With thanks to our resident gardener Stephen Lee
Autumnal Jewels
This year, has been an exceptional year for dry weather. This has resulted in our tree’s shrubs that produce fruit, nuts and berries going into over drive! They have all set in absolute abundance whether, they be cultivated or wild.
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, guelder rose and black bryony. Shrubs like dogwood have this year an abundance of black shiny berries adoring their terminal stems.
Many of our cultivated orchard trees of apples and pears are overladen with small but tasty fruit. Even earlier like with the plum trees just thousands of them this year, our native sloe and bullace plums have been and are still spectacular. Plenty of sloe gin to be made this year!
A high number of our trees and shrubs in our gardens are also dripping with berries this autumn after this dry 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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