Mmmmm... Autumn

More Autumn Garden pictures.

Years ago there was a fashion to have 'your colours done'. I'm an autumn. I wonder if my fondness of this season has anything to do with loving the colours so much?

This kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) is a seedling. It always flowers once a year in late Autumn. It's one of the last things 'to do its stuff' before winter closes in.

And this is Pseudocydonia sinensis (pseudo quince). Great autumn colour. Gold with a touch of flame. Apparently you can use the fruits in the same way as a normal quince. I never have. But I guess I should - maybe next year. This year I'm just going to appreciate them on the tree, for their aesthetic value.

And this is Prunus 'Elvins' - the spring flowers on this are just stunning for about two weeks in October. All frothy pale pink. Then in Autumn, it gives again with great reds.

My house is about four houses in from the beach. There are houses, then a main road, then the foreshore and then the beach. The soil is very sandy, but surprisingly it's pH neutral. While I cannot grow many of the things that I would love to - primarily woodlanders that require moist peaty soil and really cold winters - I can grow quite a bit. It sometime surprises me how adaptable plants are.

If you look too closely at the pictures you'll see that I desperately need to do some tidy-up gardening. Since doing the baby thing I haven't been a very good gardener. I'll get back to it...