Jo's News and Views No 11 November 2024
Hello Everyone.
Although Storm Bert ripped through the country earlier this month I am pleased to say that the gardens at Myddelton were relatively untouched. The Autumn colour has arrived and I was able to see most of the trees at their glorious best.
In the car park the hedge, Fagus sylvatica or common beech, was putting on a fine show, photo 1. In the Honesty bed outside of the stable yard was this dramatic Yucca, photo 2 standing tall and defying the weather. At the top of the drive the leaves of the Prunus serrula, the Tibetan cherry, had turned a pale yellow, photo 3, and later in the month after the leaves had fallen the coppery-red bark was glistening in the sunshine, photo 4.
At the back of the house the Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood', the Ash 'Raywood' had lost all of its leaves but the beech hedge along the boundary was full of colour, photo 5. Walking towards the pond, the Liquidambar, also called the Sweetgum tree, was just beginning to drop its leaves, photo 6. Further along was the Liriodendron tulipifera, the Tulip tree, photo 7. For the first time I noticed the light brown seed cones on its branches, photo 8. Also here was this beautiful Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry', planted by Charlie Smith, Head gardener, in 1996 to mark his 50 years of service to the gardens. The leaves are a dark burgundy red all year, photo 9 then they turn into this amazing shade of coppery orange, photo 10.
Across the pond the Liquidambar's leaves were turning to red and gold, photo 11. It is slower to change colour as it's shaded from the sun by the huge Quercus ilex, the Holm oak, which is an evergreen and casts its shadow over everything around it. Walking around the pond I stopped to enjoy another of my favourite trees, Taxodium distichum, the Swamp cypress, photo 12. The leaves turn a lovely shade of copper which glows in the sunshine, photo 13. Next I stopped to look across the Alpine meadow. Here the impressive Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the Dawn redwood, had turned a more sombre coppery colour, photo 14.
In the Kitchen Garden the third Liquidambar in the garden was a fine mix of reds, golds and greens, photo 15.
Then I walked further around the paths to the Asylum. Here there was a mix of evergreens, skeleton branches and golden colour, photo 16. So the three trees, along the front of the photo left to right, are Taxus baccata, the ancient Yew tree, Araucaria araucana, the Monkey puzzle tree, then Quercus rubra, the English oak tree. All beautiful in their own unique way. Next was the Gingko biloba, also known as the Maidenhair tree, photo 17. Its leaves turn a wonderful buttery yellow in Autumn, photo 18.
Returning to the New River Lawn I met the new Senior gardener, Gabby Boraston, who was working with Julia replanting the Tulip Terrace beds. Gabby has just joined the team and told me that she enjoys taking a different route through the garden every morning. We looked at the Citrus trifoliata, the Bitter orange tree, together as it is heavily ladened with fruit this year, photo 19. Then Gabby showed me the Iris foetidissima in the Rose garden, photo 20. It is not only flowering, photo 21 courtesy of Gabby, but has seed heads as well, photo 22. Further on near the pond I found Arbutus unedo f. rubra, the Strawberry tree. This medium sized evergreen shrub has bell shaped flowers of white and sometimes tinged with pink which appear as the strawberry-like fruits ripen on the previous year's flowers, photo 23.
Walking back to the house I stopped to enjoy one of my favourite views, photo 24. Full of Autumn colour, bare branches and a glimpse of the pond. Then finally we have Parrotia persica, the Persian ironwood tree, photo 25.
So the fauna roundup this month is a bit sparse to say the least. I saw this Rose-ringed or Ring-necked parakeet sitting on a wire, photo 26. Whilst the others made their presence felt by flying overhead screeching loudly. But the highlight of the day was my favourite bird, the Red Kite, flying overhead, photo 27. I made a special trip to Gigrin Farm near Rhayader in Wales to see them in 2009. Now the population has gradually moved across the countryside and they are here on my doorstep.
I hope you have enjoyed this wander around the garden with me.
Best wishes
Jo
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