GBFD – There is a little autumn colour

There are only a few things I miss about not living in England and most of those are garden-related.  Bluebells in spring (I have wild cyclamen in autumn here which I love almost as much), spring bulbs in everybody’s gardens, the possibility of visiting inspiring gardens easily and, at this time of year, the changes of colour of foliage of trees and shrubs.

It’s not that there is no change in colour at all; the pomegranate turns a love bright yellow before the leaves fall, the apricot is taking time to lose its foliage and that too turns an appealing yellow, but there is very little more.  Cotinus look more or less the same colour they’ve looked since spring and I doubt they will become the gorgeous red that I’ve seen in other gardens around the world.

The pomegranate contrasts well with the surrounding evergreen foliage and when the leaves do fall the form of the tree is lovely

Foliage on the apricot turn yellow before falling

The walnuts changed to a brown-yellow before quickly falling.   Oaks hang onto their foliage here in the same way that beech does in the UK; the dead foliage persists until the new foliage appears the following spring; I don’t find this characteristic as attractive in trees as I do with beech or hornbeam hedges.

The largest tree in the garden, the mulberry slowly losses its leaves with hardly any change in colour at all

I planted two Lagerstroemia (crape myrtles) because they flower very late August and into September and maybe even October when they are larger and their foliage does change to an attractive red in autumn.  But nothing very exciting, the main autumn colour here really is fresh green, which is welcome after the drought of summer.

When the Lagerstoemia are larger they will add some bright colour

Kochia trichophylla, an annual does provide some deep pink in that the flowers, seeds and stems of the plant all change to an exciting crimson as autumn progresses.

Kochia trichophylla doesn’t dissapoint with its bright pink flowers, seeds and foliage

Some grasses also delight me with their change of colour but most of their interest derives from their flowers.

Panicum adds some bright tints

Trachelospermum jasminoides

Evergreen Trachelospermum jasminoides tries hard with some leaves turning to the best red I have in the garden but only a few leaves do this the rest remaining resolutely green.

Looking at these images you might think I do have some autumn colour but it really is very limited,   so I have been reading with great pleasure posts from the UK and the US full of wondrous, breath-taking colour, feasting my eyes on such an incredible range of foliage colour I almost wonder why anyone gardens for flowers at all!

I’m adding links to some great posts but I’m eager for more.  To join in GBFD just write your post and add your link to your comment here.  I’ll be just as interested to see some spring/early summer foliage from the Southern hemisphere.

Debbs Garden Journal has a wonderful woodland as part of her garden, at this time of year it looks wonderful. Here are three posts you might enjoy. One, two, three.

Pauline at Lead up the Garden Path has also posted a couple of times sharing the colours around her in Devon. The Golden glow of November and about a glorious visit to Westonbirt.

To all my US readers have a very happy Thanksgiving.