Falling Leaves

September 02, 2025

The Newt (Somerset, England)

After Stourhead , the second garden on the tour that day was "The Newt". Talk about a change in garden styles! As I review my photos, I can appreciate the beauty and style of this garden, but I must confess, it was one of my least favorites. I remember mostly the heat (it was one of our warmer days), the glaring sun with few trees in sight, and the commercial feel of the whole enterprise. But then again, this was mainly a vegetable garden and I was having an "off" day (I had just toured Stourhead, where I missed some of the main landmarks). The entrance took us through an area with gift shops and display areas (nice thing about photos is you see things you missed - I had not noticed the intricate ceiling design) - We did have an actual tour guide at this one, and he led us through the entire garden - Down a winding, blinding white walkway, towards the large vegetable garden - Leaving one vegetable garden, we headed up a grassy avenue with water features. Along th...

The leaves continue to fall, especially after brisk winds last night. Before I went to bed, I could see the small leaves of the Japanese maples beginning to carpet the deck.

There are two unnamed Japanese maples by the deck steps, one on each side. They are among the first trees planted after we moved in. The tree on the right was the one losing most of its leaves. This is how it looked this morning -