Ode to autumn

The autumn garden, with its vibrant colours and mellow light, offers soothing beauty alongside some profound and valuable insights

A soft, golden light paints the garden with a magical glow, making spiderwebs and dewdrops lacing the leaves sparkle like tiny diamonds. By the pond, grasses faded to a buttery yellow sway in the breeze, a shifting backdrop for silvery blue spikes of Russian sage and white echinacea blooms tinged with pink. Tall stems of Verbena bonariensis, a favourite plant of mine, bob in the wind, their clusters of tiny purple flowers attracting and feeding butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Wrapped in a cardigan, I stroll around the garden and breathe in the crisp morning air, stopping to sip tea from the mug keeping my hands warm, savouring all the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of autumn. The days are still warm, but nights are getting cooler; the tang of wood smoke is in the air, mingled with the scent of the many roses still blooming. On some mornings, wisps of mist rise from the river, smudging the forested hills in the distance. Fat, juicy rosehips and jewel-like berries decorate branches; dahlias, Cosmos and Japanese anemones still thrive, and asters brighten the borders with their masses of purple and white flowers.