The wonderful changing colours of the Acers have appeared earlier this year than previously. Usually I am hoping for them to change in October, but have to be patient until November. This year though, we had quite a long dry spell of weather, very sunny days and much colder nights and I believe these are the triggers that start the changes in the leaves.
Acer Osakazuki in the back garden.
Please be patient with me while I show you just a few of the many photos I have taken. I love these trees, everything about them, their shape, their leaves, the patterns the leaves make and of course the colours that come so quickly at this time of year. The colours are so fleeting, victims of the wind that blows through the garden, thank goodness mine are fairly sheltered from the westerly gales that are prevalent here.
The red colour then starts to change to fuchsia pink, it just gets better and better day by day.
The Acer on the left of the archway was planted by the previous people here, it was only about 3 ft 25 yrs ago.
I don’t know which variety it is, but eventually it turns a beautiful orange.
The view from the spare bedroom window.
This back border certainly glows at this time of year. My third Acer, Sango Kaku, dropped all its leaves a while ago and is now completely bare. My fourth Acer, Shindishojo, hasn’t started changing colour yet, there’s always time!
I have to have my daily fix of studying the Acers, preferably while drinking a coffee. The colours deepen day by day, until suddenly, they will be gone in a puff of wind and we have another year to wait for a kaleidoscope of colour in the back border once more. I’m happy to wait.
Acers have a such a striking colour at this time of year – they really stand out in the gardens and you have so many glorious examples of them. I love to see acers catch the autumn sun. I have one here and it’s in a prominent place so that it’s unmissable from the house.
Acers are amazing, when we first saw them at Westonbirt I knew I had to squeeze a couple in here somewhere. I think you have to be able to see them from the house as the colours are with us for such a short time, then, even if the weather is bad, you can still enjoy them.
They definitely are ‘ace’ aren’t they – a delight in all weather. I have one glorious one at the moment and the other strong colour comes from the cherry plum.
Yes Rosemarie, they are! The sun is shining at the moment and the colours are just glowing where the sunlight is coming through the leaves, such amazing colours.Our cherry has dropped all its leaves now, they didn’t last long at all unfortunately.
Beautiful. I like the way their vibrant colours frame the archway – did you put that in? Such a good point to place choice seasonal plants to provide a view from the house or main path.
Yes Kate, we put the archway in. Once through, you cross a little bridge and you are into the woodland. We have a white clematis and rose up the archway on the left side and I’ve ordered the same rose, Rosa Snow Goose, for the right side, just waiting for it to come. This is the main view from our sitting room.
They are magnificent Pauline. The colours are so bright they change the light in rooms which overlook them. There’s a positive red glow on the east side of the house at the moment!
Thank you Jessica, they are so fleeting so I have to go and have a look at them each day. I agree about the light changing in the rooms, the spare bedroom has a wonderfully golden glow all day long.
Gorgeous! Acers thrill at this time of year and also in spring when some have shockingly beautiful colors. So much to love about them as you’ve brilliantly shown!
Yes Peter, their spring foliage is beautiful too, but not as bright as it is now. They really brighten up the garden at a very dull time of year when everything else is dying back.
Magnificent!
I need to coax mine into a pleasing shape.
Osakazuki lost its leader Diana, I’m trying to train a replacement, but that is why it has such a flat top at the moment!
Yours certainly are! That color is outstanding!
It’s hard to believe Jason, that these colours are hiding underneath the green all summer.
My first encounter with Acers was also Westonbirt! We had a wonderful sunny day there and the Acers certainly look their best with sunlight through the leaves. I really enjoyed your photos in this post Pauline, stunning.
Westonbirt has a lot to answer for Denise! Most of our garden is either too windy, too wet or too sunny for acers to be happy, so with trial and error, the only place I can grow them is in the back garden or the woodland. Glad you like the photos, the colours are amazing at the moment, but how long they will last is anyone’s guess!
This beautiful set of images certainly brightened my heart today Pauline. The colours are so intense and I love that you have showed the foliage is a lot of different lights, it shows how they change and how the light affects our gardens. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Christina, I certainly can’t resist taking photos of my trees! This year the colours have been amazing, the weather conditions must have been just right to get the deep colours everywhere. We went to Bristol last weekend to see the family and all the way up the M5 and around Bristol, we were treated to a wonderful display of autumn colour with all the field maples and cherries that have been planted at the side of the roads.
I really enjoyed seeing pictures of your Acers Pauline. Mine was as beautiful as always, but is losing its leaves now. The autumn colour was fleeting but wonderful. I love the shape of your Acer Osakazuki – as if it is spreading its arms out to shelter the shrubs below it!
Thank you Cathy, but the wind is sending the leaves flying now! A. Osakazuki lost its leader when it was much smaller, but now one of its branches has decided to take over, so maybe in the future it will be different shape, I too quite like its flat top, but I suppose it should be more rounded.
What wonderful colors, I can see why you enjoy studying them each morning with a cup of coffee! It really is interesting to see how the colors transform through the season. They seem to follow such a long list of color changes, so much longer than most other trees.
The wind has put an end to my Acer watching Frank, nearly all the orange leaves were swept up today and the red ones have started falling! So many colours are revealed, it is fascinating watching them each day. Glad you like the photos!
Oh what gorgeous photos you have taken of your Acers. So beautiful back lit by the low sun. I need to go out and take some too. Heavenly. I love the red carpet you get under the trees when they have just dropped too.
Thank you Annie! We see the red one from the sitting room window and it positively glows when the sun shines through it!