Catherine’s monthly photo blog: September

29 September 2022

Volunteer gardener and talented photographer Catherine Brightwood shares her thoughts and photos from the last month in the gardens.

Autumn has arrived and the colour palette in the Gardens is shifting from the vibrant greens of summer to the comforting, warm tones we associate with this time of year.  The light has softened, and low rays shine through the leaves, which glow – tinged with orange and red.  As the season progresses, the rich, autumn foliage will take centre stage.  Raindrops on the beautiful Winged spindle euonymus (burning bush) caught my eye this month.  It certainly lives up to its name, with the leaves turning a wonderful fiery crimson red.

When I was walking through the arboretum this month, I was suddenly aware of the smell of burnt sugar.  It almost smelled as though someone was making candyfloss.  I found our Head Gardener, Pete, to ask what the smell was.  He told me that it was the Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura) trees.  We have two upright and one weeping specimen, with beautiful heart-shaped leaves which were turning orange and pink.  It was the fallen leaves which were giving off the amazing aroma.

I have been volunteering on the garden team for nearly three years, but I still come across plants that I have never noticed before.  This month, I was working to clear some Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush) from a bed.  It grows vigorously and had completely smothered a small azalea.  As I cleared a section, I looked up and saw the amazing twisting trunk of the Osmanthus delavayi shrub, which fans out in a beautiful shape.  This is one of the original shrubs planted in the garden, so it is approaching one hundred years old!  It almost felt as though it had been hiding in plain sight.  I’m so pleased to have noticed it.

On a rainy day, dressed head to toe in waterproofs, I sat for tea break with my fellow volunteers on what we call the long bench.  This amazing bench – the “Last Supper” Elm table – was created by the celebrated lumberjack, artist and author, Maxie Lane.  It sits under a wonderful, thatched structure. The table was carved from an Elm which was over three hundred years old and stood one hundred feet tall, when it was struck by Dutch Elm disease in the 1970s.  Maxie was responsible for felling the tree.  It took over three months to carve into a table and is believed to be the largest Elm table in existence.  On your next visit, I highly recommend sitting at the table and appreciating both its size and the beauty of the patina of the wood.

I was stopped by a visitor to the gardens to ask about one of our more unusual trees.  The Chinese foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa) had caught their eye, with its huge, showy leaves.  It is a deciduous, fast-growing tree, native to China – primarily grown for its giant leaves and panicles of foxglove shaped blooms.  It is very eye catching and one to look out for when you visit.  A little further along the path, I showed them the Japanese plant, Kirengeshoma palmata (yellow wax-bells).  This plant is in the hydrangea family and grows happily in our damp woodland border.

As September came to an end, leaves began to fall like giant confetti.  I have heard autumn leaves described as a gift of the old to the new, as they fall and nourish the soil below.  I love that description.  There can be an element of sadness that the growing season is coming to an end, but remembering that this is all part of the natural ebb and flow of nature is comforting.  I find that autumn is a time to slow down.  A time for quiet reflection.  Furzey Gardens is the perfect place to do just that.