Patiently waiting to be let out. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #chickens

One of the best later flowering Hydrangeas, H. involucrata ‘hortensis’ is not that common in gardens, but deserves to be more widely planted. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #hydrangea

It must be autumn, cutting meadows and misty mornings #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #meadows

A wonderful Begonia species proving to be hardy with us. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria

The bluest of the blues, Salvia patens 'Guanajuato’ taller than straight patens and flowers all summer with careful deadheading. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #salvia

Our final tea and tour with the Head Gardener is this coming Wednesday 16th October and there are still a few places left. A great opportunity to see the wonderful autumn colour, such as this stunning Katsura tree. #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #autumn

As beautiful in the autumn as it is in the spring, the cut-leaf crab apple, Malus transitoria, is one of our favourite trees. #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #autumn

Various forms of Impatiens omeiana in flower at the moment. Great ground cover for a moist spot. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #impatiens

The glory of autumn mixing with the final throws of summer, Vitis coignetiae with Plectranthus barbatus flowering in the foreground. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #autumn

Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Heronswood Globe', showing its colours. Make a more compact tree than the species, so prefect for smaller gardens. #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #autumn

Reliably good colour from Neoshirakia japonica (syn Sapium). The other day I overheard some children calling it the traffic light tree, very apt. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #autumn

Always a consistent performer in the autumn, Stewartia pseudocamellia var. Koreana, colours up over a number of weeks. Wonderful textured bark as well. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #autumn

We always get great joy from the flowering of Sasanqua Camellias, I think it must be because it starts doing its thing when everything else is slowing down. This variety ‘Plantation Pink’ also has a delicate scent. #holkerhall #camellia #cumbria #lakedistrict

Still some fabulous colour hanging on despite the wind and rain. Nyssa sinensis is always a late autumn highlight. #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #autumn

The cold snap has made a few of the trees drop their leaves all at once, making for some wonderful patterns. Ginkgo biloba always gives stunning golden hues. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #autumn

Hop Hornbeam, Ostrya carpinifolia, seed pods, lit by head-torch. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria

Another Camellia sasanqua, this time 'Narumigata', also has a pleasant delicate scent. Makes a great cut flower, if brought in in bud it will open slowly over a few days. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #camellia

Chrysosplenium macrophyllum is a great ground cover plant for the woodland garden. Beautiful delicate flowers are followed by small leaves that resemble Bergenia. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria #gardens

Our Magnolia Campbellii ‘Lanarth’ always puts on a show to herald the start of another season. The gardens are open again from the 20th March. #holkerhall #lakedistrict #cumbria

Despite hailstones and strong winds, our Magnolia campbellii are still looking stunning. Yesterday’s sunshine was a welcome relief from the shocking weather of the last few months. #holkerhall #cumbria #lakedistrict #magnolia