On the Cusp of Winter

It has been a wonderfully colourful autumn at and around Brockhampton. Without the disturbance of high winds, the leaves have steadily changed from their customary summer green to yellows, golds, bronzes, russets, rusts and tans, depending on the species. Nevertheless, the first breezes, inevitably soon to come, will rob us of this treasure and leave the boughs winter bare until the fresh buds of spring burst forth. It is the time of year when the skies are often grey and the sun makes only brief appearances, but when it does the splendour of the leaves as they are now makes the very air seem to glow. Unfortunately, the website’s engine does not display the colors as brightly as they are in reality, or indeed as brightly as the original photographs, so you will need to view the images as if through an orange filter.

 

Left: A patch of brighr sunshine makes the colors come alive.

 

Right: One of the last roses

of the year.

A view up the drive to the lodge.

Even the east garden displays a variety of colour and texture, not readily apparent from this photo.

One of our few remaining specimen beech trees is ablaze with colour, but the leaves are rapidly falling. We have lost several of these fine trees to winter winds in the last few years.

Left: The enormous task of leaf collection and removal to the compost area is in progress. Over the years, various methods have been tried to simplify the time-consuming job.

 

Right: This shot shows the color contrast present in the lower east garden on a grey day.

Around and About

On the lane to Winchcombe.

A Brockhampton lane.

A place to rest, contemplate the view, or simply reflect, courtesy of the Cotswold Volunteer Wardens.

And just when we think that the blazing autumn might last for ever, winter reminds us, with a short sharp lesson, that it lies in wait just around the corner.