Jo's September News and Views
Hello Everyone
Well, the Autumn Equinox certainly brought an abrupt end to summer for us. A drop in the temperature of over 10 degrees was certainly a shock to my system so jackets and gloves are the order of the day now. So let me take you back to the early days of September before the weather changed. The planting in the bed on the front drive reminds us of the role the NHS has played throughout the Corona virus. A big thank you to all key workers who have continued working throughout this period, photo 1. Also, in this area are the Colchicum autumale, autumn crocus, on the front lawn, photo 2, these wonderful yuccas in the Honesty Bed, photo 3 and of course the house itself, photo 4. Looking splendid in the afternoon sunshine. The trees all around the garden are full of ''vim and vigour''. On the front lawn is this beautiful Juglans nigra, the Black Walnut tree. Its name comes from the dark, heavily ridged bark, photo 5. Also here is the Cedar tree. The new cones on it are just too numerous to count, photo 6. Then walking around the side of the house is another favourite of mine, the Phellodendron or cork-tree, photo 7. The leaves are a beautiful golden colour right now and will continue to sparkle until they fall. Moving on to the Pond Terrace and the lovely display of succulents in the pots, photo 8. The Taxodium distichum, Swamp Cypress, is still looking very green so we will have to wait awhile for the gorgeous rusty hue that will cover it completely, photo 9. Just on the edge of the pond on the New River Lawn is the Castanea sativa, the Sweet Chestnut, photo 10. This was another tree with an amazing amount of fruit on it. Opposite the pond running along side the lawn are the Yew hedges which have been clipped to perfection, photo 11. Then onto to the Tulip Terrace. The Bishop's dahlias are still flowering really well and have been a great success on the terrace this summer, photo 12. I love the silhouette of the flower in the banana leaf, photo 13. Then with the change in weather imminent the succulents were all whisked away to safety and somewhere warmer, photo 14. Where did they go?? Well, the pots go down to the glasshouses for the winter and the tender plants from the beds found refuge in the Old Conservatory, photo 15. The flowers down in the Kitchen Garden have continued to put on a show for everyone. The Annual Bed has been an absolute riot of colour, photo 16, including another of my favourites, Cleome, also known as Spider plant, photo 17. They come in a variety of colours including pink, lilac and white. Continuing my walk through the Kitchen Garden I saw that the squashes and pumpkins have all been harvested, photo 18. Well, all except one, photo 19. Apparently, it needed a little more sunshine........ don't we all !!! Finally, from this area, one last glimpse of the Ipomoea lobata, also known as the Spanish flag, photo 20. This plant has flowered so well all summer that I might be tempted to grow it myself next year. Leaving the Kitchen Garden I wandered past the Asylum and on to the Hollow Lawn area. Here the Ginkgo biloba tree was standing tall and quite regal in it's pre-autumn gown of butter yellow leaves, photo 21 and next door in the Wild Garden, the Acer palmatum has decided to rush ahead of everyone else in the garden and was showing all it's autumn colours already, photo 22. Finally, it's Richard, a man who definitely needs more hours in his day to get through an exhausting list of jobs around the garden. As Bryan is still furloughed the task of trimming all the hedges is also on his long list, photo 23. Now onto the fauna found in the garden this month. First of all this very colourful pheasant ran across my path, photo 24. The Heron has been busy fishing in the pond, photos 25. When volunteering one morning, we disturbed this common frog in Tom Tiddlers ground, photo 26 and the dahlias on the Tulip Terrace not only looked wonderful but supplied a never ending amount of nectar for all the hungry bees in the garden, photo 27. I am thrilled to be able to visit the garden again and you can too. Just visit the LVRPA website and book a visit soon. If you are unable to visit, I hope you have enjoyed this wander through the garden with me. Best Wishes Jo
