News and Views No 11 November 2025

Hello Everyone 

I am so pleased that I captured some of the Autumn beauty in the garden last month because it has all gone except one Liquidambar styraciflua. It's one of my favourite trees and as I explained last month they all behave differently. So this edition is dedicated to latecomers everywhere. I was lucky enough to have the sun accompany me on one of my visits so that was a real bonus. 

On the drive the Gleditsia triacanthos, also known as Honey locust or Thorney locust, was still drying its socks, photo 1. Walking past the house I stopped to enjoy the colours in the leaves on the Parrotia persica, photo 2. So many shades of green, yellow and red, photo 3. 

Making my way to the Pond Terrace, I noticed that the storms we have had lately had knocked all the leaves off the branches of the Liquidambar styraciflua, known as American Sweetgum, photo 4. Across the pond the Taxodium distichum, the Swamp Cypress, had also lost all of its leaves, photo 5. However, this month the star of the show was the magnificent Liquidambar styraciflua at the far end of the pond, photo 6. The colours really were amazing, photo 7. 

Walking around the pond I walked under the Berberis 'Georgei' which had made a curtain across the path, photo 8. More delights awaited me on the other side of the pond as the gardeners had been removing some of the bullrushes and flag irises from the pond as they had become quite invasive. So the view of the house was now being reflected in the water, or should I say ice, in the pond, photo 9. The leaves from the Liquidambar styraciflua provided some lovely patterns on the grass, photo 10. Then I took one last look at my favourite tree, which was also losing its leaves, before I moved on, photo 11. 

Just along the New River Lawn, the Rose Garden was a study in green, photo 12. The gentle shades of green showed the Market Cross off to perfection.

Next was the Tulip Terrace. This was being prepared for the Autumn/Spring planting, photo 13. A selection of forget-me-nots, blue violas and dark red wallflowers under planted with tulip bulbs will provide a wonderful display in the Spring, photos 14 and 15. The squirrels in the garden enjoy the tulips as much as we do so the gardeners have to go to great lengths to protect the bulbs from these naughty pests by placing wire cages over the beds, photo 16. 

Moving on to Bowling Green Lawn I found the borders looking lovely in the afternoon sunshine, photos 17 and 18. Also here are the delightful Ballerina roses still flowering, photo 19. They are so pretty, photo 20. 

My apologies for not featuring any fauna lately. I think I arrive too late for the early morning foragers and too early for the late afternoon hunters. So here is a photo of my goldfinches. They love our garden and all the food we put out for them, photos 21 and 22. Then because it's Christmas I found this robin, photo 23. It was taken a few years ago in the garden at Myddelton. 

I hope you have enjoyed my wander around the garden and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Best Wishes 

Jo