Autumn colour – and scents

My favourite time of the year in the garden.     Let’s hope that we get some dry, sunny days in order to appreciate fully the colours in the garden.   This morning as I look out of the window  the “autumn bed” in the orchard is positively glowing yellow with the low sun shining through it.

Creating this bed was one of the better ideas that we’ve had over the last 13 years gardening here.    We mulled it over for a good year and finally last winter took the plunge, although a deciding factor was a mini digger sitting on the drive having been hired for another purpose.    Its easy to lift turf over a large area with mechanical power rather than spadework!  At the same time a large bed in the garden was being emptied of plants and grassed over – again a good decision.   How satisfying it was to create such a lovely new bed simply by moving plants from one place to another and  it would appear that everything transplanted is happier in its new position.  Plants that were transplanted from the garden bed included Helianthus Lemon Queen, Acanthus, Echinops, Rudbeckia laciniata Herbstsonne and an Aster whose name has been lost in the mists of time.  During the spring I added Achillea in various shades of terracotta and red and seed grown annual Rudbeckia.    Given a place in full sun with nothing overshadowing it the Rudbeckia and Helianthus in particular have grown spectacularly well and have been in flower since mid-August.   Bees and butterflies have been regular visitors.

A Virginia Creeper growing up the west facing wall of the house started changing colour a few weeks ago and in fact once the leaves have turned a beautiful red they promptly fall off, difficult to take a photo of it when it’s at its best.    A couple of years ago I planted some bulbs of Nerine bowdenii having admired those growing in a neighbour’s garden as I walked the dogs.   These seem to be settling in well, not particularly clumping up yet but the flowers are huge and so pink!

The most wonderful scent in the garden at the moment is coming from the Katsura tree, or as our family has re-named it “The Candyfloss Tree”.    It’s leaves are turning all shades of pink, red and orange and the burnt sugar smell that pervades the garden on a sunny day is amazing.    Not something that you can smell by going up to the tree and sniffing a leaf, the scent envelops you as you walk around the garden.