A Berry Nice Time in the Gardens ...........

Autumn, a time when I can return to my childhood days without fear of reproach, without that look upon my mother's face which said: "I could tell you to behave but what's the point. You are going to do it anyway." And my crime? Brand new, shiny red wellies just waiting to crunch through the autumn leaves, crackling under foot, and kick them high into the sky. Then with my very best "I'm sorry but I am a little girl and this is what little girls like me do at this time of the year" I would giggle to myself as my poor mother apologised profusely to the elderly gentleman with the well-used broom who had spent the last hour sweeping up the leaves. And then of course there were the puddles. Brand new, shiny red wellies drawn to muddy puddles, splashing, jumping ....... "But mummy, this is what little girls like me do when the rain is kind enough to leave such wonderful puddles. After all, mud washes off, and you do want me to make the most of my brand new, bright shiny wellies. Feet grow so fast, you know, so I really must get plenty of use out of them while I can ....."

How beautiful are the Royal Botanic Gardens as autumn takes a firm grip. Mosaics of gold, red, green and brown pepper the lawns and adorn the flower beds as summer leaves this colourful month to momentarily delay the onset of winter. To many plants autumn is a beginning and not an end, a time for them to rear their heads and challenge the spectacular blooms of summer, to declare they too can be colourful, splashing the landscape with their own autumnal shades. Deciduous conifers add to the stunning swathes of colour, their needles shifting through the seasons as suble as the changes on an artist's palette. Larch trees hold a mellow shade of yellow until their needles give in to winter's beckoning and fall to the ground. Summer-flowering heathers defy autumn and hang on until the cold fades their blossom and they sleep, awaiting the return of the warming sun. Drowsy insects slowly flit from flower to flower, gathering the last of nature's nectar, attracted by those still holding fast in defiance of the long winter days ahead.
Berries and fruits, they are what autumn is about. Adorning the trees and bushes like decorations on a Christmas tree, clustering in groups, brightly coloured in hues of red, yellow, gold and black. Rowns, whitebeams, blackberries, tempting the birds and the animals, warning them of a harsh winter, enticing them to fill their larders while there is still time. Small, succulent, pecked by birds, picked by squirrels, nature's supermarket bursting with goodies to survive the days ahead. Falling leaves, carpets of gold and red, spectacular displays of berries in a watery sun hanging low in the sky - this is what autumn is all about. Conkers bouncing from horse chestnut trees, acorns leaving the safety of their "egg cups" to be snapped up by sqirrels seeking a meal or two, holly berries awaiting fame on the front of a Christmas card - oh yes, they are all here in the Botanics, an ever-changing landscape changing yet again. New life replaces old, colours shift like the tides of the sea, the weather weaves its magic and another corner of the Gardens holds you spellbound as you wander, hat, scarf and gloves firmly in place to discover a tree, a flower, a bush you may have missed before.
Yes, autumn is well and truly in situ at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Forgive all the pictures, but I had to share some of the beauty abundant in one of my favourite places, a wonderland to rival all others, a living exhibition of colour framed by the world around it. Where better to walk on a crisp, autumn day ........... And yes, I do still crunch through the leaves and kick them high into the air. And yes, I very definitely still jump into puddles, more effective now there is more weight behind my landing! Pure childish fun. Second childhood? No, I'm well past that. Must be my third? fourth? fifth? .........