It has been a few weeks since our last visit to the gardens back in Mid-September so todays visit was long overdue. It was a bright and sunny morning and the weather stayed like that for the remainder of the day. What I had not taken in to account was that it was the start of the school half term week and all three car parks were very nearly full at only 10.45am, such is the popularity of the gardens. Fortunately, the staff were well organised and after showing our passes we soon passed through the reception area and out into the gardens.

Autumn has certainly arrived, the trees were ablaze with colour, leaves that were intense green on our last visit had burst into an amazing palette of yellows, reds, oranges, and russet browns. The shrubs lining the borders were similar too. The rockery adjacent to Betty’s restaurant was aflame with autumn colour, especially the Acers which surround the pond. We continued our usual walk towards the Learning centre and Teaching Gardens; we met our first of several scarecrows in the garden adjacent to the Hedgehog Garden with a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins and tiny animals. We continued past the teaching gardens, past the Lodge and on to the sunken Edwardian Garden, looking over to our right the view over the QM lake was quite a picture, all the green blanket weed that was on the pond had disappeared and the Oak trees were turning a lovely shade of golden brown which reflected nicely in the still water. We followed the new paths around the Edwardian Garden leading down to the new bridge. It will be good to watch how this part of the garden becomes established in the coming months. Passing over the bridge and around the lake we followed the Streamside Walk towards the Old Bath House. Along the banks of the stream, Japanese maples, and several other Acer varieties added a sense of theatre, their beautiful autumnal foliage in shades of red, orange, and citrus yellow glowing against their gnarly, twisting trunks. At ground level, the hostas, and ferns created a tapestry of burnt yellows, oranges, and browns, as the colder temperatures near they will soon be gone for another year. Continuing along the streamside path, we stopped at the summer house where another scarecrow was sat on the water’s edge fishing in the stream, accompanied with its cat, hoping to catch the green monster which was swimming up the stream. Just past the newly restored stone bridge, work was continuing to re-establish another footpath a little closer to the stream, the Sandstone rock garden on the other side of the stream was a picture, the huge Rocks, Acers, and evergreen shrubs   complemented the autumnal colours with some of the taller conifers providing shelter, which helps the acers hold onto their leaves and prolonging the fine display. We continued our walk following the stream till we reached the Old Bath house where we enjoyed a very pleasant brunch at Betty’s Tea House sat outside in the sunshine. Suitably refreshed we continued our walk on the other side of the stream, passing the memorial stone and walking up the slope to the Sandstone Garden. The main Borders were still looking good, with huge grasses and seedheads swaying gently in the breeze. A huge bed of Blue Monks Hood caught my eye, the Cobalt Blue flower heads looked striking in the afternoon sunshine. We passed several more Scarecrows on our way up the slope to the top sunshine border. We continued our walk along this top path towards the garden centre, the views from here looking back over the main borders towards the Old Bath house and Kitchen Garden are quite spectacular. Quite often I will just sit on one of the many benches and admire the views across the garden, be it watching the gardeners travelling around in their little buggies or watching the Red Kites and Buzzards soaring high above our heads, there is always something different to see.