Wednesday 15 October 2014

Mellow Fruitfulness

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...
Conspiring ... to fill all fruit with ripeness to the core"
'Ode to Autumn', Keats

Keats certainly knew what he was talking about - what a lot of very bright berries and fruits there are in our garden at the moment. Look at these cotoneaster berries - I don't think I have ever seen them look so red!




The passion flower fruits have been ripening too, from green ...




... to yellow ...


... to orange ...




... to very bright orange - fabulous sunset colours!


Orange too are the rowan berries, but they are disappearing fast as the birds like to eat them.




And finally my favourite, Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion', or the Beautyberry. Yes, the berries really are that purple! I had often thought about buying one but had found them quite expensive in the garden centre, when I came across a sad-looking, reduced one in my local supermarket a few years ago. Quick as a flash I bought it and planted it, and now every year it produces these wonderful bright purple berries. 





Last year I made table decorations for P's birthday lunch using lots of chrysanthemums mixed in with these berries. I loved how the fiery colours exploded together.


Afterwards I had fun arranging them with some apples and quinces outside on a sunny day, my own mini 'harvest festival'.


Wouldn't mind some of that sunshine back this week! As soon as it stops raining I'm off to plant my daffodils for spring. Now where are my wellies? x

6 comments:

  1. So beautiful photos!
    I love it!

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  2. The purple berries are amazing, I've never seen those before. I live that about blogs - there really us something new toward every day. :)
    I have 2 passion-flowers in my garden but they do to produce any flowers, or fruit, in fact they are quite feeble. I really must research how to make them healthier.
    Hope you have a lovely day,
    Jillxo

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    Replies
    1. You're right - I've picked up lots of stuff that I didn't know from blogs :) Maybe your passion flowers are still establishing themselves, if they're newish? Mine grows up a south-facing fence, so it gets lots of sun. You too x

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  3. Hello Cathy

    Your photos are gorgeous, especially the purple berries I've not seen aything like them before. Your garden must be so colourful right now. Thank you for sharing.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  4. Hi Irene, thank you :) Yes, bits of it are colourful and the rest is looking sad and drippy in all the rain we're having. I'm concentrating on the colourful bits!
    Cathy x

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