Autumn in the Garden

September and October have the best light. Every time the sun shines, it feels like golden hour through the trees. I love September (and not just because it means birthday cake in our house...). I love it because it calls in the autumn - the golds, rusts and reds. Maybe it's just me, but autumn is when I love living in the UK most; the beautiful melancholy, the red brick covered in yellow and gold leaves, the TV that gets really good (Celebrity Traitors = just what the doctor ordered).

And I've discovered over the years that you can still get a lot of other colour in the garden at this time of year. The pink and purple asters come out at the end of August - delicate daisy like flowers that flower all through September and October. My Bathsheba climbing rose still blooms on in pale apricot, and the open-petalled Tottering-by-Gently rose is a welcome sight with it's primrose yellow flowers. Persicaria's bright pink flowers - little fuchsia bottle brushes on the end of long stems - seemingly go on for ever (see below).

But this is where trees come into their own. The trees in my garden take it in turns to turn gold and red, before dropping their leaves, starting with the Cercis Avondale. Bright, heart-shaped yellow leaves droop down (see below), and clash beautifully with the red crab apples of Malus Red Sentinel. Underneath, grasses turn all the colours of orange, red and rust. They all show off together.

Have a look below at some of the plants that are looking good in autumn right now. And underneath that, a poem I wrote a few weeks ago to mark the changing of the seasons, "September Light".

September Light

I was born into September light

Low and soft

Raindrops

Golden through the shadowy leaves

Guitar strings

And musical voices

Calling in the morning

The ache of autumn

The beautiful bark of birches

Yellow tree clouds

Fall on me

I was born on the cusp

Of swans gliding on golden waters

Reflecting the blue, blue sky

Deep cellos echo the bass line of the soul

September in song

School ties in the mirror

New tights, new shoes

Pencils all in a row

Ready to etch the next year into

Existence, eternal memory

Ink pen on paper

Remember?

I came into the world

And now

I'm holding your tiny summer hand

Grateful for all you are

And that I birthed you

To be born

What a thing

I began in the days of gold

Young-old

Half told

I'll tell it all to you

Sunshine pouring down the windows

Your mother is September

Remember

It all