Come autumn, and Ray and Michele Blundell’s garden becomes more colourful by the day as scores of acers colour up, and smouldering tones eclipse cool greens. ‘I’m not sure what started my fascination with acers, except that I have always preferred shrubs and trees to just flowers which are, at best, transient,’ explains Ray. ‘Also, I’m a painter and that artistic streak comes out in gardening, in trying to create pictures.’
Maples clad in crimson, gold or orange foliage are arranged in meandering borders and island beds, and underplanted with shrubs, ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials. They stand head to shoulder with other outstanding specimen trees — silver birches, liquidambars, a , , oaks, hornbeams, pines and rowan
