Where the time goes

Autumn colour has reached its ultimate; from here on the colour falls and seeps away into the damp earth. Frosts are starting to knock the more delicate leaves back to earth too. Owl hoots echo through the dark early evenings and into the long nights.

These sedum take on an anaemic look as their colours drain away.A few red berries remain – full of sugar, an attractive autumn snack for birds.The spindle reds go beyond natural, and then they are gone.Cotinus: no smoke but lots of fire.Dogwood leaves drop to reveal their black upright stems.Rowan, red enough to take a position in the field.Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’ and liquidambar Pinus radiata: a cone for Christmas.Acer rubrum: nearly lost the lot now but they were incredible.Parrotia persica catching the last of the evening light in the last of its leaves.Rhus glabra ‘Laciniata’ in a delicate moment before final fall.

Soon most of the colour will have gone to ground, the leaves will be away and the low sun won’t really warm the ground. Winter is coming.