The Gardens Aglow
this Autumn

Embrace autumn colours, crisp walks and pumpkins galore throughout the Gardens and Estate

Summer may have come to an end, but the Gardens are full of vibrant colour, seasonal vegetable growing and leaf-carpeted pathways waiting to be explored this autumn. Grab a hot drink, head out for a walk and look out for some of our seasonal highlights below.

Autumn display of pumpkins, squashes and gourds in a stone alcove beneath a carved medallion

Potter amongst our pumpkins

The potager garden, just past the entrance to our Walled Garden area, will soon be filled with all kinds of varieties of pumpkins, gourds and squashes in some weird and wonderful shapes. The Gardening Team have planted no less than 850 of them, with the fruit being harvested in late October. The Kitchen Garden will also be home to many pumpkins and squashes between September and November including Hokkaido squash, red kuri squash and butternut squash as well as varieties of courgette.

A gravel path winds through ancient oak woodland in autumn, with two distant walkers

Take a walk under a canopy of autumn colour

The Gardens and Estate are aglow this time of year with the rich red, copper and gold shades of our trees. Take the path through High Park to admire the autumnal oaks, some of which have been standing for hundreds of years. In the Gardens, enjoy the vibrant crimson of the acers and discover the Arboretum, home to a variety of tree species. And whether you are six or sixty, there is no better feeling than the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot during a crisp autumn walk!

The Temple of Diana among golden autumn trees with sun shining through, and walkers on the path

Step into our temples

The Temple of Diana, the Temple of Flora and the Temple of Health are all now open for visitors to step inside and admire their architecture, enjoy the view or simply take a moment to rest and reflect. Each temple has its own unique history, and they are looking particularly picturesque with the scatterings of fallen leaves at their entrances.

A woven willow arch over a wood-chip path beside a garden bed with tree stumps and tall plants

Explore and look out for wildlife in the Secret Garden

Designed as a quiet oasis of winding paths, gentle water features and sheltered corners, this space has always been beautiful in all seasons, but recently our Gardening Team have created a new stump garden here using sculptural stumps from our High Park woodland. New features also include a bug hotel (to give our beneficial insects a home), hedgehog houses and birdhouses. There is also a new living willow tunnel, which is currently still becoming established but will make a lovely path to walk through once it is fully matured next year.