Jo's November Walk
Hello Everyone
Well, have we had enough rain now?? I have tried not to complain about the weather because there are parts of the UK that have had dreadful flooding so I'm just thankful we have had just enough to refresh our gardens and replenish our water butts and I'll say no more!
The autumn colour has continued to flourish in the garden and it starts in the car park. Fagus sylvatica or beech hedging to you and me, photos 1 and 2. These photos were taken one afternoon earlier in the month when the sun was still putting in the occasional appearance!
Walking across in the front of the house towards the pond you couldn't miss the Parrotia persica, the Persian ironwood tree, which was looking fabulous in her autumn colours, photo 3. Further along the path in Tom Tiddlers ground the Cotinus coggygria, photos 4 and 5, was also catching the afternoon sunlight.
Moving onto the Rose Garden I found the Tetrapanax papyrifer, the Chinese rice-paper plant, was showing off its fruit, photos 6. It is nestled in a sheltered spot along with Luma apiculata, Myrte, Collectia hystrix, Bristly colletia and Clematis armandii, Armand clematis, photo 7. Now the Pergola Garden has been cleared there is so much to discover in this area. The bark on these Eucalyptus trees looked really attractive, photo 8. Something I've not noticed here before the tidy up. Also, in this area near the pond is this Arbutus unedo f. rubra, the Pink Strawberry tree, photos 9 and 10. It is covered in fruit this year and again I'm wondering how I've missed this on previous visits. It just goes to show that no matter how often you visit the garden there is always something new to discover.
Walking out onto the New River Lawn I noticed the skeletons of the Conium maculatum, known as Hemlock, photo 11. If we have another frost I hope I'm free to rush to the garden to capture these plants white with frost. Over the wall down in the Kitchen Garden order has been restored after a very hectic and very successful summer, photo 12. The crops harvested this year have been on sale in the garden shop, photo 13.
Next I went to the Peach House area of the garden as I had heard that the first autumn snowdrops were flowering and sure enough there was Galanthus elwesii 'Barnes' in full bloom, photo 14. This is one of the earliest snowdrops to flower every year.
Then onto the highlight of my visits this month. The Taxodium distichum, Swamp cypress, photos 15, 16, 17 and 18. Sitting beside the pond is the perfect spot for it and it's been magnificent this year. In my opinion, the view across the pond in the afternoon sunshine is one of the best you can find and well worth waiting for.
Leaving the pond area I stopped to enjoy this view of the house, photo 19, holding it's own amongst all the autumn splendour around the garden.
So on to the fauna in the garden this month. Not much to report but that's not to say there wasn't anything there just that I didn't see it! However, I did spot this insect enjoying the nectar from this Colchicum autumnale, autumn crocus, photo 20. These late flowering crocus are a valuable food source for insects in the autumn. Also, making their presence heard were those pesky parakeets. There was a small flock of them in the car park in the Fraxinus excelsior, common ash, photos 21 and 22. By the look on the parakeet's face here in photo 23 I would say he's as fed up to see me again as I am to see him. Still live and let live! The gardeners just wish they would go and live somewhere else lol!
Well, that's it for another month. I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the garden with me.
Best Wishes
