Autumn Time, Gentle Time

The gentle season is so beautiful this year,the trees and shrubs are showing off with strong colours of deep red, scarlet, yellow and orange and are brightening all corners of the over green and over planted gardens. I do think that Autumn or Fall is the most gentle of all the seasons despite the dramatic effect of their leaves. The weather is balmy, not too hot and I only feel the chill of night. The windy rain squalls of Spring and the frost and snow of Winter time are forgotten. The rain falls gently, repairing the soil and giving the leaves a last drink. The garden beds have a special smell - I can only think of 'earthy' to describe the crumbly, well mulched and animal manure fed dirt. It is time for us to weed and mulch again, to tuck them up with blankets for the few weeks of cold weather and possible frosts, only weeks away.

The Camellias and Rhododendrons have swollen flower buds as if they want to speed up the seasons and make time go quickly. Now that they have made their flower buds, it is the right time to feed the bushes. It is many years since we have given them a treat, they really don't need such a luxury to keep healthy. I have left this pleasant task until now so that the extra goodness will not all go into the production of new leaves. Many of the Rhododendrons have become so large that we will have to selectively prune after they have bloomed over a period of at least two years. I do not prune all branches at the same time as this may cause them to stop blooming and I am too greedy for the joy of their scented flowers.

Let me describe for you the brilliant, ever-changing scenes that I absorb as I take a daily stroll in the gardens of our homes. The multitude of shades that I observe in the Fothergilla major always takes my breath away. Each leaf is constantly changing its pattern from yellow to scarlet, through to shades of apricot and burgundy and often all shades at the same time. The Fothergilla is a North American plant for cool mountainous districts and will grow in heavy shade, though it needs some sun to show all the hues of Autumn. As the shrub grows only to 5ft tall and 5ft wide at the tallest and widest, it can thrill the gardener with the smallest of area to plant. It is a plant of great generosity because at the end of Winter, on bare branches, it will present to the lucky plants person white, fluffy and slightly scented flowers. I call this form of flowers 'bottle brush' blooms that may be seen in many Australian natives shrubs and trees. If you have a rich acid soil, a temperate climate and Rhododendrons growing well, plant it with your acid loving plants. I have one planted next to Hydrangea quercifolia. This hydrangea also has autumn colouring leaves, this time a rich burgundy colour. If your neighbouring gardener is lucky enough to have a mature specimen, ask him or her to layer a piece for you.and you will remain friends for life.