Gardens explode with stunning autumnal colors after long, hot summer

By Ed Chatterton

Stunning photos show one of Britain's finest private arboretums exploding with spectacular autumn color following a hot, dry summer.

Gardeners at Hergest Croft Gardens in Kington, Herefordshire, say they are enjoying the most dazzling autumn display in recent memory.

They revealed that flowers which usually bloom in May are still coming out, thanks to the warmest summer on record for the UK.

The 70-acre gardens are known as one of the most important horticultural sites in the country and one of the largest privately owned arboretums in the UK.

The award-winning site features six distinct gardens and parkland, showcasing more than 5,000 rare trees and shrubs.

These include the National Collections of Zelkovas, Birches, and Maples, as well as 130 "champion" trees.

Botanical experts said the hot summer followed by cool, dry nights has helped produce the vibrant and lasting display.

Head gardener Steve Lloyd said: "I've been here 45 years and we have rhododendrons coming out in October when they usually flower in May.

"I have never seen so many flowers on it in mid-October. It's quite strange and we are just wondering what is going on.

"The Maple Grove is a really wonderful place to be this time of year, you get lovely colors and we stated it back in the winter of 1984.

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"Around 90 per cent of it was grown from seed. It's wonderful to be surrounded by all these different, eclectic trees and shrubs."

Head of marketing Austyn Hallworth added: "Autumn is always a special time at Hergest Croft.

"We've had a very warm and sunny summer, and this enables trees to build the sugar reserves that help to create the vibrant colors.

"With our unrivalled collections of trees, visitors can really experience the science of autumn color in action – and to see why our gardens are regarded as one of the finest places in Britain to enjoy this spectacular event."

Created and extended by the Banks family over five generations, the gardens sit under the iconic Hergest Ridge with views of the Black Mountains.

The terraces are planted with tulips followed by a fiery collection of dahlias and salvias, while the large rockery's autumn color given by many Japanese Maples.

The formal Slate Garden designed by Elizabeth Banks features edging in five varieties of box and a fir cone sculpture made from slate.

Park Wood, a secluded valley, hidden deep in an ancient oak wood, also contains over 30 acres of giant Rhododendrons and exotic trees.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once stayed at Hergest Croft and it is believed it inspired The Hound of the Baskervilles.

He was told the story of the Croft’s medieval landlord, the evil Black Vaughan, whose restless spirit roamed the land in the guise of a black dog.

Conan Doyle, so local legend has it, replaced the name of Vaughan with the Baskervilles of Eardisley.