Category: autumn colours

Arboreta in Autumn – part 3 – Return to Richard’s

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 9, 2015
2 Comments on Arboreta in Autumn – part 3 – Return to Richard’s

We loved our first visit to friends Richard and Anne’s home where we were treated to a tour of their wonderful, atmospheric arboretum. There is something extra special about a small arboretum, the results of one man’s vision. Richard knows every tree he has ever planted, its common name, its botanic name, its country of origin and the source of the plant or seed. The arboretum is now just 20 years old.

After a warm welcome we firstly enjoyed the lovely courtyard garden that Anne tends. It is a soft, gentle area that embraces the south facing side of the old mustard coloured mill house. Red flowered Pelargoniums with deep purple foliage filled an old stone trough beneath a brick wall clothed in soft pink roses of the climbing rose, Rosa “Open Arms”. Its scent is warm and richly fruity and remains with you as you leave it behind.

The stone paving is softened by beautiful compositions of flowers and foliage.

Richard and Anne took us across the gently sloping lawns with a boundary provided by the River Perry, and we climbed up to a gate in the fence which is the entrance to Richard’s fine collection of the finest trees. The real stars of the collection are Betulas (Birches), Acers, deciduous Euonymous and Liquidambers.

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More surprising was the incredibly deeply coloured red leaved Oak, with its large deeply cut leaves and……..

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……….. this unusual specimen, Pistacia chinensis commonly known as the Chinese Pistacia.

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Every arboretum needs a selection of Sorbus (Rowans) to give the many coloured bunches of shiny berries, and Richard’s arboretum boasted a lovely group.

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Probably my favourite deciduous shrubs are the deciduous Euonymus with their unusual flowers and bizarrely coloured berries, combining such colours as cerise and orange. Luckily for me it is also Richard’s favourite shrub and he is building up a fine collection.

Naturally what we really enjoyed most of all was seeing the wonderful selection of Birches in their autumn glory. We certainly were not to be disappointed. Jude even gave her favourite Betula a big hug – she must be turning into a tree hugger!

Of course you would be expecting me to mention the Betulas, my favourite family of trees and luckily it is Richards too and he grows alomst 180 different ones and several of his favourites.

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The River Birch below is Betula nigra “Dura Heat”. This is a particularly impressive multi-stemmed specimen and although just a young tree is already showing its peeling bark giving it a shaggy dog look.

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Now just enjoy my photos of a selection of our other favourites.

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What a great day we had sharing Richard’s trees and enjoying his vast reserves of knowledge. We will return in the Spring.

I will just finish with two other trees we found in the second field which Richard is building up into an extension of his arboretum, an unusual Acer, a Cercidyphlum and a black berried Buckthorn, a tree we had never seen before.

Tags arboreta, arboretum, berried trees, betula, betulas, birch, birches, sorbus, trees, trees and shrubs

autumn autumn colours colours forests light light quality memorials nature reserves the South trees woodland woodlands

Walking the New Forest – part two

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 7, 2015

We will continue our walk where we left off at the end of part one of “Walking the New Forest”.

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We left the old Oak behind crossed a clearing and followed a pathway through Beech trees as we aimed for an old wooden gate.

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The gateway afforded us views of an open area with few trees and most of those were now of Birch, our native Betula pendula.

Ferns within the wooded area tended to be the Hard Fern variety but once out in the more open and much drier heathland the main ferns were our common Bracken. The Bracken was showing signs of changing into its autumn coat but the Hard Fern is an evergreen and keeps its leathery deep green coloured fronds.

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We took an indistinct path which led us diagonally towards a little wooden bridge which enabled us to cross a ditch. As we crossed wet muddy patches we found signs of life, bicycle tracks left by previous human visitors and prints of deer

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Crossing the footbridge we aimed for a distant stand of brightly coloured Silver Birches.

Leaving the heathland behind we crossed over a gravel track that led to a forestry worker’s house and entered a new inclosure of forest. The trees here started off as a selection of mixed deciduous native trees, but before too long conifers crept in. Slowly these dark pines took over completely and we found ourselves walking in dark woodland. Little grew beneath these trees as they blocked out the sunlight. The fresh smell of our native broadleaves was replaced by a resinous aroma reminiscent of pine household cleaners. Less inviting a smell than the warming and welcome scents of our native broadleaves.

The path we were following suddenly met a crossroads where a clearing allowed more light through to reach us and the forest floor. Foxgloves appeared both as first year rosettes of leaves preparing to flower next year and as seed heads, the remains of this years flowers and the promise of more Foxgloves to come.

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We looked up from the bench where we sat enjoying our coffee break and noticed the bright leaves of Sweet Chestnuts and beneath them we discovered their nuts, nut cases and fallen leaves. We were entertained by the loud noise of rutting stags roaring through trees and the gentler sounds of the diminutive Goldcrests high in the branches of the conifers.

The final leg of our walk took us along forestry tracks through the conifers and then back into the brighter world of native deciduous trees.

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Just before finding the car park we passed alongside a line of huge conifers blown down in strong winds, a line of destruction.

We really enjoyed our first experience of the world of the New Forest. We had plenty more planned for our break.

Tags ancient trees, broadleaves, conifers, deciduous trees, forestry, Hampshire, The New Forest, trees, woodland, woods

autumn autumn colours birds colours garden photography garden wildlife gardening gardens hardy perennials light light quality migration ornamental trees and shrubs Shropshire

My Garden Journal – October

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 1, 2015

So here we are with the tenth post in the “My Garden Journal” monthly series highlighting the changes that we see, hear and smell each month in our Shropshire garden at our home “Avocet”. Our garden open days have finished for the year and we have hosted our last visiting group for the year, so we have the garden to ourselves and our wildlife. From April to September we are open on set days and to visiting groups and although we love sharing our garden there is a feeling of letting go a bit once October arrives a sort of end of term feeling.

We will be busy taking hardwood cuttings and potting on those we struck last autumn. Our greenhouse becomes home to our more delicate plants, our Aeoniums, Salvias, and Echeverias. We put up bubble wrap as a cosy duvet for them and put the heating on gently.

My first page in my journal for October refers to the changing light the month brings.

“Autumn is most definitely with us, its special low light with its own intensity and identity gives the garden its coat of many colours. Sedum give us flowers of pink to purple rising from its succulent leaves.

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“October began by continuing September’s Indian Summer. We are enjoying blue skies and warm temperatures. Luxuries for the gardeners, who can use these special moments to sit in the sun, drink tea and drink in the colourful richness in every border.”

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My journal moved on to consider the changing colours which is symbolic of this season. The quote I have selected for October from Jenny Joseph also looks at October’s colours.

“The fire that October first brings to me is what has started in September. It is the woods flaming; not terrifying summer fires in some afforested countries, but the fire with no heat, no destruction. The torch that sets fire to our woods, hedges, trees in roads and gardens, blazing through cool damp darkening days is the sap withdrawing. It is a dying that can make us gasp at the intensity and great range of colour.”

In my journal I wrote “All those myriad shades of green that had been acting as foils for the colours of flowers are now coming to the fore. It is their turn to be the stars! As we move into autumn more deeply the green recedes to reveal yellows, oranges and reds. Our Euphorbia griffithii “Fireglow” glows yellow with thin red lines drawn on.”

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“We grow two different varieties of Hamamelis x intermedia, Jelena and Diana, mostly for their bright late winter/early spring flowers but in autumn they give us the same orange and red colours.”

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On the following pages I discuss the birds that visited our garden during October, the Merlin and the Little Owl. I hope you enjoy looking at my coloured pencil crayon drawing as much as I enjoyed creating them.

“Most of our Summer Migrant birds have left us. Firstly the Swifts and the Cuckoos left us in July and then the Warblers and the sky dancers, Swallows and House Martins.

We have been surprised to spot two birds which until recently would also have flown to warmer climes. Some of our summer visitors now stay with us. Early in October we spotted a male Merlin hunting along the lane from our house, moving and manoevring low to the ground in definite hunting mood.

Recently we heard the call of Little Owls, their piercing sounds were more those of a yapping Terrier than those of an owl.”

“In our “Secret Garden” we grow a miniature Chestnut, Aesculus mutabilis “Induta”. We forgive it for its ugly name as we love it all year. It gives salmon-pink new foliage in the spring which is followed by upright panicles of pinky-salmon flowers loved by the bees. Flowers are followed by little “conkers”, then in autumn the foliage turns the brightest yellow. When the foliage falls beautiful silvery-grey bark shines through the winter.”

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“I featured the seed heads of Phlomis and Acer rufinerve in my journal pages for September. As we move through October more plants produce seed heads worthy of starring roles. Echinops, Eremurus, Eryngium and Crocosmia.”

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November will take us deeper into the autumn which this year is proving to be an exceptionally colourful one.

Tags aesculus, autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, chestnuts, euphorbias, hamamelis, little owl, October, Sedum, seed heads, witch hazels

autumn autumn colours colours countryside landscapes light light quality outdoor sculpture photography trees wildlife woodland woodlands

Walking in the New Forest – part one

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date October 29, 2015
2 Comments on Walking in the New Forest – part one

We decided we would take an Autumn break so went down to the New Forest for a short mid-week break. We loaded the car with coats, waterproofs and warm clothes thinking we were planning for whatever the weather had in store for us. We got it totally wrong for as we went further southward the weather improved and we ended up enjoying warm sunny weather. A real treat!

We have driven through or past the New Forest, Britain’s smallest National Park, several times and vowed we would holiday there some day. So as we arrived we had great expectations and we were not to be disappointed.

The New Forest proved to present the unexpected. Traffic jams and delays were not caused by vehicles but by livestock, cattle, pigs, donkeys and of course the famous New Forest Ponies. So here are a few shots of the many critters we encountered as we drove around the forest.

Our first day excursion was to a Forestry Commission area of woods and heathland with way-marked walks winding through it.

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We set off firstly in search of the Knightwood Oak the oldest oak in the New Forest which reached maturity during the reign of Henry VIII. We followed the posts marking the way, rather beautiful way markers carved in wood.

Among the hundreds of oak trees here we passed two other significant oaks on the way, celebrating important moments in the forest’s history. Firstly the Queen’s Oak was planted by Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the founding of the forest by William I in 1079. Secondly the Deputy Surveyor’s Oak planted to mark the contribution of a former Deputy Surveyor of the forest, Donn Small. The second oak was planted as a sapling from the Knightwood Oak itself. The ancient oak itself was surrounded by a chestnut paling fence to keep the public away from falling branches and to prevent the public from getting too close to the tree.

Although this was a forest of mature trees there were signs of regeneration throughout, little saplings of all the main species of trees, so its future looks secure.

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At the other end of the age scale we were pleased to see that dead and dying trees were being left for the benefit of wildlife, insects, birds and of course the many fungi that live in woodlands breaking down and decomposing dead wood.

In my next post about the New Forest we will continue walking this walk deeper into the woodland and across heathland until we found our way back to the car park.

Tags cattle, donkeys, forestry, Forestry Commission, fungi, Hampshire, pigs, ponies, texture, textured bark, textures, The New Forest, toadstools, woodland, woodland walks, woodlands

autumn autumn colours birds colours flowering bulbs garden photography garden wildlife gardening grasses half-hardy perennials hardy perennials house martins light light quality migration ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs Shropshire swallows trees

My Garden Journal – September

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date October 24, 2015

The September pages of my garden journal sees the first signs of autumn creeping in, colours changing, light creeping in at a lower level and our summer migrant birdlife disappearing. The skies are empty and quiet now that the Swallows and Martins have left us for warmer climes. We are missing the sight and sounds of Warblers flitting among the trees and shrubs but hopefully some Garden Warblers and Chiffchaffs will decide to stay with us. Climate change seems to be encouraging more migrants to remain in the UK all year through.

Being a British gardener I start by talking about the weather! “The “Met Office” weathermen tell us that September is the first month of Autumn, but we hope it will be the continuation of Summer. This year September is unlike Summer, and is not even an Indian Summer. It is a dismal month of heavy skies and rain. Every flower that fights its way through the gloom is a ray of sunshine.”

Next comes my usual piece of writing from Jenny Joseph’s little book, “Lead by the Nose”.

For September, it is harvesting and clearing what is there on the one hand, with a great deal of sharp acrid savoury smells from dead-heading, disentangling, weeding, cutting down leaf and stalk, digging up roots.”

I move on to consider a special group of plants which Jude and I love in our garden, the airy, whispy plants that can’t help but move in the gentlest of breezes, the “Windcatchers”.

“September has been a windy month, which has accentuated the part played by the “Windcatchers”, those special plants which display the ability to catch the slightest breeze and dance in it. These are the tall grasses, Stipa gigantea, Miscanthus sinensis and the Molinias and Calamagrostis, the airy flowering perennials especially Verbena bonariensis and Gaura lindheimeri. Gauras have variety names that suggest their windcatching skills, “Whirling Butterflies” and “Summer Breeze”.

The photos below show what a beautiful plant Verbena bonariensis is with its bright purple flower heads nodding in the breeze atop its stiff thin stems. It is a true wildlife magnet too attracting Butterflies and Moths, Bees and Hoverflies and many other flying insects. As the light fades in the evening the flowers glow and their scent intensifies to attract night flying insects and a miriad of Moths.

The movement of grasses and their big cousins the Bamboos also adds sounds to our garden, rustling, tinkling and sounds like those of the seashore, shifting sands, rolling pebbles and retreating waves.”

Grasses are such an important element in our garden and help create an all year round garden. From their fresh green leaves emerging in the spring right through to their flowers and on to their seedheads which stand right through the winter.

Surprises are the subject of my next page.

“Surprises are always fun in the garden, those little things not planned for or expected. Here are two surprises for September in our garden.

We were pleasantly surprised at the rich autumnal colours of our Euphorbia griffithii “Dixter” which grows in our Beth Chatto garden, and how this damaged Verbascum repaired itself.”

My watercolour paintings of Acer rufinerve and Phlomis russeliana feature on the next page titled “Seedpods for September”. These seeds are capsules of promise, time capsules. The wing-like Acer seeds are shaped and moulded to allow a gentle descent in the wind, each maple key parachuting down to find a place to germinate. The pompom seedheads of the Phlomis are tightly packed balls of rough textured seeds designed to stick to any passing creature who will wander off and drop it away from the parent plant where it can find space to become a herbaceous plant with hairy heart shaped leaves and yellow-orange balls of flowers.

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We now move on to the end of the month when the weather surprised us as it changed for the better, change to good gardening weather and good weather for appreciating gardens.

“As the month came to its end we were suddenly treated to an “Indian Summer”. The skies were clearest blue, the sun shone and temperatures went back up. The garden loved it as much as the gardeners! Our two varieties of Schizostylus, “The Major” and “Alba”are flowering better than ever before.”

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“Two real stars of the autumn garden are our two Salvias that are too tender for us to leave out over our winters, so we grow them in pots and bring them indoors as soon as the cold nights appear. They are Salvia “Amistad” with its bright purple and black flowers and Salvia confertiflora with its long spikes of red and salmon flowers.”

So that is my journal all about our garden in September. I am already writing and painting my entry for October so that will be the next episode of “My Garden Journal”.

Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, birds, garden photography, gardening, grasses, light, light quality, ornamental grasses, ornamental trees, salvias, seeds, September

autumn autumn colours colours flowering bulbs garden photography gardens gardens open to the public hardy perennials light light quality National Trust ornamental trees and shrubs roses The National Trust walled gardens

Croft Castle Month by Month – September

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date October 7, 2015
2 Comments on Croft Castle Month by Month – September

So here we are with the ninth post in my series about Croft Castle gardens throughout the year, where I shall report on our September visit to this Herefordshire National Trust property.

The long border was sparkling with colour in the sunlight. The sun was beginning to sit lower in the sky so whites looked as wonderful as bright colours. Cyclamen shone jewel-like in the shadow of the ancient trees. Grasses glistened!

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Once inside the walled garden we immediately noticed how large areas of colour were absent but plant partnerships in twos and threes gave brightness throughout.

Sweetpeas are always a delight but to see these beauties this late in the season really pleased the eye. And of course the nose!

This rich blue colour surprised us when we had a close and realised these gems were not flowers at all but berries. This grass like plant with the blue berries is a Dianella, a plant we have been trying to get established on our gravel garden for a few seasons now. Seeing how special they can be made us more determined to get it right.

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Fuschias are not a favourite of our’s but within these walls we enjoyed the simple small flowers of the more natural varieties.

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The diminuitive flowers of this Fuschia had blooms less than a centimetre long but its beauty was in the detail.

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I love rich deep colours in the garden but they seem especially intense in the early autumn months, so I was attracted by these Dahlias and our favourite Verbena bonariensis.

In the entrance to the glasshouses the climbing Cobaea was in full bloom and the plant covered a huge area. Close-up we could appreciate its complexity and incredible beauty. The tomatoes growing in the glasshouse were looking as late to develop as our own, but their Chrysanths were already in flower whereas ours are just budding up.

The Secret Garden sparkled in the sunshine with every leaf and petal catching the light.

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For bright cheerfulness in the autumn garden you can’t beat the Rudbeckias.

As we made our way back to the car after our most enjoyable garden wanderings two signs of autumn caught our eye, the deep pink of the Sedum flower heads and the colour appearing on the clump of mature trees close to the main gate out of the garden. Next visit will be sometime in October when we expect to see autumn taking over the borders and clumps of trees.

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Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, Croft Castle., foliage, foliage plants, hardy perennials, Herefordshire, Herefordshire gardens, perennials, roses, The National Trust

autumn autumn colours colours garden design garden photography garden seating gardening gardens gardens open to the public grasses hardy perennials light light quality ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs outdoor sculpture RHS sculpture Yorkshire

Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part Three

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 15, 2015
1 Comment on Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part Three

I am back with my third and final part of my posts featuring the wonderful RHS garden Harlow Carr. In the first post I mentioned a willow trail so here are a few of the pieces we came across on our wanderings.

Living fences made from willow and hazel featured strongly in the productive gardens and some included seats built in also made of willow. It was seeing these when they were being created at Harlow Carr during the renovation of the kitchen gardens, that gave us the idea of creating our fedge at our allotment community gardens.

I promised a return to the prairie style borders and my favourite part of late autumn borders, the dried flower heads and seed heads of perennials and grasses. The subtlety of colour and delicate contrasts make for a most pleasing picture.

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We left the perennial borders to follow paths through the stream garden which would give us the chance for a second look at the winter garden. Willow is used along the water’s edge to secure the bankside using a technique known as spiling. Beautiful stone bridges take the path back and forth over the stream.

So that is Harlow Carr the northern jewel in the RHS’s crown, beautiful whenever you visit with surprises galore alongside old favourites. It won’t be long until be come back again!

Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, ornamental grasses, prairie gardening, prairie planting, RHS, RHS gardens, RHS Harlow Carr, willow, winter gardens, Yorkshire

autumn autumn colours colours garden design garden photography gardens gardens open to the public half-hardy perennials hardy perennials light light quality ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs sculpture Yorkshire

Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part Two

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 12, 2015
1 Comment on Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part Two

Back at the end of November I posted part one of a series of three posts related to our visit to the RHS’s northern garden Harlow Carr, so this week I shall post the second and third.

Back to Harlow Carr and we carry on with our wander around the acres of lawns, woodland and borders.

The display gardens showing typical gardens through the ages are different to everything else at Harlow Carr. Here we can always find little interesting details.

We moved off into the woodlands next where among the autumn colours we discovered a trio of wicker pigs and a newly built wooden shelter. Wood leaf carvings decorated the roof.

The low light of an October afternoon added a certain magic to the woodland but we enjoyed finding a different sort of magic was provided by a wooden sculpture of a troll guarding his bridge. Every garden needs a little humour!

The garden threw up sculptural surprises throughout.

The bright colours of the late flowering half-hardy perennial Salvias can cheer up the dullest of days. An unexpected flower however, unexpected but equally bright, was that of a candelabra Primula.

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At this time of year I love the subdued shades of the dried flowers and seed heads of perennials. In the third part of my Harlow Carr posts we shall find these dominate in the large prairie styled borders.

One reason for this return to Harlow Carr was to look at the area dedicated to alpines. We had recently been gifted two old buttler’s sinks which we aim to convert into alpine troughs. We were hoping for inspiration. In the alpine house itself it was the various miniature Oxalis which entranced us, but on the paved area outside we found the alpine troughs which inspired us to make something special of our two sinks.

Before I finish part two of my Harlow Carr posts I thought I would show you these two photos showing two true stars! A generously flowering Aster and a brightly coloured Ladybird in search of a safe winter hibernation spot.

Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, garden in autumn, Harlow Carr, RHS, RHS Harlow Carr, salvias, seed heads

autumn colours colours garden photography gardening ornamental trees and shrubs trees Uncategorized

The Leaf

A few days ago as I was on my way down the ramp into the back garden I was met by a leaf on its way in.

I knew immediately from which tree it had come – a Cotoneaster in the side garden in the Freda Border. It had traveled a fair distance for such a little fella! It shows how well you get to know the plants in your garden when you can recognise exactly which tree a single leaf comes from. We have a dozen or so different Cotoneasters gracing our patch but this little leaf told me exactly which one it came from. Its shape, its colours, its textures all provide clues.

The leaf was still showing off its autumn colours, proud in shades of yellow and orange with a touch of green as a reminder of the summer long gone. Some trees keep hold of their old leaves until a new one pops along to push it off its branch. Our Cotoneaster had done just that to our leaf.

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When turned over the leaf took on a new look, slightly greyed with the look of being seen through tissue paper. Each colour subdued and more subtle! It curled upwards which made it create shadows shaped like a new moon.

But we can’t leave this post without having a look at its mother tree. Its leaves a mixture of fresh green and faded colours of autumn. It looks especially colouful against a blue wintery sky.

Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn leaves, changing colours, colour, colours, cotoneasters, leaves

autumn autumn colours colours garden design garden photography gardening gardens gardens open to the public grasses hardy perennials ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs RHS trees winter gardens Yorkshire

Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part One

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 28, 2014
1 Comment on Autumn at RHS Harlow Carr – Part One

We visit the RHS garden, Harlow Carr situated just outside Harrogate, at least once each year. We do this simply because we love the place whatever time of year and whatever the weather. On our latest visit we wanted to see it in the autumn.

As soon as we arrived we realised there were a few things going on to celebrate the autumn. In the entrance foyer there were clues that a Willow Trail had been set out for children to follow.

Beautiful pure white stems of Betulas welcomed us into the garden.

Recent high winds had stripped the leaves off many of the trees so on this visit it looked as if we were not going to be seeing much of the autumnal hues we thought we were going to enjoy. The garden was already showing signs of winter. Long views across the gardens afforded us views of tree skeletons combined with just a few orange leaved shrubs and the deeper greens of the conifers.

The Winter Garden soon proved itself to be a brilliant place in the autumn too. Berries gave the strongest colours closely followed by the remnant leaves of shrubs.

The whisps of the ornamental grasses appeared white at first glance but close up we realised they were the subtlest of biscuit shades.

There were still plenty of surprises to be found including the bright colours of late flowers in the perennial meadows.

As the days get shorter more and more of these perennials dry to shades of biscuit, ginger and brown.

This little corner was probably my favourite part of the garden with the slender trees showing off their coloured trunks and the shrubs beneath them displaying brightly coloured stems.

Although still late autumn when we visited some of the scents of winter were already pervading the air. The pink flowered Viburnums emitted the strongest scent of all.