Our last NGS garden visit of the year took us just over the county border into Herefordshire to the Picton Gardens and Old Court Nursery, home of the Plant Heritage National Collection of Autumn Flowering Asters.
The garden features in my 'Worcestershire Gardens' on the blog's header bar, (it is only just over the border) and is open from August until October, including some days for the NGS.
Old Court Nurseries developed a reputation for growing Michaelmas Daisy's when Percy Picton took it over. Today the nursery and garden is owned by Paul and Meriel Picton along with their daughter, Helen.
The one & half acre garden provides a riot of colour at this time of year...
...not just from the asters, there are many autumn colouring trees and shrubs...
...bamboos, ferns and other autumn flowering perennials...
...and acers.
The garden contains several willow and metal items of garden art.
You enter this area past pillars of Berberis ( thunbergii f. atropurpurea? ), which is also used as a hedging plant along the paths.
A spectacular, colourful view across this part of the garden.
In this area a new crevice garden is being created inside this raised bed along with a stumpery around the Acer griseum.
The garden was named The Picton Garden in 1985...
...when the Charity, 'Percy Picton Memorial Fund' was established...
...to provide grants to students of horticulture at Pershore Collage.
There are raised beds containing well labeled different asters to help you make your choice in the nursery. They are also involved in the RHS Symphyotrichum trial (the new name for Asters!) which you may have read about in The Patient Gardener: Here
A beautiful and colourful end to the NGS garden visiting season.
Now is the time to start planning for next years opening, the entries for the NGS Yellow Book 2016 had to be in by the end of September, ready for publishing and entry on the website:NGS
The Yellow Book should be available for purchase in February, £2.5 million was donated in 2014 to mainly nursing charities.
What plans do you have for your garden next year?
Please click on any picture to create a slide show.
That garden looks like a fine flourish to end the season with - so much colour!
ReplyDeleteIt has Amy, the photos do not do it justice.
DeleteIt is hard to believe that we are a week away from November with such wonderful colour still around, and what a beautiful garden Picton is. The autumn season seems to be lasting much longer than when I was a child. I always used to think that by the time Bonfire Night was looming winter had arrived.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we are having the early frosts we use to, ground frost in late September was not unusual.
DeleteSuch a super garden which we visited a few weeks ago, I was impressed then and I think that there is even more colour now! We have one more visit planned, to The Garden Hose in Devon to see their autumn tints, then we will have to wait for snowdrop days in February!
ReplyDeleteI visited the Garden House in Devon a few years ago and was very impressed.
DeleteThat really is a lovely garden, and it looks as if it is designed to look best at this time of year. Wonderful photos Brian! I went through the slideshow several times!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy, the slide show feature does give you a good enlarged view of the photos.
DeleteIt just goes to show how much can be achieved, this late in the year.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a weekend of lasts... last Gardeners World, last plant sale of the season, last of the lighter evenings.. it's plans for next year that keep us going.
There seems so much to be done in the garden at this time of year, in preparation for next year, before the winter weather arrives.
DeleteThis garden certainly goes out with a bang Brian. A riot of colour - it certainly is.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nice place to visit, thanks for sharing with us.
They are all geared up for this time of year Angie. Specialising in Asters they are only open from August.
DeleteA wonderful autumn garden, the asters are stunning. I wonder what the garden looks like in spring?
ReplyDeleteThey don't open in the spring Chloris, they are busy dispatching Asters from April to June.
DeleteSo much colour at this end of the year! That is inspirational, as carrying on the court to the bitter end , is the Holy Grail to me !!
ReplyDeleteAre you opening for the NGS next year Brian ? We are having a year off next year and making some changes. It will be nice not to have any pressure, and leave the weeding for a while, if the fancy takes us !
We are opening next year Jane, we have two new gardens joining our group and have moved the date by two weeks to June 11th and 12th. It is good to have a break, especially if you are making changes, then both you and your visitors come back refreshed.
DeleteLike Pauline said - there is even more colour now than there was a few weeks ago. What a lovely visit you had - and now the wait for more gardens to visit next year...
ReplyDeleteYes Cathy, now we plan and prepare for next year.
DeleteLovely colours in this garden. Thanks for the photos, which show up really well as a slide show. That is a good feature that Blogspot has. We can create a slideshow in Wordpress, but it doesn't automatically create one from our post photos. I sometimes use them, but generally people don't bother to click through all the photos.
ReplyDeleteI agree the slide show is an excellent feature, it is a pity Wordpress don't have it automatically. There are of course some features on WP which I wish Blogspot had!
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