Cotinus @ Dursley Garden

This very old Cotinus (Smoke Bush) is absolutely brilliant at the moment. The photos are untouched - this is the real colour!! Just amazing to see. Lots of colour elsewhere around the garden, too, but this is the star for me. Days cooling off, bulbs starting to appear. Never ending action around here!

Last Flush of Autumn Roses

The trees are looking absolutely stunning at the moment, but it was these roses sitting on Judith's kitchen table that caught my eye on the weekend. This is the last flush of autumn roses before winter. The gazillions of bulbs are starting to poke their heads out of the ground. Always something different happening as the seasons change at Dursley. Dursley stays open for garden visitors right through the year. Perfect for a wander around on a warm day!!

Autumn's Perennial Border

Tall and feathery Golden Rod (Solidago)

The perennial garden in full March glory - pink, purple, yellow.....

Rose gardens along the north-eastern side of the house

A few months ago I posted photos of the perennial border being very green, with pops of pink livening it up. Well early autumn (March), and the colour spectrum has gone full circle over summer and now it is lots of yellows (Golden Rod), pinks (Asters) and almost every other colour imaginable. All tossed like a giant fruit salad. Sounds garish, right? But here Judith gets away with it. Even though there has been a summer drought at Bideford, there is still loads of colour in the perennial beds, and the roses. 

Carpets of Cyclamen

Under the century old oaks and cedars, the ground has become a carpet of cyclamen at Dursley. Judith calls them the 'little people' - they have naturalised into every nook and cranny. They look amazing when the sun glows onto them.

Now is a perfect time to come for a visit - with the long awaited rain, all sorts of treasures will start appearing. Who knows - the lawns might even go green again!! Judith would love to see you.

This is meant to be the duck pond below the house - first
time in years that it has had NO water in it. 

The lawns have completely dried up in the drought. Let's hope they green up soon.

Autumn Harvest @ Dursley

The vegetable garden at Dursley is one of the most important areas for Judith. It is primarily a working garden - fully productive. But I find at this time of year, the beauty of randomly placed pumpkins, onions etc is just gorgeous. I fell in love with the tendrils on the pumpkins! Aren't they just fascinating?? Or is that just me that thinks that??? Rachel

Devonshire Teas @ Dursley

Phew! With about 600 tickets sold for the Pukaha Mount Bruce Garden Tours, Judith had her fair share of that 600 coming through the garden on the weekend. Fantastic weather, and lots of beautiful gardens on show, it would have been a fabulous weekend for visitors and locals to experience the Wairarapa at its finest. Marvellous result for the fundraising, no doubt, for this great native bird reserve.

Devonshire Teas - 3 of about 250!!

Judith, not content to just relax and chat to her visitors, decided that selling Devonshire Teas would be a great idea. And it was. Only there were literally hundreds of visitors that wanted a share of that action!! Full noise in the kitchen on the Saturday, more steady on the Sunday. Judith is amazing with her scones, and can have them whipped up from empty bowl to out of the oven in about 12 minutes. Lucky that. She had to make a few extra batches than she had expected, during the rush. True to form, they all came out beautifully presented, and word soon spread!!

Only a few of the perennials were flowering in time for
the weekend. Peonies, Lupins and Aquilegia.

Pink Manuka hybrids showing up amongst the greenery

The garden itself at Dursley was remarkably restrained (colour-wise) for the weekend, as roses, peonies etc are all just a little late coming into flower. The perennial border was a study of elegance before the brightness erupts. This will look completely different in another two weeks. The bright pink Manuka (Leptospurmum) hybrids added a much-needed splash of colour to the perennial border. They will be finished by the time the main colour explosion hits. Three different hybrids below.

Well done to Judith, and well done Pukaha Mount Bruce for great marketing and choice of gardens. Everybody wins from these kind of tours.

Pukaha Mount Bruce Garden Fundraiser

Dursley Garden is included in the Pukaha Mount Bruce Garden Tour for the first time this year. November is an absolutely stunning time at Dursley with so much spring action. Judith will be selling her usual Devonshire teas, as well as introducing her Bed and Breakfast suite to visitors. Yes, the garden is a little out of the way from the rest of the gardens (15 minutes north east of Masterton), but a lovely drive through the Bideford valley. Worthwhile coming out to meander around the paths, and just relax in the welcoming atmosphere Judith has created. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite, from Novembers past.......