This photo-spot is in the lace garden, looking over the new rose garden

It’s been a while since I last posted. Autumn has now set in and the days are getting cooler. Many of the plants in the garden have been putting on their final burst of glory before the onset of frosty weather puts an end to their display. The Colchicums have been very good both the pink ones by the Round Pond and the white ones beneath the June Berry by the Lace Garden.

The colours in the trees are now changing, turning to the russets, browns and golds of the fall season, and their leaves are now falling prolifically, which is causing much leaf cleaning in the mornings. I thought we would have been deprived of the delectable odour of burnt sugar from the Katsura trees as usual this year, because of the weather. This morning I caught a whiff of the scent near the terrace, it has manifested itself at last.

During the Harvest Festival the garden was livened with the joyous sound of the annual quintet from H.M. Royal Marines Association Concert Band, they always give a very good performance. There were also gardening lectures and container demonstrations by Andrew Duff, from the Inchbold garden design college.

From now on there will still be quite a bit to see in the garden until the frosts, the Dahlias are continuing to produce flowers and the Aconitum carmichelii beneath the Horse Chestnut are now in full bloom. Some late Japanese anemonies and Nicotianas are still flowering.

Rain is further forecast for the coming week, however bulbs will be planted in areas we can get to when they can be, and herbaceous plants which have died-back for the season will continue to be cut over, and the areas around them prepared for planting more bulbs.

Barakura Head Gardener, Andy Fisher, October 24th 2019.