Monday 1st.

I decided to move the Michelia sp. (ex Vietnam via Keith Rushforth & Martyn Rix) from the walled garden. The winter 2 years ago hit it hard, and it has looked rather sickly since, and a little chlorotic. I prepared a nice bed for it next to Lindera pulcherrima below the blue Atlantic cedar; a spot I feel will be sheltered, but in better soil. Let’s hope it takes - the roots weren’t much to write home about.

Sunday 7th.

Exciting weekend at the Cornwall Spring Show at Boconnoc. Long queue for lunch at the Duchy Nursery on Friday, but excellent when I finally got to it.  I was judging the magnolias Friday evening (such as they were in view of the frosts & cold easterly wind still persisting). My fellow judge couldn’t come so I was on my own. Peter Bucknell and John Mann were stewarding so it was rather jolly. Roy Lancaster was judging as well, so we had a chat about my Litsea. He has just been given a small plant of it. He asked if the flowers were male - i.e. bunches of stamens as on the Linderas, but I said they were proper flowers and he should look at the photo on the website. Only Sue ‘does’ computers apparently.

We had a great meal afterwards in the dining room, having first had drinks and canapés in the drawing room. They have done the house up very well, I remember it in its rather desperate shape 8 years ago.

I had some long chats then and the next day with Elizabeth Fortescue who was a scream. The sun was out and the wind had dropped on Saturday morning, so it was rather pleasant. Enormous queues of cars and people trying to get in. I was early luckily, and strode in wearing my judge’s badge from Friday. I restrained myself in the plant buying but got a Gordonia sp. from Guizhou which Tom Hudson grows and flowers well. I will be please if it at least survives.

Monday 8th.

Rob & James cleared the area above the tractor shed, and all the detritus I burned yesterday and finished off today. It is looking very tidy.

To my horror, the badger managed to pull down at least a third of the retaining wall on the obelisk walk. I quickly rebuilt it and have put bamboos at intervals along with wire between which I hope deters it. The mole is increasingly active too, and sets off my trap but isn’t caught. Vanessa got me a new mole trap from appropriately, Mole Valley Farmers. My goodness the spring is strong, so perhaps it won’t be able to escape

Tuesday 9th.

The weather forecast is at last for South-Westerlies to replace the bitter Easterlies, so I prepared and planted out the Phoenix roebellii palms from the greenhouse, and planted (with mycorrhizae) Magnolia figo from the greenhouse where it was overwintering. It is quite a large plant now, originally from Pam Hayward, so I am going to leave it outside and hope for the best. I also put in a Strobilanthes sp. from China which I got from John Lanyon when we went round the garden at Tregye last October. I’m pleased with the new bed along the bottom of the tennis court below the Atlantic cedar - I dug in a lot of leafmould and some old stumps half rotting for effect. I already had planted a Disporum megalanthum and Bergenia emeiensis from the Cornwall show and the Gordonia in the same bed last Sunday. I ordered some ground orchids for this area, although from a reputable supplier nothing yet and no answer to my e-mail; slightly worrying.

                                Disporum megalanthum close up

                           New ‘woodsy’ border below Atlantic cedar

Thursday 11th.

Sorted out the non-delivered orchids by speaking to the owner, so hopefully they should arrive very soon. Muddle their end apparently.

Very heavy showers this afternoon with episode of hail and thunder. The very dry 4 weeks has definitely come to an abrupt end. Nevertheless, I managed to put the Ensete Maurellii back in their usual places, and a Phoenix canariensis bought last October planted out, with two Musschias (?) from Russell Beeson last year. After planting a red lorapetalum (reduced at BJ Value House) and a clump of Watsonia meriana, the rain showed no sign of stopping, so I rushed back soaking wet. It is raining again very hard and persistently, so I’m glad I stopped when I did.

                                    Hellebore “Anne’s Red”

Saturday 13th.

Pouring with rain again, but I must get out; at least I can make some labels. I dug up some of that lovely furry Primula kisoana where it has started spreading well yesterday as a present for Jane Keatley who we are going to for lunch tomorrow. The mauve/pink flowers are held above the foliage on soft white furry stems and it produces thin white runners with a new baby plant at the ends.

Thursday 18th.

Poor magnolias; having been tempted into flowering, they have been subjected to very strong South westerlies all last night and all today. The sun was out and out of the wind it was pleasant enough. I have been going round the garden with a group of six ladies who all did a RHS course at Rosemoor, and I took the opportunity to look out some magnolias to put in for the National Rhododendron show this weekend. There haven’t been the number of entries notified in advance, but people turn up on the day. The weather is forecast to be  good this weekend. I was admiring the little spreading Primula kisoana, and nearby I noticed the Tasmanian laurel Anopterus glandulosus which has been growing well since I brought it back in 2007 as a tiny plant from Mount Field National Park, not far from Hobart. It is a lustrous purple colour in leaf with the start of new shoots. It survived with protection the severe winter 2 years ago, and has had no protection since.

Monday 22nd.

The RHS Rhododendron Show at Rosemoor was a great success, especially considering the weather this Spring. There were a lot of camellias and magnolias as well, so it was all very colourful.

                            Setting up the show early Saturday morning

Kevin Hughes had a stand, and so many temptations. I succumbed to new Magnolia liliflora called Raven, a double Wake Robin among other things which I planted in the afternoons after the show.