108 GARDENING
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Awesome autumn colour
October already and the sensible gardener will be preparing for the w-word. Winter isn’t so bad and there are those wonderful autumn colours to enjoy fi rst, plus jobs to do in the garden, diary date and more
Caroline Knight H
ever Castle & Gardens, the romantic double-fronted castle once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, is gearing up for
an extraordinary display of autumn colour by offering visitors their fi rst-ever guided tours of the lake. Scientists are predicting a fantastic display of colour for 2017 following some stressful growing conditions including a drought in April and the prolonged heat in May and June. Head Gardener Neill Miller and the Hever Castle gardening team will take visitors on tours of the lake area taking in the waterfalls, the new Monet style bridge, three Second World War pillboxes built to
defend key crossing points on the River Eden, the changing trees, vivid wildlife and the impressive Japanese Tea House.
Neil says: “If we listen to the experts then
we are due for a once-in-a-lifetime display of autumn colour this year. It certainly was dry in late spring and the sunny weather we’ve experienced this summer will have concentrated the sugar in the leaves which speeds up the appearance of red hues so the tree collection planted by William Waldorf at the turn of the 20th century will be suitably impressive. We want visitors to enjoy the spectacle as the rich yellow, red and orange leaves of beech mingle with liquidambars, tulip trees and Japanese maples, all contributing to an explosion of colour.”
The team are keen to point out the foraging opportunities in the woodland and will be talking about fungi and identifying different species. Visitors are also welcome to take their own self-guided tours with the help of an Autumn Colour Trail. The trail will encourage visitors to look out for trees of note and interest within the grounds, including some of the Scots Pines beside the lake which were brought to the garden from nearby Ashdown Forest by former owner William Waldorf Astor during the creation of the Garden in 1904-1908.
• For more information, visit www.
hevercastle.co.uk, call 01732 865224 or email
info@hevercastle.co.uk
Bold & beautiful
Beauty in the garden is by no means over for the season. In fact some people consider that autumn is the best time of all. So what’s looking lovely this month? Asters Michalmas daisies
are amazing. They come in so many different shades of purple, lilac and even blue and save their show until most other fl owers are over. Penstemons These perennials, with beautiful fl owers in a wide
array of colours, grow in stature and boldness from mid summer right through to October and even beyond.
Japanese anemones Tall, glorious fl owers on stalks that allow them to nod and wave in the breeze, these are great for beautiful borders and offer pure
delight in white and pink. Dahlias Blooms that keep coming until the frosts send them into hibernation. Some fl owers can be as large as dinner plates – bling for the borders! Ornamental grasses These are truly the stars of not only autumn but winter too.
© Hever Castle & Gardens
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