Autumn: intense and widespread colour
Contrary to popular myth I don’t spend my days wandering happily around the arboretum looking at trees but grab opportunities as they arise between less glamorous jobs like business planning and budget reviews. Today I had just an early window of opportunity and decided to retrace the route of my first autumn blog almost a month ago. The colour is now really intense and widespread with hotspots like Acer Glade at their peak.
All around Circular Drive acid-loving plants such as azaleas, witch hazels (Hamamelis) and Enkianthus are putting on a great show.
Of the latter genus, the less common E. perulatus on Duke’s Cut path is a showier autumn star. Its bright scarlet leaves always seem to outshine those of E campanulatus (yellow to red leaves) that can be seen in many parts of the Old Arboretum and Willesley Drive.
At the very northern end of Savill Glade, leaning over the path, a young snowdrop tree (Halesia Carolina) can be seen. Most of its leaves are gone but the pear-shaped, 4-winged fruits are still there.
I took a few general shots as I walked around to give an impression of the level of colour. The pair of weeping Japanese maples near Duke’s Cut Gate were doing their usual firework impersonation and Colour Circle just needed a Victorian carriage and party of picnicking Holfords to complete the picture!
Two interesting trees just beginning to colour were ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and (at last) the group of dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) at the western end of Pool Avenue.
My most surprising encounter was with some impromptu leaf-art! I love this and can’t help wondering who the anonymous artist is.
Like much of this week, today was very murky and my pictures show that. But the forecast for the weekend is for colder, brighter conditions and my advice would be to get here soon while leaves last!
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