Late October Glory

A Visual Tour of the Late October Garden

As October draws to a close and November begins, the garden settles into its autumnal transformation. Foliage transforms into a rich tapestry of gold, orange, russet and burgundy, creating a vibrant seasonal tapestry before gradually giving way to the quiet beauty and serenity of winter.

Early morning in the Gravel Garden where the delicate, flowing forms of Stipa tenuissima bring texture, movement and a sense of softness to the planting.

Oenothera lindheimeri continues to flower until the first frost, while the striking blue-green foliage of Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii provide year-round interst, bringing structure and colour to the garden through the winter months.

Melianthus major is prized for its sumptous, architetural foliage that bring drama to the garden.

The fluffy, caterpillar-like white flower heads of Pennisetum villosum add a tactile quality to the planting. Although borderline hardy it has flourished here for over a decade. Stipa splendens provides a graceful backdrop.

The decidious conifers in the Water Garden are begining to reveal their autumn colour., their foliage gradually turning to warm shades of gold and russet. From left to right: Pseudolarix amabilis, Metasequioa glyptostrboides, Taxodium distichum and M. glyptostroboides.

With its dark, tactile, bottlebrush-like flowers Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Black Beauty' makes a striking addtion to the garden, thriving in moisture-retentive soils.

The arching stems and foliage of Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Les Ponts de Cé’ turn a beautiful golden yellow in autumn, echoing the warm hues of the golden larch in the background.

A wiew across the pond, where the magnificent gunnera leaves soon will be cut back and used to form a protective teepee over the crown, insulating it against the winter cold.

Near the entrance to the Water Garden, Taxodium distichum and Metasequoia glyptostroboides are yet to reveal their autumn colours. They are beautifullly framed by two mature oak trees, one on either side.

Each autumn, the golden larch, Pseudolarix amabilis, below Beth's patio lives up to its name, its foliage transforming from fresh green to brilliant golden-yellow before its needles fall. 

The swamp cypress growing across the pond from Beth's house is always the first to take on its rich, deep russet autumn colour, changing several weeks ahead of its neighbours. 

Early morning in the Water Garden, as soft, golden light filters gently through the canopy of the mature oak trees.

The Canal bed.

Phormium tenax 'Purpureum' makes a striking feature in the Reservoir Garden, underplanted with the drought-tolerant Epilobium canum 'Ed Carman'.

Epilobium canum 'Ed Carman' still blooming well into autumn.

Euonymus carnosus 'Red Wine'

The rich, deep-maroon foliage of Euonymus carnosus 'Red Wine' takes on an atmospheric quality in the soft morning mist.

The seedheads of Cephalaria balansae add interest to the autumn garden.

In the Reservoir Garden the architechtural seedheads of Cynara cardunculus rise above fresh emerging foliage, while nearby Miscanthus sinensis displays its autumn tinted leaves.

The finely cut foliage of Rhus glabra 'Laciniata' (cutleaf smooth sumac) is beginning to take on its beautiful autumn colours.

The Woodland Garden

The delicate, silvery seedheads of honesty (Lunaria annua) add a beautiful translucent quality and lingering interest to the Woodland Garden, long after the flowers have faded. 

The free-flowering Aster ageratoides 'Ezo Murasaki' extends the herbaceous display into November. Here, its purple flowers provide a lovely contrast to the arching, autumnal foliage of Miscanthus sinensis.

A neatly rounded mound of lavender in the Scree Garden, complemented by the trunk-forming Yucca rostrata.

View from the Scree Garden towards the golden larch and one of the swamp cypresses, with euphorbia and yellow-leaved euonymus adding colour in the foreground.

The garden is changing almost day by day, making this a lovely time to visit and enjoy the transient charm of the autumn garden.