We thought this to be Zanthoxylum simulans (the larger of the two trees and nearer the middle bridge) but Julian believes it is actually Z. bungeanum which is a very common error apparently. Z. bungeanum is not described in the old Hilliers. He will confirm from samples taken. Z. simulans has individual fruits and Z. bungeanum has fruits in singles and clusters as on this plant.

A drought dead sweet chestnut beside the Zanthoxylum.

This is indeed Z. piperitum (branch and twig thorns in pairs) as we thought.

The two trees together. Z. piperitum is on the right and the smaller of the two.

This is a Crug Farm collection labelled Z. coreanum (planted 2017) which Julian thinks may also actually be just another name or synonym for Z. bungeanum. On the face of it perhaps but we now need to check the original location of the Crug collection (Vietnam or China?)

We also took samples from the Crug collected Z. piperitum var. inerme which had not enjoyed the drought and no fruits this year.

Zanthoxylum armatum is correctly named (also Crug). One of the few evergreen species which is enjoying growing in shade and fruiting prolifically. Julian believes that the huge stem spines or thorns may have been a prehistoric defence mechanism against beevers which were once rather larger than they are here today. The wide winged petioles on the leaves are the giveaway to this species identity.

Then to the first fruits which may ever have been seen in the UK on what Crug Farm called Parastyrax species nova. Of our 3 seedlings purchased from Bleddyn only 2 have so far flowered and only the one growing in full sun has now begun to produce seeds. Planted in 2021 as BWJ 15185 it is now around 12 feet fall. Another plant with the same collection number was planted in 2020 in full shade and had one flower thus year but no seed has set. Styrax species have single seeds. When Julian cuts what appears to be a single seed in half it reveals that there are in fact several seeds forming in what is a seed pod rather than a single seed. This means that these new introductions from Crug are not Styrax or Parastyrax species at all. Quite what we should now call then Julian will reveal.

Excellent new growth on the ? Parastyrax despite the drought.

2025 – CHW

Waiting for Lord Burnett a wander around outside the arch.

Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’ just coming out with bees a plenty.

Cornus kousa ‘Doubloon’ with a good crop of fruit.

Symplocos paniculata with ripening blue berries.

Magnolia ‘Genie’ with secondary flowers which have largely gone over. The plant is in full sun on a dry bank and thriving with lush growth.

The Rehderodendron macrocarpum that was stripped of bark by squirrels is, despite everything, covered in seeds to collect soon.

Magnolia dawsoniana are easily recognisable because they are multi-stemmed rather than single stemmed.

Gorgeous peeling park on Hydrangea aspera ‘Robusta’.

Symphoricarpos albus was cut down a year ago and is fruiting much more abundantly with larger berries.

2024 – CHW
Cotoneaster species today.Cotoneaster wilsonii is always one of the first to have ripe berries. Asia needs to collect them now before the pheasants find them.

Cotoneaster thimphuensis just starting to turn yellow and far from ripe yet.

Cotoneaster hillieri with fewer fruits than usual.

Cotoneaster flinckii.

Cotoneaster rubens with a trailing habit.

Minor progress with completion of the clearance work above the Old Dog Kennels. Looks like Ross’s machine has again broken down.

Cotoneaster ganghobaensis is not one I have seen fruiting properly before.

Cotoneaster sylvestrii is making good headway but not that many fruits as yet. Fryer and Hylmo’s book on Cotoneasters was published in 2009. This species was not then thought to be growing in cultivation in the West. If it is as rare as that Asia needs to grab these rounded red fruits.

2023 – CHW
Final tidying in the new Rookery clearing has given the pheasants plenty of opportunity for dust baths. 28°c here yesterday afternoon.

Ternstroemia aff. luteoflora (FMWJ 13360) has flowered and set seed but I have missed the flowers.

Deads from the earlier drought – Magnolia crassifolia.

Nearby Podocarpus brassii which was a gift from Tom Hudson.

Coprosma grandifolia in flower may not set the world alight but is certainly unusual. I suspect this will propagate easily from cuttings. Originally from Nicholas Locke.

Syringa x diversifolia suddenly in flower. I assume secondary flowers as this would normally be out in May.

2022 – CHW
A stormy night with perhaps half an inch of rain to stabilise the deaths in the garden. Steady, showery rain is much better than a downpour which runs off and does not sink in. No great improvement in many struggling plants as yet but they now have a better chance.

The dogs kill a polecat on their way to bed in the kennels in the inner backyard courtyard. All the fuss about reintroducing pine martens when polecats have done it all on their own. Until last year we never seen a pole cat here in my lifetime. Twice the size of a ferret. No wonder our rabbit population is so low with a brood of these in the garden. Mink have been eradicated for some time here, after many years of the escapees from the mink farm in St Austell. Now we have something even worse!

Susyn Andrews can now identify this ancient clump of Gaultheria hookeri or Vaccinium wardii with these pictures of the seed heads. Gaultheria I suspect. The ancient plant is half dead from the drought.

Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’ ( ‘Sango-Kaku’ ) turning yellowish even earlier than usual.

A huge leaf blown off Aralia vietnamensis overnight.

Flower buds forming on Peumus boldus earlier than usual.

The original Lindera megaphylla has lost a large branch in the gale.

Plenty of fruit on Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’.

Last few (large) flowers on a young Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’.

2021 – CHW
Rubus ichangensis just coming into flower. The fruits will be very late!

Seed heads on Magnolia cylindrica – not a common occurrence here.

Autumn tints on Acer henryi.

Most of the acorns have already dropped on Quercus lamellosa. These are still undersized and nowhere near ripe.

Flower tassels already visible on Stachyurus chinensis.

Rhododendron decorum still with flowers high up.