Monday 3rd.

An exciting weekend in Cornwall for the Group AGM on Saturday.  Hosted by us (South West Branch) at Trewithen where we were made most welcome; all the staff and gardeners most pleasant and accommodating. Some new faces as members of other branches had made their way to attend, which was good to see. There were a lovely lot of entries for the Centenary Cup competition and the winner was Caerhays with Magnolia rostrata with its huge leaves. We were free to wander the garden and after lunch the AGM was held in the Court Room where after some worrying moments, we got the technology working thanks to Gary Long.

After this I presented the cup and we gave Gary a large specimen of Magnolia ‘Felix Jury’ as a way of thanking him and Sam Galsworthy for hosting us. We set off into the garden with Gary and apprentice Millie and saw so many excellent plants not only from our three genera. I noticed a red flowered evergreen magnolia which could have been a good form of M. insignis, or something similar.

The famous Rhododendron maccabeanum had died, but layers and cuttings had been taken and a large plant of its offspring was a magnificent sight. There were other unusual trees such as a large Idesia, Gevuina and a very rare Aextoxicon punctatum. We had a go at tasting the lantern flowers of a Crinodendron but they had lost their taste having matured.

Gary gave us an illustrated talk on the history of the gardens now amounting to 92 acres being gardened - astonishing. Gary is only the third Head Gardener since the gardens were started in about 1903.

We then dispersed and some of us stayed behind for a buffet prepared for 22 people (we were 12) so there was a lot left over for doggy bags and for the staff at Trewithen when they were back on duty.

On a very hot Sunday, we went to Tregrehan where Tom Hudson hosts an annual Rare Plant Fair. It was packed! Not surprisingly as the plants on offer are rarely seen otherwise. I came away with some treasures three of which I planted this afternoon.

Wednesday 19th.

Rosemary Campbell-Preston Vice chairman of the RHS Woody Plant Committee came here to do a recce. The Committee are coming here on Tuesday morning 17th September. She seemed genuinely impressed and stayed photographing and taking notes for almost 3 hours! She is a cousin of Fiona Waterer so Fiona will be making a light lunch which they will have in the studio after looking round before going on to Marwood.. It should be a great day. She admired so many plants here including Deutzia multiradiata with its sweet flowers and very glossy foliage,

and the filigree foliage and honey scented flowers of Lomatia silaifolia.

Mark the arboriculturist came to inspect our trees and expressed an interest in looking at the garden. He was very impressed with all the different species etc that grow here. I pointed out the 45 year old Blue Atlantic Cedar which has been looking rather sick this year and he diagnosed an infection with a fungus that attacks cedars and hemlocks - Sirococcus tsugae - for which there is no cure apparently. It causes dieback of ends of branches. I also spotted a few affected branches on the Cedar of Lebanon by the sphinxes - oh dear. The old Cedar of Lebanon is looking very healthy thank goodness.

Wednesday 26th.

The garden is looking amazing and I had expected crowds to appear last Sunday for our NGS open day. Nobody turned up for the first 40 mins! We eventually had 15 in total; most disappointing. I felt sorry for the WI doing the teas, but I think everyone who came had a tea and they seem to enjoy just meeting up for a chat!

Saturday 29th.

Yesterday I mulched around the Californian Aesculus as we had had a heavy shower of rain in the night. Some mulch I bought cheaply (12 bags) had been reduced to half price, and seems this was the byproduct of energy industry. It had N P K added, and I added a little more Growmore but light sprinkling only and used some of our compost from above the Turkish Tent which has over the years been piled up along the boundary hedge. I also chainsawed the dead/dying branches mainly in the middle of the tree so I hope it will revive.

I haven’t mulched to the drip line, but it is quite a wide area which I hope will be enough.