What to see in autumn
13 October 2025
As the seasons turn, Furzey Gardens takes on one of its most beautiful moods.
Autumn here feels calm and glowing, the paths soft with fallen leaves, the air carrying a faint woody scent, and every corner offering a quiet surprise of colour.
This year, 2025, promises to be especially spectacular. The mix of warm, sunny days and cool nights earlier in the year brings out some of the best autumn colour. Nature’s very own firework display, bursting across the gardens in deep reds, golds and russet tones.
Right now, the maples are the real show-stoppers. The Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ glows with rich crimson leaves, while ‘Shindeshojo’ still flickers with orange-pink light when the sun breaks through the trees. Down by the lake, Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ and the swamp cypress reflect on still water, their foliage glowing bronze and copper. The Nyssa sinensis, or Chinese tupelo, burns bright in pumpkin and amber shades, and the Liquidambar formosana ‘Monticola’ keeps its colour right into late November, one of the last to give up to winter.
As the woodland paths open up, new views appear between the trees. There’s something peaceful about seeing the garden’s structure again. The way trunks and branches frame unexpected glimpses of water or sky, and how the light filters gently through the thinning canopy creates a sense of grounding and wonder.
Even as autumn deepens, there’s plenty of colour to be found. The winter heather beds begin their soft purple displays and continue throughout the winter months, while Mahonia japonica bursts into cheerful yellow bloom just when you need it most. The glossy Skimmia berries shine red against dark foliage, and Enkianthus perulatus puts on a final fiery show, its leaves glowing almost translucent in the low sun.
On a bright morning, the whole garden feels alive with colour and reflection; on a misty one, it takes on a quiet, almost secret beauty. Whether you come for a brisk walk or a slow wander, autumn at Furzey invites you to pause, breathe, and enjoy nature’s dazzling finale before winter’s calm sets in.
Acer palmatum ‘seiryu’
Autumn colours around the lake
Autumn colours
Fly agaric mushroom
Leaves of Euonymous alatus leaves beginning to show their autumn colour.
Family walk through autumn gardens with Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ in background.
If you are looking for a quiet and tranquil escape this autumn, Furzey Gardens is just the place. Visit midweek to enjoy a calm and relaxing escape from the day to day.
The gardens and tea rooms are open seven days a week, 10am – 4pm, our opening hours will change to 9.30am – 3.30pm from 1 November. We do not allow dogs during October, however from 1 November we will be allowing well behaved dogs on a short lead.