Autumn Views

The view down across Dallimore Valley

This week has seen some of the best weather we have had since early summer. The Pinetum is looking stunning in the unexpected sunshine the autumn colour is holding well. The top photo is Betula lenta the Cherry Birch from E USA this tree was planted in 2006 this tree can be seen on the bank over the lake from the visitor centre. The middle photo is of Rhus trichocarpa with its fantastic deep orangey red autumn colour, it makes a fantastic small shrubby tree unfortunately the sap can be irritant to some people so look but dont touch! See F10 It is a native of eastern Asia, this plant was collected from the wilds of Japan. The bottom picture is the leaf of Acer rubrum the Red or Canadian Maple this beautiful colouring maple is from the eastern USA and eventually makes a large tree for the smaller garden a better option would be one of the Japanese maples. The best examples are in I12

The Katsura Tree

Some of the best autumn displays have already begun, the Katsura Tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum is looking stunning at the moment its beautiful heart shaped leaves turn different shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. On top of this the leaves as they fall on to the ground give off a wonderful smell of candy floss. In the UK it is a small to medium sized bushy tree but in its natural habit in China and Japan it can reach over 45m! That is nearly as tall as the Old Man of Kent. The best examples in the Pinetum are in grids (click of the Bedgebury Pinetum map at the top of the page) G8 below the Leyland hedge and in K5 on the bank opposite the visitor centre.

Autumn Has Started

We have had some strong winds recently with gusts to 70mph. Fortunately no trees have been blown down but we have lost a few large branches. Have you noticed the nights drawing in and the temperatures dropping putting a chill in the air? These changes herald the arrival of autumn and this year looks good for a beautiful show of autumn leaf colour. Some of the wild flowers are still looking their best. One of the stars at Bedgebury is Devil's-bit Scabious 'Succisa pratensis' growing in large areas under the conifers across the site. Look out for the round bluish purple rounded flower heads nodding on long stalks; it is a good source of food for bees and butterflies. It gets its common name Devil’s-bit Scabious because its roots stop abruptly as if they have been bitten off. The plant was used to cure almost anything, so the Devil got angry with it. He bit off the root out of spite.

Whoops

The Bedgebury Tree team taking down the Grand Silver Fir next to the old man of kent