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Autumn colours
quercus ruba pride life home and gardens
When it comes to autumn colour in the garden, there are few trees more ravishing than the liquidambar (sometimes known as ââ¬Åsweet gumââ¬Â).
"Even the smallest suburban cherry can put on a brief but fabulous display "
We have one in our Suffolk garden that was very kindly planted by our predecessors twenty years ago and it is now putting on the most glorious show with leaves that range in colour from bright yellow through raspberry to deep burgundy.
Nestled amongst them – and on the ground where they fall – are the spiky autumn fruits which hang like small chocolate balls.
Our gardener wanted to clear the leaves away but I have managed to persuade him to leave them where they lie for a while so that we can enjoy the thick carpet of jewel-coloured leaves scattered on the grass beneath the tree.
I do the same with apples. A few years ago I was walking through a Kent orchard when I noticed how stunning the fallen apples looked when left to lie in great swathes amongst the frosted grass.
And so we planted a trio of Jupiter apple trees precisely so we could enjoy the fallen fruits through the autumn. We chose Jupiter because its apples were particularly suitable for this purpose, being large and glossy with a strong red tint on them – perfect for lying scattered beneath the bare boughs of the winter trees.
There are many other trees, of course, that produce wonderful autumn colour including parrotia persica (Persian ironwood), quercus rubra (red oak), the dogwoods,and the maples. Even the smallest suburban cherry can put on a brief but fabulous display (there’s a some small crumb of comfort in that for all of us, I’m sure).
But the other really important source of autumn colour is berries – berries in all colours, shapes and sizes from some of the loveliest garden trees and shrubs including holly, cotoneaster, viburnum, pyracantha, the many different rowans, crabs, roses, and, of course a reliable and perennial source of colour wherever you live: the local haws!
So grab your coat and scarf, put on some chunky boots and get out there and enjoy the fireworks before the brief show is over. Autumn only comes around once a year so don’t let it slip by without noticing its spectacular display.
