With thanks to our resident gardener Stephen Lee
This year, on the whole has been very wet. There also seems to be a lack in pollinating insects. However, I have noticed that although not seen many honey bees but, have seen lots of bumble bees. This must explain why the trees that have berries on are dripping with fruit this year and that coupled with it been wet to swell these fruits/berries.
Anyway, this autumn we are now being blessed with fruit and berries from the bees work and lots of water. However not all have set fruit. I have noticed that there are not a lot of crab apples, sloes and some pear trees this year have not fruited or very sparsely. I suppose you can’t have everything and every year is different.
The berries of our native trees like Hawthorn are lighting up our hedgerows and woodland areas with their crimson berries. Interesting to note that you can make a very nice Jelly from Hawthorn berries. Also, Holly and literally dripping with their bright red berries this autumn, this which are not Eaton by the birds will last well in to December and beyond. Interspersed in our hedgerows other bright red fruits can be found, like on honeysuckle and black bryony.
A high number of our trees and shrubs in our gardens are also dripping with berries this autumn after this wet year. Trees like Rowan (mountain ash) with orange, white, yellow and even pink berries, Arbutus (strawberry tree), Cotoneaster trees and shrubs with mostly orangey/red berries but some are yellow, many of our shrubs like Berberis with deep purple/black berries, Pyracantha adorning our walls with their brightly coloured berries in yellow orange or red, Rosa with brightly coloured hips and Symphoricarpos (snowberry) to mention just a few.
As the sun starts to wain and getting lower and lower in the sky and our days get shorter. The suns ray’s hits these brightly coloured fruits and berries and they shine like autumnal jewels. These fruits and berries in turn attract our birds and insects to cash in on the feast now and well in to the autumn/winter. Some berries like the glossy black berries of Ligustrum (privet), the bright purple berries of Callicarpa bodinieri profusion (beautyberry) and some holly berries are not palatable for our birds and are left for our enjoyment and serve as reminders of better days.
Below is a gallery of pictures relating to November
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