrest collection from NW Yunnan in 1914 but has been recollected recently. It is still rare in cultivation but shaping up nicely here.

Cotoneaster rhytidophyllus was originally a Wilson collection in 1912 and is clearly growing into a handsome species with a ‘lumpy’ or bullate leaf a little like Viburnum rhytidophyllum although that is not that clear from these pictures of a young plant.

So we now have 10 young plants of different new species fruiting for the first time. Dull and rather similar you may well say but the colours will improve as the berries become more mature. If you want to become an expert there are 400 species of cotoneaster so put up with these few and enjoy something new as we are doing! We had 15 to 17 new species from Mark Bulk two years ago and most were planted out a year ago with the final smaller ones planted this week. Pheasants have shown little inclination to eat cotoneaster berries elsewhere but the plants are all, for the moment, surrounded by wire netting to keep deer and rabbits away as well as pheasants. So far no trouble!

2019 – CHW
First flowers evident today after wind and rain on the first original pink Camellia sasanqua. These are 100+ year old plants and this one (of seven) is always the first but not always out in September. Is August the only month when there is no camellia out in the garden?

Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ planted last spring in the Tin Garden is already producing copious berries with the leaves still green.

The Cornwall champion tree of Osmanthus heterophyllus (by girth) is nicely scented and producing a good show on what is otherwise a dullish evergreen.

The Mevagissey fire brigade had a practice yesterday evening pumping water from the pond to enable them to squirt their hoses well above and over the roof. Surprising that the fire engine fitted through and under the arches either end of the front of the house but it clearly did which is good news.

2018 – CHW
Sheep have found a crab apple tree with plenty of low hanging fruit in a hedge and are enjoying the rather bitter taste.

A group of Betula utilis var. jacquemontii growing in a garden in Northumberland. A wonderful effect from the tree trunks all together in maturity.

What I think is Sorbus aria ‘Majestica’ with huge leaves and still green fruits.

2017 – CHW
Last year’s new planting above Auklandii Garden is looking good. We removed a laurel hedge and have still to dispose of a few stumps from the fire in the centre.

Plenty of early ripe seed heads on an old Camellia japonica variety.

Lots of seed on Magnolia ‘Mr Julian’. Probably the most that I have seen on any magnolia tree in the garden this autumn.

A young Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ has very special autumn colour which goes well with its exceptional striped bark. Is it better than the Acer conspicuum ‘Silver Cardinal’ at Burncoose?

A filthy day all day. The puddles persist!

2016 – CHW
The best thing in flower in the garden today is the mature Schima khasiana. We have Schima argentea and Schima wallichii in the garden but they are younger and not out. I am confused by the three species which do not actually look that different. The resemblance with Camellia oleifera in the flower is striking. Some scent with the schima flowers but only close up.

2015 – CHW
Lapageria rosea out by the front door. A sad remnant of a once huge plant. We think of lapagerias as flowering in autumn but in The Garden diary notes of 80 to 100 years ago these are commented on as being frosted in January. Winters seem generally to have been colder then so why were they flowering much later than now. Has this Chilean (and really greenhouse plant) adapted to our Cornish climate?

1918 – JCW
Rhodo’s as below. Cyclamen very good. Lapagerias fair. Hydrangeas fair.

(Hand written note attached to Garden Book page)
Rhodo’s showing more or less flower at Caerhays Sept 27 1918

R neriflorum, R haematodes, R cuneatum, R ravurn, R lutescens, R hanceanum, R dichroanthum, R websterianum, R fastigiatum, R oreotrephes, R saluense, R hippophaeoides, R scintillans, R telmatium, R impeditum, R decorum, R rupicolum, R primulicum, R racemosum, R lepidotum, R trichodadum, R intricatum, R leoides, R ponticum.

1919 – JCW
All above rhodo’s in flower except R dichroanthum, R ponticum, with additional ones of R waterii, R adenogynum, R valentinicium, R auriculltum, R maddeni, R saluense, R davidsonianum , R baylei.