End of September, Early October in the Gliffaes Garden

What’s happening in the Gliffaes Garden?
End of September, Early October

 

Quietly, colour changes are happening in the garden as we head for October and autumn.

A patient wait for one of my favourite trees to berry has almost been rewarded; the first few berries are appearing and soon they will turn pink and blue, but for now the Clerodendrum trichotomum is a cloud of bright capsules and some emerging green and pink berries. In the next few weeks, it will be a riot of fuchsia and blue berries.

Rose hips are excellent this year but in particular these huge lantern-like ones, which are abundant on the rose bushes “Rosa moyesii Geranium”.

There is more flaming red colour on the Euonymus alatus (Winged spindle) and the many red cotoneaster berries around the garden. 

Other plants and trees are beginning to change and this Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a beautiful combination of dark reds and greens at the moment.

 The tree that has given me the greatest delight this last few weeks is the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). It‘s not a big tree and its heart-shaped leaves have changed to a gorgeous golden and pink colour. As they fall they give off the most delicious caramel fragrance. I walk past it every evening to shut my chickens in and find myself scooping up handfuls of the leaves and waiting a moment while I inhale the wonderful sweet smell.