The sunny, cold spell we had a week ago has certainly helped to develop the autumnal colours which are now in the garden. Some leaves unfortunately have shrivelled and dropped early with the long spell of dry weather that we had, rain eventually came to the rescue, now we are back to very sunny days with much colder nights.
Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt sporting its beautiful colours on the front drive.
The leaves of the Cornus are the most amazing colour.
The golden leaves of Betula ermanii contrast nicely with the Cornus.
Under the kitchen window, Hydrangea petiolaris is changing from green to a lovely buttery yellow.
The prunus by the front drive is showing its autumn colour but the leaves are looking a bit dry without the usual rain.
The golden leaves of a silver birch, what a wonderful blue the sky is!
The leaves of the Amelanchier are dropping before they change colour, just a few have managed to change.
The torrential rain a few nights ago brought down so many of the Horse chestnut leaves, someone will have to get sweeping!
Prunus Kojo no mai looking very pretty in her autumn finery.
Contrasting foliage from right to left with the yucca, Kojo no mai, purple phormium and Pittosporum Irene Patterson (she needs trimming)
This photo was taken a week ago when Acer Osakazuki was just starting to change colour.
And look at her now, gorgeous ! I will do a separate post about the Acers soon.
Leaves of the Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus are changing colour, soon it will be a golden fountain.
The common Field Maple, which is a hedging tree in this area,is a member of the Acer family. Driving along , you are surrounded by buttercup yellow. This one is behind the bog garden.
I’ll finish with a few evergreens. When looking in the woodland, it was the cyclamen foliage that caught my eye…..
……each plant has foliage which is quite different from it’s neighbour.
I had to include the new planting in the old strawberry pot, I could swear that they have grown already!
This back border stays green all summer, then suddenly, it bursts into colour for a few wonderful weeks at this time of year. It all depends on the wind how long it lasts, I just enjoy it all while I can.
The colours of autumn are deepening each day, they are quite early this year, I think due to the long spell of very sunny dry weather we had earlier this month and last month. Temperatures at night time are dropping, but we are still waiting for our first frost which can’t be far away now.
Hopefully the foliage is looking colourful in lots of other gardens at the moment. Christina at My Hesperides Garden, encourages us all to appreciate the foliage in our gardens through the year, do pay her a visit this Garden Bloggers Foliage Day.
That last view, of the back border, must be a lovely surprise when it suddenly arrives. And the foliage on Cornus ‘Westonbirt’ is stunning – I need to see if I have space for one of those next year!
Yes Cathy, it comes so suddenly, one minute everything is green, then it seems overnight, but it can’t be, it is full of colour. If you get a cornus, you will need a space about 6ftx6ft, it grows that much after being coppiced each March. It’s worth it though for all the colour from the leaves and then the red stems all winter.
Oh Pauline, thank you; your autumn colour is just what I wanted to see. The Cornus in the first image is fabulous but my favourite is Prunus Kojo no mai. Thank you for joining GBFD.
Happy to oblige Christina! The little Prunus is such a pretty little tree, I think the leaves are even more pink this morning, maybe I should have waited to photograph it!
Pauline, it’s a treat to see the range of possibilities for autumn color through your eyes. The first image of Cornus alba sibirica Westonbirt is gorgeous. Only slight change in color here so far.
I think the weather conditions have been just right for colours this year Susie, although they are definitely earlier than the last few years.The Cornus colour is beautiful, the plants were bought for their red stems over the winter months, the autumn colour is a bonus, I was amazed the first year I saw them!
Beautiful! I think the corner with the yucca is my favorite though, I was surprised that it blooms so late.
We had a warm few days followed by rain and winds. Most of the autumn color has been pulled down and thrown around already but it is such a colorful time of year.
Quite often the Yucca doesn’t flower Frank, I don’t know if it needs a certain amount of sunshine or not, but when it does, it is the star of the garden!
Autumn is so fickle isn’t it, the wind can ruin a wonderful display is a couple of days, ah well, there’s always next year!
Your garden is looking wonderful in its autumn finery, Pauline. It must be a joy to see how trees and shrubs that you have planted over the years form such beautiful tapestries, what great vision you have.
Thank you Kate. Lots of the plants were bought for the flowers or the leaves or the stems, the autumn colour has been a bonus. I do like plants forming tapestries, love the different colours, shapes and textures, it must go back to when I was doing a lot of painting!
Such a lot of glorious colour. The prunus seems to change in a daily basis. Thanks for sharing
October and November are very colourful months in the garden here Karen, Prunus leaves have such a wonderful selection of colours.
It’s a pleasure to see your Osakazuki in all its glory, ahead of mine. What I really love as well are the leaf tones in the Amelanchier, do you know which species it is?
Thanks Jessica, Osakazuki is certainly brightening up the back garden at the moment, such a knockout colour! The Amelanchier is A. lamarckii.
Lovely selection of photos Pauline. The grasses are really a bonus this time of year aren’t they? I’m fairly new to grasses and have been surprised just how much they contribute to both form and colour in the autumn garden. What is the variagated plant below the Acer? They look well together!
Grasses come into their own at this time of year Denise, they wait until not many flowers are still flowering and then have their moment of glory!
The variegated plant under the Acer is Euonymous Emerald Gaiety, it makes a nice contrast doesn’t it!
I can see you’re mad about colour too, Pauline. Lots of beauty in your garden and I love how you combine structure, texture along with it. You have a skilled eye. What are the dainty little white flowers in front of Westonbirt? My cyclamen are gently increasing, I’m so pleased. I want to plant a group of birch near Pompeii but there are so many nice ones, B. ermanii being one of them.
Annette, the dainty white flowers you are enquiring about are blue seedling asters! They are spreading along the front drive and the bees love them so I am loathe to pull them out! Planted among the Cornus in the front are 3 Betula ermanii, 3 jaquemontii and 1 papyrifera, all of which have lovely bark, we can see the bark much better once the cornus leaves have fallen.
Very nice range of Autumn colour. Your header photo is very similar to mine! You are lucky to have Acers growing. They have never done well in my garden probably due to wind
Nice to hear from you Steve, thank for leaving a message.
I have to be careful where I put my Acers, it has been trial and error as we have quite a bit of wind from the north and East, some have been moved a few times before I got it right!
Your Cornus leaves are wonderful – strangely, ours are still green.
Thanks Jason, they are an amazing colour and always change at about this time of year, do yours change eventually?
C. racemosa does not have very dramatic fall foliage. It does change eventually, but I hardly notice.
The colours in your garden are lovely Pauline. This is such a lovely time of year – although heavy rain here today. You have such range and variety in your shrubs – brilliant.
Thanks Sue,it is a wonderful time of year with so much changing in the garden. We had torrential rain yesterday too, it brought a lot of the leaves down but thankfully there are still plenty left!
What an array of colour! I love your Acers. I am noticing all sorts of odd cyclamen foliage too and they are all quite different…xxx
I think Cyclamen have the most amazing foliage Dina, such pretty leaves and all different.The garden certainly bursts into colour at this time of year, October and November can never be considered dull!