Jo's News and Views No 9September 2025

Hello Everyone 

Well, it seems that Autumn has arrived quite suddenly. One minute it was Summer and the next Storm Amy was upon us. However, as all our gardens needed the rain I'm sure we didn't grumble too much! 

The Autumn colour is arriving slowly at Myddelton. Starting in the car park was this gorgeous Acer capillipes, a Red Snake-Bark Maple, photo 1. The leaves were already lovely shades of red and orange. The bark is amazing and you can see how it came by it's name, photo 2. 

Moving on to the Front Lawn there was a lot of Colchicums catching the afternoon sunshine, photo 3. Also here in the centre bed are the Rhus typhina, or Staghorn sumac, photos 4 and 5. 

Walking along the path to Bowling Green lawn there are lovely vistas on all sides. There was the Headache Tree bed with sunshine streaming through the branches, photo 6. Then the Berberis 'Georgei' on the other side, photo 7. Followed by the whole of Tom Tiddlers ground, photo 8. 

At the far end is the bed with the Amelanchier lamarckii in the centre surrounded by cyclamen, photo 9. 

On the Hollow Lawn the leaves on the Ginkgo biloba were just beginning to turn a lovely buttery yellow, photo 10. Then out on the New River Lawn was the complete opposite, the beautiful coppery red leaves of the Zelkova serrata, sometimes known as Keaki, photo 11. This tree is native to Japan, Korea, eastern China and Taiwan and is often used in bonsai. Further along is the Tulip Terrace and the summer bedding there is still looking great, photos 12 and 13. I expect you can spot at least one of your favourite plants in there. Mine is the dark red almost burgundy Coleus. 

Now for an update on the Rock Garden. The restoration of the pools is complete now, photos 14, 15, 16 and 17. The rocks were all positioned by hand just as Mr Bowles would have built it all those years ago and it looks so natural. They have done a super job on it and the gardeners are now working hard weeding the whole area so the new planting can be added. 

Walking back to the house I stopped to admire the Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' and the Berberis 'Georgei' framing the pathway, photo 18. It has been a good year for berberis as I have seen many about on my travels to and from the garden. Also here is the splendid Liquidambar, photo 19. The leaves will continue to change colour right up until they drop off the branches. Further along the path was the Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood', also known as Ash 'Raywood', and the Phellodendron amurense, or the Amur Cork tree, photo 20. It's a shame really that we love to shorten names so that these beautiful trees become Ash and Cork!

I stopped to explore the Old Conservatory as I could see a cloud of yellow flowers through the windows. Yes, the Senna septemtrionalis, or Arsenic bush, was in full flower, photo 21. 

Then finally an update on the bench I brought back from RHS Wisley a couple of years ago. The RHS were making changes and thought the bench was unsafe for the public so we rescued it. The bench has been completely restored and now has a new home in the Wisley Corner here at Myddelton. The bench was originally presented to RHS Wisley by the Forty Hill Mutual Improvement Horticultural Society, known as 'FortyHorti', in memory of Mr Bowles who was founder and President of the society. I think it's lovely that it has come 'home'. 

I hope you have enjoyed this wander around the garden with me. 

Best Wishes 

Jo