Viburnum arboricolum – BSWJ 3052 fruiting well for the first time. Planted in 2021.

The worst drought struck clump of Hydrangea is recovering better than expected.

Cotoneaster confusus as berried as ever.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ turning green with hints of pink rather earlier than normal.

Viburnum sieboldii ‘Seneca’ with drought damage.

Euonymus oxyphyllus (BSWJ 10815) with autumn colour and nicely ripe seed pods.

Euonymus carnosus (NMWJ 14515) with seed heads far from ripe.

Dead rhododendrons above Higher Quarry Nursery.

This one survives with new growth coming late.

Partial death on two young Rhododendron calophytum.

Some seed on Styrax tonkinensis but not much for the huge number of flowers.

Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Snow Bird’ in full sun has not turned a hair in the drought.

2025 – CHW

This Clethra petiolotii was nearly dead a week ago.

So was this pink form of Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’.

Crataegus brachyacantha with red fruits.

Crataegus durobrivensis.

Crataegus ambigua.

Crataegus calpodendron.

Crataegus chlorosarca with amazing black berries.

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Heavy rain wash off from the path above HQN.

The volume of rain down the drive has cleared the side drains on the drive and mounded up the dry leaves which fell early in the August heatwave.

2024 – CHW
A visit to Cornish Lithium Demonstration Plant, Trelavour Pit, St. Denis.

The £10m prototype demonstration plant to extract lithium from granite.

The visitors don their protective clothing.

A fairly recent casualty of a red deer in a corn field at Goviley, spotted by Jaimie, while doing a tree survey. The antlers suggest that this was a farmed red deer which had escaped.

My brother noticed the head stone of Able Seaman Reed in the Caerhays church yard. Reed drowned on SS Leon Martin when it hit an acoustic mine off Falmouth on 13.11.1940. His body was apparently washed up here.

Further information is attached.

2023 – CHW
I have nearly missed Rhododendron emarginatum (CW & T6278).

A young Rhododendron arboreum dying after the drought.

Deer damage to a main stem on Rhododedron royalii with consequent reshooting.

Interesting that after the recent rain Rhododendron excellens (AC 5615) is producing more young new growth while still retaining a few viable seed heads.

Harvey Stephens 2015 gift of Mahonia savilleana has drought die back but also a few flower heads.

A rare secondary flower on a young Rhododendron ‘May Day’.

2022 – CHW
One limb twisted off our Maackia chinensis in the recent gale. When things are in full leaf and also drought tensile such damage is inevitable. Leaf litter everywhere under magnolias in the garden.

Autumn cut back Rhododendron ‘Michaels Pride’ after the drought. One survives and one dead.

One of the original Magnolia dawsoniana virtually defoliated in the drought. This tree has previously been pollarded to rejuvenate it as you can clearly see here.

A young Rhododendron sinogrande has survived but the yellowing in the older leaves is obvious drought stress. It should, however, be fine.

This is a huge, old branch near the ground on Michelia doltsopa which birds, animals and our dogs well know usually offers a drink. The first time there has been water in this cleft for 2 months.

The other half of the mature Gevuina avellana has been blown over in the gale.

Flower buds well formed on the Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’clump. It won’t be that long!

Even after half an inch of rain this young rhododendron is far from recovered. Some more rain every day this week the forecasters promise but we will see.

2021 – CHW
Daphnephyllum teysmannii (Japanese) with lots of new growth.

Late secondary flowers on Magnolia ‘Cleopatra’.

Cornus controversa covered in fruits.

Still catkins on Salix fargesii on secondary or tertiary new growth.

Seed heads far from ripe yet on Magnolia obovata.

Podocarpus henkelii loaded with unripe podocarps.

Magnolia mollicomata with few seed heads and plenty of flower buds.

A huge clump of fungi on an exposed root of a now fallen beech tree.