The Golden Rain Tree

The Golden Rain Tree,when in full fig, would brighten any day.

And even though well past its best, it still cheered mine.

You see you can take the Head Gardener out of the Botanic Garden ( some 11 years ago now), but you cannot take the Botanic Garden out of him!

Yesterday I was in Bath, en route to survey the garden of clients for whom Lesley and I are creating a garden design.

 

Well, two to be exact.

Unable to park in their street I had to walk  two streets. And on the way from one street to another I spied a tree that I had once known well.

Koelreuteria paniculata.

It is also known as The Golden Rain Tree, Pride of India and Varnish Tree. It is not a tree you see that often in the streets.

But there it was sitting in the front garden of a terraced house on the hills above Bath.

Its summer dress is a golden glory of yellow flowers. I was a little late for that.

Though there were one or two of the airy flower sprays left!

The arresting sight was the inflated seed capsules that follow.

These are first green and then red tinged.

Yellow autumn colour follows and if you add in red flushed young growths and elegant pinnate foliage it is that desirable cliché: a multi season tree!

The only caution is a weak branch structure. I certainly would not place a seat in its shade. I also think that as a tree it is too broad spreading for the average garden as planted now.

So in my current career as a garden designer I would not really have a use for it. Unless perhaps the more narrow fastigiate form.

As it was I greeted an old friend in passing and passed, even rushed, on.

Because I had wind that it was to be a rainy day in the more conventional sense.

So it turned out.

Lesley and I made cracking speed through the survey of the rear garden and then through the front garden.

For we are designing gardens for both.

As the heaven opened in an electric storm with full scale thunder and lightning we huddled in the doorway drawing the last lines on the survey sheet.

I guess the golden lining to those storm clouds was not getting soaked.

And meeting such lovely clients.

Thanks, guys, for the excellent coffee and biscuits by the way.

So meeting The Golden Rain Tree had been a good omen!

R