When I got back from my whirlwind trip to Canada, I found that my own garden was in full party mode, with all colours blazing on three of my trees. The two Acers had reached their full potential and my seedling silver birch by the back door is now a golden fountain.
This is the acer that was already here when we moved in nearly 30 yrs ago, so I don’t know which one it is unfortunately.
Parts of the tree that are in the sunshine turn more red than the rest.
Beautiful colour now from green all summer.
The tree was about 3ft tall when we first saw it, you can see how much it has grown over the years.
The view of the tree from the other side, in the woodland, looks far more red. It gets some sunshine now that the leaves are down from the taller trees and looks quite different from the side facing the house.
Acer Osakazuki on the other side of the archway is growing too, now as tall as me. Just a week ago the leaves were khaki coloured, look at them now!
I like the contrast of the red/pink with the euonymous below.
The leaves have so many gorgeous shades hiding in there.
A real “wow”, the colour is amazing.
Colour is even better when the rain makes the leaves shine.
With the low morning sun shining through the leaves, they almost look yellow!
I just hope we don’t have gales which will blow them all away!
I spoke too soon, we have now just had gales and torrential rain , so the big sweep up has started.
Quite a few red and orange leaves are down already – shame.
My seedling silver birch just appeared one day by the back door and was allowed to stay.
Each autumn the leaves turn a lovely golden colour.
Over the years it has grown and grown, until now I can’t fit the whole tree into a photo, no matter where I stand in the garden.
Did you notice my Yucca flower in one of the earlier photos?
The whole spike is now in flower and looks wonderful, hopefully no frosts soon to finish it off.
Mahonia Charity is the best it has ever been, I had intended to cut it back this year, I’m so glad that I never got round to it!
Miscanthus leaves forming a golden fountain. and links with the beech in the field hedge.
Betula jackmontii by the entrance is joining in the autumn celebration.
But look what I noticed when sweeping up the leaves, Galanthus Robin Hood is on his way – it is nearly snowdrop time!!! Only about 6 weeks to go until the first ones will be flowering!
It was a wonderful sight that greeted me on my return, I’m so glad I didn’t miss it all.
Are you like me, dashing out into the garden as soon as you return from a trip, to see the changes that have taken place while you’ve been away, I think you might be. I can’t say that the garden is ever boring in November, it is so colourful.
Two storms this week have brought so many leaves down, I seem to do nothing but sweep them up and stack them in a corner of the woodland to rot down. Soon last years leaves will come back to the garden and be spread as a mulch for the snowdrops and hellebores. I must get the woodland weeded so that I am ready for the beginning of the gardening year once more – gardening never stops here in the UK!
