During this last week the colours in the garden and the surrounding countryside have changed considerably, the green is gradually fading away and changing to yellow, orange and red. Also the leaves have started falling with a vengeance which means leaf raking every few days, never mind, its supposed to be good for the waistline! The sun is lower in the sky which brings a different light to the garden, illuminating areas that are usually in deep shade, I love this time of year, everywhere looks so different.
One of the first plants to change colour is my little Acer palmatum atropurpureum dissectum which is in a pot in the back garden. It has been a dark purple all summer and now is such a bright pink/red.
The border by the front drive has changed completely since a few weeks ago, now all the Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt leaves have changed from green to purple and contrast with the buddleia leaves and the trunks of the silver birch trees.
It’s a good year for berries for the birds, this is the pyracantha by the gateway in the front.
The cornus leaves get better and better each day, here they are with Betula ermanii.
Ilex Golden King has more berries than usual, I wonder how long they will last?
Azalea Persil which has gorgeous white flowers and a perfume to match in the spring, has a last fling at this time of year.
While taking the photos I noticed that it was covered with flower buds ready for next year. Our rain in the summer came at the right time to get all the rhododendrons and camellias to hang onto their flower buds.
Of course this is the time of year when the acers strut their stuff and change to the most amazing colours. This is Acer Sango kaku which normally turns pale yellow for me, but this year I think it got too much sun in the spring when we had our really hot weather, so this year it is a bit more pink.
My newish Acer palmatum dissectum in the woodland is turning yellow, but the leaves seem to be dropping almost straight away.
Another azalea, this time Rhododendron luteum which has highly perfumed yellow flowers in the spring has also turned a beautiful purple colour.
It was just as well that I took this photo of my dainty Acer in the back, as the next day……
……they had all fallen on the gravel.
Never mind, they still look beautiful nestled amongst the leaves of the ophiopogon.
Hostas are joining in and showing up much more than they did in the summer.
My tall Acer, which was here before me and I think might be Acer palmatum, has started to change colour , but hasn’t reached its full potential yet, maybe next week!
I thought Acer Osakazuki would be ready, but still has a little way to go, just another couple of days should see it is all its finery.
but I can still find some leaves to brighten my days before the wind blows them away.
I love all the leaves that make this garden what it is, but this is the result unfortunately when the gales come, as one did the other night.
I had intended to plant more bulbs when it got lighter, but when I saw all the leaves on the lawn, I had to change my mind about what to do that day.
It wasn’t just leaves that I was raking up, there were thousands, literally, of acorns, all from next doors huge oak by the fence. All the time I was out seeing to the leaves, I was being pelted by hundreds of them falling on me. I can remember when I was little, my brother and I used to climb an old oak in the front garden of the house where we lived and used to drop them on people passing underneath, I did check here and no-one was hiding, maybe it was a squirrel!
The leaves might be have been neatly raked up the day after they fell, but now we have another lot, so from now on I can see that I will be at it every few days.
After having deposited all the leaves that I had raked up, in the woodland corner to make leaf mould, I thought the view from the bridge looking across the back garden to the gravel area, looked rather nice with the underside of Acer Osakazuki to frame it, even though more leaves have come down overnight.
I have just watched the forecast for the coming weekend and we are going to have gales on Saturday and more rain on Sunday with a few showers in between. I think I know that I’ll be raking up leaves again on Monday!
Have a good weekend, wherever you are!
I’m truly amazed by the number of acorns this year, I’ve never seen so many! I hope there were no direct hits, they can hurt as I found out to my cost. We’ve even had to replace a panel of glass in a cold frame.
Your acers are looking marvellous. Yes, another storm on the way. Avoid oak trees!
I’m rather glad Jessica, that other oaks are producing so many acorns, I was a bit worried that nextdoors oak was producing so many prior to dying, hopefully not as it is such a huge tree. I think I will stay safely inside on Saturday!
Such gorgeous colours from the acers and azaleas. They are real value for money plants, working hard in all seasons.
I totally agree Anne, they certainly earn their space in the garden. Nice to hear from you!
Sounds like the squirrels (?) were giving you a hard time Pauline! Lol. Lovely to see all your wonderful Autumn colours. Lovely photo of the Acer leaves with the ophiopogon.
The Ophiopogon is next to where the potted acer is standing Denise and they do look nice together so I’m happy for the leaves to mingle. We have another storm today with the worst at midday, so I don’t know how many of my beautifully coloured leaves will still be there by tomorrow!
Your acers are stunning and the pyracantha berries are beautiful. It’s the same here with the leaves, they’re everywhere, I’m leaving the raking until they’re all down. You had me laughing re the acorns and you shaking them onto innocent passer byes! I have oak tress constantly popping up all over the garden each year. I do love all your autumn colour.xxx
The Acers still have their leaves Dina, even after the storm at the weekend, thank goodness, so I should have them for a few more days yet. We have so many huge trees, I daren’t leave sweeping them all till December, I would be buried under them! x
Some wonderful colours in your garden Pauline, and I too enjoy seeing the garden in a different light at this time of year. It’s strange about the vast number of acorns as I have noticed this as well on my walks – and loads of beech nuts in our garden from our neighbour’s massive beech tree
Thanks Cathy, the colourful leaves survived the last storm, but will they survive the weakening hurricane that is on its way? I ‘ve heard of beech trees having good and bad years for “beech mast”, but never before for oak trees. At least with all the leaves coming down we can see the sunlight once more through the branches, it makes such a difference now that the sun is lower in the sky.