On the raised shelf beyond the Turkey Oak the red leaves of this dwarf Japanese maple (Acer japonicum dissectum) were still just hanging on. They were blown away by strong winds the very next day.
There has been no frost as yet this autumn, so the dahlias are still in glorious colour. This orange ‘pom-pom’ can be found both in front of the Visitor Centre and along the Drive.
In the top vegetable border of the Walled Garden ‘Nero di Toscana’, a large, stately kale with very dark-green, almost black, blistered leaves, is an architectural feature in its own right.
Osgood Mackenzie was praised in 1883 by a touring reporter from The Times for his brilliant, scarlet gladioli. Gladiolus ‘Yellow Gem’ on the top terrace in the Walled Garden is much more delicate. Its long line of spikes amongst the brassicas is all the more telling.
Dendranthema is better known as chrysanthemum. This is a striking, small, multi- flowered variety called ‘Cottage Apricot’. There are several rows of these in various beds of the Walled Garden.
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For enlarged versions of these images go to Photo Album
All summer long there have been two large ornamental urns on top of the Gate pillars. A trailing, semi-hardy perennial, Lotus maculatus, has never stopped flowering, its brilliant flowers cascading down.
And not to be outdone, even the humble cabbage can be a real feature. This is the huge head of cabbage ‘Cantassa’.
Also in the Walled Garden, where the soil may be more alkaline because of historic liming, can be found pink hydrangeas, muted by this time of year and very different from the more usual (though equally attractive) bluey-purple ones found in the woodland and America.
It’s easy to miss the summer flowers of the climbing, vine-like Billardiera longiflora from Tasmania which enjoys our moist climate. But it’s certainly worth looking up the tree trunks in Bambooselem to spot the amazing metallic, purple-blue berries at this time of year.
The bleached white tracery of a simple fern is caught by the low light of the sun against the leaf litter on the floor of Bambooselem.