An autumn walk with . . .
Welcome to another exciting autumn at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. I say exciting, in that despite best efforts from the great and the good nobody can ever accurately predict what each autumn will be like or exactly when trees and shrubs will be at their flamboyant best.
However, the good news is that although every year is different in some way, in my experience nature never fails to deliver an amazing and colourful spectacle!
This will be my 13th autumn of leaf peeping (as it is called in some parts of the world) at Westonbirt and early indications are that it is going to be a good one!
Today I took the opportunity to escape from my office to check on a few of our specimens in the Old Arboretum. I thought I would share some of the early autumnal highlights that I spotted along the way.
Maples will deservedly get lots of autumnal attention, and many here are already putting on a brilliant show, but my challenge to you is to seek them out for yourself.
Instead, to wet your appetite, here are a few examples from my walk of what I consider to be some of our unsung autumnal heroes right now.
(Above: our champion Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) with a fabulous smell of candyfloss/caramel and will be an outstanding colour display, and a lovely hawthorn (Crataegus punctata) with its beautiful red fruits)
It is always interesting to see which plants will change colour first, as there are early birds and late starters every year, and the display usually stretches from September right through to November.
(Above: The Disanthus cercidifolius is showing various colours, with the Cladrastis kentukea turning a butter yellow, with a bright Euonymus alatus f. subtriflorus really showing its colour in the Colour Circle and Symplocos paniculata – these bright fruit look fantastic as they ripen from October to December.)
It can be really good fun trying to spot the seasonal highlights, it may be a bright leaf, an interesting bark or an attractive fruit that catches your eye. But with practice you can start to get your eye in and appreciate all the little details that make autumn a very special time of year. Of course, things change every single day and so you will never witness the same view or scenery on another occasion, which is part of the charm of growing plants in any garden and also adds to the enjoyment of a particular moment.
(Above: Contrasting colours on the Mahonia japonica 'Bealei', Taxus Baccata branches laden with ripe red yew berries and beautiful shape to the Liriodendron tulipifera 'Variegata' leaves, Euonymus alatus – this Winged Spindle stands out really well at the moment, especially against an evergreen backdrop.)
(Above: This Morus rubra can be spotted on Morley Ride as well as the group of spindle trees (Euonymus oxyphyllus) at Pool Avenue and the Viburnum betulifolium in Victory Glade, picture 4 is a Rhododendron schlippenbachii – even some of our recent plantings want to a chance to show-off at this time of year, this is part of a new group for the future at Main Drive)
You’ll have to excuse the very limited photography skills, I can assure you that everything certainly looks much better in the flesh.