Birthday trip to Westonbirt Arboretum

10 comments

Westonbirt is down a pretty lane in The Cotswolds. Famed for its splendid autumn colours. Luckily the chairman of our rapidly aging walking group chose 6/11, my birthday, quite by chance. A good excuse to meet friends, have a stroll, take photos, have a convivial dinner and a weekend with friends. Can’t be bad. Would the leaves wait for 6/11? Well some of them managed to hang on. The Acers and Japanese Maples were nearly naked. GJ booked a disability scooter instead of sitting in the car waiting for his dinner. He enjoyed trundling around. First time he has ever used one.

Here we are starting out. A large group of young mums with tots in stroller carriers went on before us. So nice to see lots of youngsters visiting.

Somewhere to sit and admire the view. Hope the forecast rain stays away. It did until we sat down to dinner. How lucky could we get.

Ah found a bit of colour!

Aw saved a few leaves just for me.

Now thats not bad and those cornus stems are a help too.

This is delicate and ephemeral. Gentle autumn tints

I love this picture. Such beautiful trees and pretty colours. Our Evening class art teacher used to say trees in full leaf are boring, but half clad, or bare, they are far more interesting

Gardening on an industrial scale. Just pruning the shrubs dear.

I think this looks like a giant Anaconda

This Cedrus Atlantica resembles Dougal from The Magic Roundabout. The visitor helpers, clad in green, seemed to agree. Said no one ever suggested that before…..very tactful

Ah! more colour, orange this time.

Not again. Just put that camera away. I still think it looks like Dougal. The three sisters are looming over his back. Wellingtonia pines. They stay boring old green.

Just to prove we were all youngish once. Will someone tell me how to get rid of that lot below. One is enough! Thats me in the middle. At front.This photo was copied out of the log book. Being ex Rover Scouts they have to have a log book in remembrance of one who self harmed after his mother died. About 23 years ago.

17 Nov, 2009
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Comments

Louise1

Lovely pictures Dorjac :-)

Westonbirt is within an hours drive of me and i go there sometimes, it's a lovely place to visit - at all times of year too :-)

17 Nov, 2009

Dorjac

Yes Louise we have been To Westonbirt 2 or three times to visit the way out gardens exhibits......very interesting. The only thing we culled from that was to plant Thistle Circum Rivulare as it attracts pollenators. We had a good chuckle as we went round. Fraid I am rather a Cottage garden, jumbly sort of a gardener. I could sit in a wood any old time and admire the tree shapes and forms. A bluebell wood is my idea of heaven.

17 Nov, 2009

Pottygardener

Nice walk, thank you! Lovely pictures too......how nice that you have a walking group that are still together.

17 Nov, 2009

Spritzhenry

I've been there as well - it isn't too far away. It's a beautiful place - so peaceful!

Our tree surgeon trained there. I suspect that's why he 'knows' his trees so well! He uses ropes and slings now, not a huge machine - anyway, he couldn't get it through our gate! LOL.

17 Nov, 2009