Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
22nd October 2022
Berry Colourful
Isn’t it just amazing how nature right’s itself. Grass that was brown and burnt off just weeks ago is now lush and green and growing like spring grass, and the ‘false autumn’ which was the name given to the stressed trees at the end of August, was indeed ‘false’ as the real one is now here in all it’s spectacular glory.
I think everyone loves autumn. The colours are just so magical and I always think the falling leaves are nature’s way of reminding us it’s OK to let go. There are wonderful tunnels of beech on some local roads that are just spectacular when the sun hits them. And that’s without the ‘private’ displays of Acers and other specimen trees you can catch a glimpse of in people’s gardens – my brother’s Liquid Amber is in all it’s autumn glory and is the talk of the neighbourhood. Even the burnt-orange hues of dying bracken on the mountain catching the autumn sunlight is simply stunning.
And if you are looking to introduce more autumn colour into your own garden, then don’t forget the beauty of berries too.
Shrubs that will capture attention with their unusual and eye catching berries include Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’, with it’s violet berries, which the birds leave until late in the season. ‘Profusion’ also has lilac flowers in late summer and bronzed spring foliage – which colours again in autumn. Happy in sun or partial shade, it will grow to around 6 ft. Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii is one of the most spectacular autumn fruiting shrubs with pea-sized bright blue berries backed by pinkish magenta lobes. It also has highly scented white flowers in summer adding to its value as a garden shrub. Happy in most soils in a little shade, or in sun with adequate moisture it can reach up to 8 ft.
Other shrubs to consider are the Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ which is semi-evergreen and will reach 10ft, Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ which will deliver spectacular scarlet autumn leaf colour and whose fruit features a rosy red capsule which opens to reveal bright orange seeds. That too is a large shrub reaching around 8ft.
Viburnum opulus ‘Xanthocarpum’ has maple like foliage and autumnal clusters of golden yellow, almost translucent berries that last well into the winter before finally feeding the birds. It’s another large shrub at about 8 ft when mature.
Pyracanthas not only provide good autumn berries but also are appreciated by nesting birds in the spring. Although less so by gardener’s who have to work in their close vicinity. The old-fashioned shrub roses provide beautiful hips and haws in the autumn as well as beautiful summer blooms and heady scents if chosen carefully.
Pyracantha and some of the larger shrub roses can be used for hedging too – where their thorns are also an advantage. The orange and yellow berries of the Pyracantha will be left alone by the birds, until they’re really hungry – I remember Dad telling me they always took the red berries first. If you have the room, get a red-berried variety for the birds and an orange or yellow-berried variety for continued colour in the garden.
Winter of Discontent?
Last week’s warm weather has apparently secured 2022’s title as the hottest on record. Looking back through my diaries and photos, we often have a warm spell in October. In fact this year, last year and the year before I was working outdoors in a vest during the third week of October, with temperatures in the low 20’s. Classified as an Indian Summer, there’s not actually a strict temperature criteria, other than the Met Office Meteorological Glossary, (first published in 1916), defining an Indian summer as ‘a warm, calm spell of weather occurring during October and November.’
Folklore has it that:
If ducks do slide at Hallowtide,
At Christmas they will swim.
If ducks do swim at Hallowtide,
At Christmas they will slide.
There are a lot of weather-lore sayings that are indicating the coming winter will be a hard, cold one. Large crops of acorns often precede a harsh winter as do heavy crops of berries. Lots of people argue that lots of berries are simply the result of lots of blossom and therefore more reliant on the previous spring, but remember nature has all that covered too, and would ensure a good crop of berries by ensuring a profusion of flowers.
And last but not least, one of the boys in work has been convinced it’s going to be a hard winter since the price of fuel and energy started to sky-rocket a few months ago. His theory? Sod’s Law.
Let There be Light (Instead of Fireworks)
I have been absolutely thrilled to read about an alternative Bonfire Night event in Cardiff on the 4th November that isn’t just family-friendly, but dog-friendly too. ‘Lights in the Park’ will take place in Trelai Park fields, Cardiff, from 6.30pm on Friday, November 4 and is described as “an animal/family friendly alternative to fireworks”. Hooray.
The event will start with a laser animation display at 7.15pm and continue into a full-on laser light show, set to music, from 7.45pm. The main show is expected to last around an hour.
Obviously there will still be the ‘traditional’ fireworks events on during that weekend too, but what a great demonstration that there is an entertaining alternative to the fear-inducing fireworks.
The event is being organised by the Caerau & Ely Sports Trust, and run by Laser Promo. Chairman of the Caerau & Ely Sports Trust, Joseph Goode said, “Lockdown increased the demand for owning pets and now each year, around this time, there are a lot more petrified animals. You just need to read the responses on the local residents’ pages to know that a lot of people are hugely against fireworks.”
I have been campaigning to introduce legislation for silent fireworks in Wales to be mandatory for all public and private displays for several years. You can still send your stories and sign the petition at www.lynneallbutt.co.uk/your-story
Thank you.
Leave a Reply