Jo's October views

Hello Everyone

Well, we may still have sunshine but it has turned very cold so it is a good job that there is lots of autumn colour in the garden to enjoy.

First up today is the view of the house from the Arboretum, photo 1. The crocuses have continued to flower forming a very pretty carpet of colour everywhere.

Walking around the pond to the Pond Terrace you can enjoy the views of the Swamp Cypress. An impressive tree that never fails to delight in autumn. Here are the different stages of colour. Photo 2 was taken on 5th October, photo 3 on the 13th and photo 4 on the 21st. If you flick through the photos quickly you can almost see it changing colour.

Further along the path is the Clematis bridge and if you turn round there is a lovely view across the grass of the Tulip Tree, Ash Tree, Berberis and the white flower in the foreground is Galtonia, photo 5. The Ash tree has looked impressive this autumn, photo 6. I'm glad I took this photo when I did as the leaves had all fallen a week later.

On the other side of the pond you can look across towards the Pond Terrace, photo 7. I find that it doesn't matter where you stand around the pond the view is always beautiful.

Next is the Rose Garden, photos 8 and 9. Two different views taken 2 weeks apart which show the dahlias flowering well into the autumn giving added colour to this area.

Moving on through the upper garden is the Wild Garden. A hidden gem in the garden that is full of colour. The Acer palmatum is looking quite striking, photo 10. So is the Rhus typhina, the Staghorn sumac, which is full of so many different colours ranging from bright green and yellow through to orange and red. It certainly is putting on a dazzling display, photos 11 and 12. Walking across the New River Lawn and down the steps to the Kitchen Garden I always stop for a while to enjoy the Tulip Terrace, Photo 13. The summer bedding has now been removed and all the beds have been planted up with bulbs for early and late spring colour.

Down in the Kitchen Garden the festival of colour continues with Echinacea, photo 14. There is also the most amazing display of pumpkins and squashes, photo 15. There were 280 harvested this year and they will be on sale from the produce cart soon.

Tearing myself away from the pumpkins and squashes I continue on to the Peach House stopping first to admire the first snowdrops in flower. This is Galanthus reginae-olgae, photo 16. It flowered in the first week of October and is part of the donation made to the garden earlier this year. A quick look through the door of the Peach House reveals another colourful display, photo 17. Then it's through the archway to stop and admire the Colletia paradoxa, photo 18. Known as the Anchor Plant because of the strange shape of it's very prickly leaves, photo 19. On a warm afternoon the perfume from these flowers fill the air.

Continuing on through the garden to the Eremurus Border I stop to admire the roses that are still flowering and one of the trees that has been allowed to retain it's berries for autumn interest, photo 20.

Then onto the Front Lawn, photo 21, which is looking lovely in the late afternoon sunshine.

Finally, in my nature section I have a bee enjoying a nectar treat from a dahlia, photo 22.

Hope you have enjoyed this walk round the garden.

Best Wishes

Jo