After a cool night, with even a touch of frost in more open areas, a clear morning sky and some welcome sunshine provided some rather magical moments in the garden. All images were taken around 8am.
The orangey yellow foliage of Acer palmatum being lit up by the first rays of morning sunshine.Fall colouring foliage of willow oak and tulip tree basking in the first rays of sunshine before it reaches the new plantings in the Dragon Garden. The bright pinky red fall foliage of Euonymus alatus in the Decennium border.The very first rays of sunshine highlighting some of the boundary trees before it permeates into the garden.In the Decennium Miscanthus Malepartus is scarcely less effective now than when in full fresh flower during high summer.Looking across form the top edge of the Gravel garden towards the Lower Lawn and Mill End borders.The magnificent willow oak, Quercus phellos, never fails to provide a breathtaking display of billowing autumnal leaves.Seem from across the Dry Meadow and set off by the grassy blue foliage of Poa labillardierei the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, turns a magnificent golden yellow in November.Though not as tall as the tulip tree the autumnal leaves of Ginko biloba offer some of the most impressive fall foliage colour. A happy combination of colour and shape.Looking across the Long Walk from the Dragon Walk.Though rather smaller than the mature trees in the garden, Panicum Sea Mist offers some pretty neat foliage colour and retains its upright habit until cut back in spring.Grasses such as miscanthus, panicum, pennisetum and molinia all contributing flower and movement in the Dragon garden where replanting was only completed this spring.Mature hollies resplendent with masses of red berries mark the transition from the Dragon garden to the Gravel garden.The smouldering red autumnal foliage of the aptly named Euonymus Red Cascade at the edge of the Gravel garden.Looking across from the lower part of the Rain garden and Dry Meadow towards the Long Walk and Decennium borders. While not exactly autumnal, the delicate foliage and fabulous shape of the bamboo muhly, Muhlenbergia dumosa, welcomes visitors by the entrance to the garden.
