Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral combines formal floral gardens and rockeries with flowering shrubberies, open areas with ornamental trees, woodlands, spinneys, wild zones, meadows and water gardens.  I have been visiting for around a year now, so each trip offers a new seasonal experience, each providing a new array of species, colours and textures.  Although there are still some very fine floral elements producing some lovely blooms, autumn at Ness is dominated by the trees and their fabulous leaves.

Photos of my previous visits to Ness Botanic Gardens at other times of the year can be found by typing “Ness” into the Search field.  The Ness Botanic Gardens website can be found here.  When you buy a ticket, do be sure to pick up a map so that you don’t miss anything, although the Gardens are well signposted.  I’m not a great one for season tickets, but I value my special-offer Ness membership, which has paid for itself, with the added bonus that I can combine it with one of my sporadic trips to the RSPB Burton Mere nature reserve just down the road.