Autumn Leaves

It depends on the summer how quickly autumn comes – our indicator is the apple tree which can suddenly turn red overnight (or so it seems.) The weather is perfect misty mornings, warm days, cool nights! With good summer growth – the woodland especially flourishes, and salvias grow over a metre tall in a few short months along with the Smoke Bush & Forest Pansy.

But always the most splendid of all was the [Louis van Houtte Elm] – it’s lime foliage and beautiful leaves dominate the drive in – with the ghost gum in front – spectacular. When the leaves fall along with the birch trees it is a yellow carpet with the bare branches like umbrellas over the Secret Garden wall. A close second to Louis van Houtte Elm is the “red wall” at the back boundary where five elm trees turn red and then have a carpet of autumn leaves everywhere covering the Westringia balls. The red hot pokers (Kniphofia) come out and the Cestrum Elegans – Red (Butterfly Flower) which has trumpet flowers that stay for ages.

At the [Il Pergolato di Rosa] the grape vine turns a magic red – amazing!