I’d be a liar if I said I relished the onset of autumn. But ever the pragmatist, once it’s here, I quickly adjust. Nights drawing in, summer clothes folded away, Strictly on the telly. One could be forgiven for fast-forwarding to Christmas. But Mother Nature still has one heck of a trick up her sleeve as she turns our landscape into burnished gold. For a few precious weeks, the landscape lights up with autumn colour. We all recognise the virtues of spring blossom, but autumn’s natural spectacle gives us a much-needed lift before we head into the dark days of winter.
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, it’s all too tempting to hunker down indoors. But now is the ideal time to rejuvenate yourself, mind and body, by taking a walk in your local park or woodland. So, grab a warm jacket, pull on some sturdy boots and venture out into nature. The Muck Boot Company has a versatile range of boots for all outdoor pursuits https://muckbootcompany.co.uk from dog walking to gardening, and are totally waterproof. As the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”.
Visit A Garden Near You
One of the best places to experience Nature’s Fireworks is Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, in Gloucestershire https://www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/autumn Westonbirt holds the national collection of Japanese maple, and is world famous for its spectacular autumn colour, on a breath-taking scale. Other notable locations are Bodnant in Wales, Hamsterley Forest, County Durham and The New Forest in Hampshire. For the best autumn colour near you, visit https://www.forestryengland.uk/autumn/ultimate-guide-autumn-walks-near-you
The ideal time to visit one of these gardens is on a sunny day. The contrast between the burnished tones of the trees against a bright blue sky is stunning. The way the light slants through the tree canopies gives the foliage a translucent quality. But winter gardens, whatever the weather, are far less crowded than in high summer.
Expose yourself to nature
The physical benefits of being in the fresh air are well known, but the positive effect on your mental well-being should not be underestimated. As you leave the traffic at the gate, relish the silence, breathe in the cool air and start to absorb the grandeur that surrounds you. Gold, copper, russet, ochre leaves, shimmering in the low light levels. Walk amongst the fallen leaves, kick them up and watch them flutter down onto an amber carpet. Listen to them crunching underfoot. Wonder at their diverse shapes and textures.
Bathing in natural light in the crisp, cool autumn air improves mood and sleep, reduces stress and boosts immunity. The sheer scale of some of the majestic trees helps put things into perspective, and the light and space can clear your head and calm your mind, almost like a moving meditation.
Bring some Autumn Colour into your garden
If you are lucky enough to have an outside space, it’s well worth introducing some autumn colour into the mix. When all the froth and bubble of summer fades, shrubs come into their own. They create focal points in an otherwise flat landscape, adding colour, fragrance and texture. And now is the ideal time for planting. Even the smallest of gardens can accommodate a small or container-grown tree. As well as offering seasonal beauty, a tree will provide structure, shade, and privacy, as well as supporting wildlife and improving air quality.
One such tree is the versatile Amelanchier lamarckii. Also known as Snowy Mespilus or June Berry, its young, bronze leaves are accompanied by white blossom in spring. But as autumn progresses, its leaves turn orange and red, complemented by an abundance of dark red, edible berries. Another autumn beauty is Cercis Canadensis Forest Pansy, whose glossy red leaves burst into autumn flame. But Euonymus alatus, aptly named The Burning Bush, has probably the brightest red autumn foliage of them all. These deciduous small trees or large shrubs have a naturally open, multi-stemmed crown, making them ideal for use as specimen trees.
If you fancy an acer, then Ozakazuki and Sango Kaku are two of the finest varieties for autumn colour, and should be grown in a sheltered, semi-shaded position, to avoid leaf scorch. They also make ideal container-grown specimens.
To enhance your autumn displays, why not add some evergreens, which will provide continual interest after the deciduous trees and shrubs have shed their leaves. Mahonia Soft Caress is a graceful upright shrub with narrow spineless leaves and fragrant yellow flower spikes, followed by dark blue berries, which provide food for birds and pollinating insects at this time of year. It is also very happy in full shade, a boon for small town gardens and courtyards. For colourful red, orange or yellow berries, plant evergreen pyracantha, or Firethorn, which can be shaped into a hedge or grown up the side of a shed or outbuilding.
Plant for All Seasons
Seasonal interest comes in many other forms. Ornamental bark can create quite a feature. Betula jacquemontii, or the silver birch, has white bark which peels back regularly to renew its ghost-white trunk. Prunus serrula, or the Tibetan cherry, has the most dazzling coppery young bark. Both trees put on a colourful autumn show before finally shedding their leaves to display their striking bark throughout winter. Cornus, or dogwoods, are small shrubs, grown for their colourful bare stems which light up the winter borders. Two of the best are Midwinter Fire, the clue is its name, and Cornus Sibirica Variegata, which has sage green and white foliage that falls away to reveal bright red stems.
It’s worth finding room for some ornamental grasses, such as coppery miscanthus Indian Summer and panicum virgatum Heavy Metal, which turns from blue green to golden yellow. And last but by no means least, Osmunda Regalis, or The Royal Fern, is a living sculpture, as its tall, graceful fronds turn a burnished bronze.
Once you introduce plants for autumn and winter interest, they will reward you for years to come, enticing you outside for twelve months of the year. You will also be providing food and shelter for wildlife. And don’t forget to look up at the trees.
