I've lots of images to share, so please be patient while the page loads for you. All woody plants have bark, but it's not something most gardeners think about much until after autumn leaf fall when form and bark become prominent. If the enchantments of bark have eluded you, come along with me on a little tour of only a handful of the many species and cultivars of woody plants whose extraordinary bark enriches our gardens. This is rather a photo essay, so please be patient should the page load slowly for you. Despite the brief glory of flaming leaves, autumn is really a subtle season.
Flowers change to seedheads, pods and berries.
Sometimes these are brilliantly colored but in many plants, these final gifts of the season are tinted with elusive hues only seen on close inspection. There are lots of images, so please be patient while the page loads for you. The music of autumn is played in a different key than that of spring. Although both begin softly and build to a crescendo, spring's song is sweet and high, while autumn's is a more complex ballad, changing key and rhythm as the music builds. Autumn includes the mellow minor keys, totally absent in spring, as well as a touch of melancholy among the brassy highs.