November 1st Garden Walk

We are enjoying a wonderful break in the weather today – yesterday was a day of persistent heavy rain; tomorrow will be a day of persistent heavy rain with strong winds while today is a day of persistent light rain, such a relief! Pfffffffff!

Any thoughts of actually going outside and doing some gardening is completely out of the question as the ground in parts of the garden is so soft that one’s feet sink and leave deep muddy prints and there is also the clear danger of slipping though, at least, the landing would be soft. Nonetheless, it cleared sufficiently to allow me outdoors for a short while with the camera.

There’s the break in the clouds this morning, the one bright spot in the day when I managed to get outdoors for a short while.

From the living-room window – Gingko biloba is suddenly looking very bare.

My eye was caught by the quite sudden change in colour in Euonymous planipes. For most of the year it is rather a dull and not every interesting small tree. At this time of the year the orange seeds emerge from the red seedpods and dangle from the branches, almost like early Christmas decorations. This display alone is very attractive but the tree steals the show when the leaves change to light buttery yellows, gentle reds and oranges. It is not the most strikingly coloured of autumn displays but I find it beautifully attractive.

Euonymous planipes suddenly into its autumn colour – which is short-lived, unfortunately

Euonymous planipes – Gentle foliage colour and the striking orange seeds dangling from red seedpods.

Elsewhere, in the garden, there are other spots of colour and seasonal interest and I’ll let the photographs and captions tell the story.

“The Lane”

“The Lane” has the feeling of woodland and colours up well in autumn.

Near the end of “The Lane” Acer ‘Senkaki’ puts on wonderful colour each year.

Near the house:

Hosta ‘Guacamole‘ well into decline but giving a final splash of colour before being cut down for this year. It has proved an excellent plant to grow in a pot.

Nerine x bowdenii planted against the wall of the house. These bulbs love to be baked for the summer and respond to autumn rain by quickly coming into flower.

Parthenocissus henryana growing on the back of the garage. It flowers very attractively, colours wonderfully in autumn, but does need to be pruned regularly or it would clamber over the roof very quickly.

Some Trees: 

A small Acer japonicaunder Hamamelis x intermedia. Both colour well in autumn and the maple has a selection of interesting snowdrops planted underneath which will flower before Christmas.

Crataegus prunifolius, a hawthorn, which must be one of the very best value trees in the garden as it has an excellent show of blossom earlier in the year, colours well in autumn and always has a heavy crop of haws.

Crataegus prunifolius – colourful foliage and attractive haws. (It also has the most vicious thorns, by the way!)

Evodia daniellii, the Bee-Bee Tree, which lives up to its names and attracts swarms of bees when in flower.

Parrotia persica, Ironwood, which always colours brilliantly. In the centre is Abies koreana and, to the right, Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’

A young specimen of Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’ which promises to be an excellent plant in the garden – blossom, berry and autumn colour as well as good shape.

And, finally, a Few Odds and Ends!

A bed of hydrangeas still holding colour and interest

A geranium with the old foliage showing nice autumnal colouring.

An unexpected bright spot – the foliage of a little clump of Roscoea!

Liriope muscari at its very best at the moment.

Cyclamen purpurascens to the left with Cyclamen hederifolium to the right, both wonderful plants for flower and foliage at this time of the year.

And, finally, a miniature tree, Gingko biloba ‘Troll’ which colours up very well and which I have underplanted with Cyclamen coum.

On the indoor scene, the Christmas puddings are being cooked today! Yum! Yum!

By the way, your comments would be most welcomed – it’s interesting to hear from people!