THE AUTUMN GARDEN

Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

John Keats, 1820

The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is beginning to put on a splendid display.

The persimmons (Diospyros spp) decorate the bare twigs of their tree.

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) berries make a beautiful show

The bergenias (Bergenia cardifolia) make a splendid show.

The African yellow daisy (Euryops spp) brightens up even the dullest day.

Nasturtium leaves love catching the raindrops.

Ripening grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) promise sweet delights in mid-winter.

One of the least demanding and most rewarding of fruit trees: The tamarillo (Solanum betaceum). 

A discarded fig leaf leaving branches shamelessly bare...

One of the last yellow tea roses, braving the cold and wet weather.

This one is rather sad...

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves choosing a watery grave.

Beautiful, bright blooms of the Camellia sasanqua are at their best now.

The humble Viola tricolor rarely stops blooming.

Irish strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) flowers, soon to be succulent prickly berries.

Succulents always look good whatever the season!

The chrysanthemums are just about finishing their display now.

It's a beautiful season...