Decline

The leaves on the trees are edged with shades of yellow and russet. A slow gentle decline has come to the garden; the tall Hollyhocks and Verbena flop under the cooler, damp weather we have been having lately. Hydrangea blooms are slowly turning to papery sepia coloured blossoms and in the next few months will be edged with silvery frost transforming them to a delicate Brodie anglaise.

Almost black, conical Rudbeckia seed heads will provide a little respite for the sparrows in the colder, sparser months that are to come and will look almost spectral in the winter; laced with spider webs and twinkling with frost. The grass seed heads (which present a challenge to photograph as they are constantly ruffled by the wind) have turned a beautiful plum colour reminiscent of hedgerow fruits.
As the nights begin to draw in I find myself out in the garden after work, trying to make the most of the light evenings before the season triumphs and I am relegated to the armchair until the weekends.