Look at the lawn 3 days after rain!

The Helenium were nearly dead and have been cut back – perhaps to reshoot a little?

Eucomis bicolor nearly over.

Amaryllis belladonna also going over.

Amaryllis belladonna – white form just out and Eucomis bicolor.

Badgers or our dogs?

Acanthus mollis collapsed in the drought but the seed heads survive intact with unripe swelling seeds.

Even the Outer Park is greening up.

2025 – CHW

Lithocarpus quercifolius (TH 4595) from Hong Kong enjoying the heat.

Nothaphoebe cavaleriei with loads of new growth three years on from planting.

I watered these Rhododendron fragrantissimum a day or two ago and may well have saved them. They have recovered and picked up well.

Two Red Kites spotted over the watermeadows.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’ recovering well after some rain.

Then to the Kitchen Garden to view fruiting Malus.

Malus ‘Butterball’ – absolutely laden.

Malus ‘Braendkjaer’.

Malus ‘John Downie’.

Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’ – full of fruit.

Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’.

Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’ – odd shape.

Malus ‘Professor Sprenger’.

Malus ‘Marble’ – exceptional!

Malus ‘Neville Copeman’.

Malus x purpurea ‘Crimson Cascade’.

Malus ‘Sun Rival’.

Malus ‘Golden Gem’ – an excellent yellow.

Malus ‘Direktor Moerland’ – like black cherries.

Malus ‘Donald Wyman’

2024 – CHW
The first flowers on Lapageria rosea this year.

A bit worrying that two large magnolias are thinking its spring and already shedding the outer coverings on their flowers. The result of a mild and wet summer.

A fine display of Lythrum salicaria or Purple Loosestrife outside the front gates. This has regrown to flowering size after the first grass cut in late June.

Tamarix ramosissima just starting to flower on the old plants by the Bottom Lodge. The flowers are on this years new growth. On T. tetrandra, which flowers in May/ June, the flowers are on the previous years new growth. A very attractive white form of T. ramosissima flowered well in Kennel Close but 6-8 weeks ago. The reference books say ‘summer flowering’ but our ancient plants always perform late August/ September.

Jaimie finishing off the removal of the thuggish Hydrangea seemannii from the wall by the Stable Flat.

A sea of self-sown Luma apiculata below the tower on the lawn.

All but one of the 20 or so camellias cut back, dug up with a digger, and moved are reshooting vigorously below White Styles.

2023 – CHW
A visit to Burncoose to complete the annual tree survey.

The first time I have seen Sesbania punicea in flower. Another genus with pea flowers.

Daphne gemmata nicely out in flower in the shade.

The first time we have grown Acacia boormanii and offered it for sale.

Berberidopsis beckleri still in tight bud. At Caerhays the flowers have been out November-December.

Cotoneaster bullatus covered in berry right at the entrance to the garden. A forgotten plant.

Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’ just starting to turn at the tips of the branches.

Secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Sweet Merlot’ below the lawn.

A badger has dug out a huge wasps nest below a fallen beech tree stump.

The ground is covered with fallen white petals under an Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’.

There was a hornets nest in the this crevasse in an old tree but they appear to have moved on.

2022 – CHW
The Forsythia near the gents loo has had a 20 year haircut.

We have given up on the half cut back Cordyline australis. After the drought it only had 3 or 4 terminal green shoots, so now a ground level cutback. They normally reshoot well from the base after this sort of treatment but has the drought been just too bad?

Sarcococca saligna with flower buds nearly out in a damp corner by the front gates.

Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’ just coming out as it always does very late in the Hydrangea season.

A year ago we thought this Magnolia dawsoniana might die after it was severely wind chill frosted and when early into leaf. Lots of die back from the twig tips. Now, however, one has to say that it has recovered into rude health.

Flower tassels well formed on Garrya elliptic ‘James Roof’.

Rainclouds loom at last and a westerly gale is promised. The banks were only cut yesterday after all the wild flowers had seeded. If left any longer it would mean cutting the autumn cyclamen flowers.

2021 – CHW
Selecting a branch to create an aerial layer on a particularly good big leafed rhododendron hybrid with Asia.

Flower buds on Schima superba nearly out.

But still not far advanced yet on Schima khasiana.

Styrax formosanus var. formosanus with a good crop of seeds but far less seeds than there were flowers.

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Kay Parris’ nicely out.

Eucalyptus nicholii is shedding or splitting its old bark like a snake with new bark already visible beneath.

Camellia ‘Cornish Snow’ with many swelling buds.

Hoheria sextylosa now full out.

Fruits forming on Sorbus eleonorae. Last year they were not ripe until late January or February when I ate one.