Autumn has always been my favourite season. Nature seems to gather up its glories for one last burst of beauty.
The beech trees make a golden backdrop for the wedding cake tree – Cornus Controversa Variegata. Cotinus Grace is starting to turn from chocolate to a glowing red.
Left to right, the wedding cake tree , prunus Kojo no Mai, and Parrotia Persica. Backbone shrubs that stand out in spring and autumn. Summer colour is woven through these plants.
Looking like it’s been varnished – Parrotia is also called the Persian ironwood tree. Its bark is a beautiful mottled iron grey.
Summerhouse in the mist. The field-side border contains eucalyptus, magnolia, flower carpet rose, and two matching crataegus prunifolia mop -headed trees framing the view. The 1920s summerhouse is on a turntable and facing the ploughed field today. Beyond the summerhouse is a small copse of trees where a Spotted woodpecker nested this summer.
My ancestors would have used different words for the seasons.
Until the 1500s, autumn was called harvest. The word comes from the old Norse word for haust- which means to gather or pluck.
The French gave us automne. And the Romans gave us the Latin name autumnus. But “autumn”didn’t come into common English usage until the 18th century.
Cathy at Words and Herbs Hosts the Tuesday View. Go along and see what’s happening in her garden and feel free to join in with photos of your garden too.
Bramble Garden 
A lovely autumnal post, I adore the Cornus, we have one in our woods that is not looking very happy! Must move it soon. My first sight of a Parrotia was in my in-laws garden, it must be 30+ years old and a magnificent specimen, it stands alone on their lawn amongst other stunning trees. Your garden is looking beautiful and beckons you to be in it. Happy Autumn!
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thank you 🙂 x
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Beautiful colors! The wedding cake tree is by far my favorite, even though those are it’s year-round colors 🙂
You have a great variety of plantings. It’s nice to see them blend so well as they grow together.
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Thank you. Amazing how they all blend together as they were planted over a period of years, and not all in one go. All the shrubs are under-planted with pulmonaria Sissinghurst White. It’s like a river of white froth in the spring.
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Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!!<3
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thank you :)) xxx
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[J] Parrotia is new to me. Wonderful foliage – shape, texture and colours!
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thank you. Very easy to grow. It’s no trouble. Thanks for your comments
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Your garden looks very beautiful in its autumn colours. Parrotia is one of my absolute favourites because of those multicoloured, flame-like leaves.
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Thank you for your kind comments. Luckily, there’s no close-ups.lots of weed to tackle over the winter. The parrotia is a favourite of mine because it hangs on to its leaves right into December here. They just gradually go to a mahogany brown – a bit like a beech hedge. My acers look fab for five minutes- but the first sign of a breeze and their leaves float away.
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What a glorious autumn scene. Your garden is beautiful Karen!
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thank you Jessica. Thanks for taking the time to comment. There’s such a lot of work to do all over the garden. I’m not sure exactly where to start. It will take me all winter to get on top of it. Luckily, it’s a good way to keep fit 🙂
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Sometimes we attempt to paint nature, but natural paintings are from nature itself, as depicted in these beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing, Karen.
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THank you Sunith for your kind comments. Much appreciated. All the best. Karen
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most welcome, Karen
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Interesting post and lovely pictures. I like this time of year as well. xx
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Thank you Mike. Sorry to bore you with the same photos. But I’m finding that the WordPress readers and the twitter readers are not the same. Thanks for your kind comments, as always. Much appreciated. Hope you are enjoying the autumn colours too x
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There’s no need to be sorry! I agree with what you say about not being the same. You’re welcome. I sure am. xx
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What beautiful tree and shrub planting Karen, your choices are all beautiful I particularly like the Parrotia. I thought summer houses on turntables were a new idea!
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thank you Christina 🙂
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Such lovely colour – the Prunus and Parrotia are particularly pretty. I am always amazed when I see such large Kojo no mai trees as mine is still very miniature! Thanks for joining me Karen!
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Must admit, Cathy, that ones been there at last 10 years. I’ve got some little ones in containers and they only seem to grow an inch a year. Thanks for your kind comments. Much appreciated, as always x
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Love all the colours and textures in your garden, you have woven them together beautifully.
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thank you Pauline. Thanks for your kind comments. Much appreciated.
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Lovely colors, Karen. I love Parrotia – I went to buy one once and the nursery worker talked me into Fothergilla, which has been nice and is a native plant, but not exactly Parrotia!
I think it’s cool that your summerhouse is on a turntable!
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thanks Eliza. I do love the fothergilla too. It we haven’t got the right ericaceous soil for it. Both look glorious at this time of the year. Thanks for your kind comments. All the best.
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How pretty!
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thank you Debbie. And thanks for taking the time to comment. It’s much appreciated 🙂
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