Red and green (Russian Vine in our garden)

The Russian vine is scrambling up an old tree trunk and across the surrounding plants. 

More and more trailing stems climbed up the tree trunk but then ran out of anything else to cling to so they are twining around each other creating great arching garlands. (We even had a sighting of some blue sky this morning!)

Russian Vine is a bit of a thug so I cut mine right back to a foot or so above the ground when the leaves are falling off. If you don't cut it back it will take over your garden and all the neighbours gardens too. It can root itself everywhere it touches the ground - but I think it's worth the extra work of keeping it under control in order to enjoy the spectacular Autumn colour! 

Thank you very much for joining me. 

Drizzly Monday walk (Coombe Wood)

After a lovely day yesterday it was a surprise to see grey sky this morning. The tall buildings of Croydon had disappeared in misty drizzle.

It didn't put me off going for a walk. 

Everything was damp and dripping. 

The gardener has been cutting all the hedges and tidying flower beds. Autumn red and orange are creeping over many of the plants.

Berries - this shows how poor my camera is at picking up some colours - these have come out rather pink.

 And the rose hips have come out too pink as well.

 Red leaves scrambling over the fence above the cafe courtyard.

Raindrops on grass seeds. 

I'm sure the pampas grass wasn't open last week - now tall white plumes shoot up from islands of leaves.

A layer of papery honesty seeds. 

A jumble of plants, heavy with raindrops.

Water droplets on grass seeds sparkling like exquisite glass sculptures.

 Cedar flowers.

Reddening leaves and tiny white flowers. 

 Callicarpa berries - they are actually much more purple than they look here.

Pale acer seeds. 

Looking ahead - that little tree has changed colour since last week.

WOW! Love this colour - so rich and fiery. 

A clump of puffball mushrooms 

Across the herbaceous border the big beech tree reveals scars where it has lost a couple of branches.

A lone yellow flower has pushed through the michaelmas daisies.

 Delicate stripes 

Orange berries. 

Bright splashes of orange. 

 Feather caught on grasses. 

Yew berries

I've already forgotten what these are called. The darkening berries hang down now.

Variety of stages of development. 

These berries are beginning to shrivel up. 

Starry seed pods. 

Red leaves scrambling over mossy roof. 

I can't resist another photo of these purple flowers before they fade. 

Thank you very much for joining me. 

With friends at Coombe Wood - Monday.

A friend and I enjoyed a walk together - managed to miss the rain. I didn't take as many photos as usual because we were busy chatting!

The carpet of cyclamens behind the fence next to the car park.

I like the patterns that the broken mesh makes

Deep red berries. 

Huge leaves, catching fallen pine needles. 

My friend noticed a pine cone among the pine needles.

More pine needles looked as if they were floating - caught in spiders webs.

The feather that I photographed last time was still trapped on the shrub but looking much more bedraggled.

Even though this little flower is fading the colour is stunning. 

Another feather with several water droplets sitting on it.

Very dark berries. 

Yew berries

Strawberry tree berries - and some flowers (just off centre to the right and half way up the top right quarter.)

Japanese Anemone middle

Wonderfully colourful leaves and berries. The gardener told me what this plant is called last time I was there and I wrote it down but forgot to include it - it's a Phytolacca americana (American Pokeweed!)

I don't even remember taking this photo - the tree is the spindle berry tree which is covered in green berries (?) - not ready to open and let their spindles down yet.

Whereas the different version around the corner is dropping its spindles. What incredible colours they are.

This bee's wings caught the light. (It has pollen grains on it's right wing tip.)

Seeing through each layer of plants to the next

Arching grasses. 

We met a friend - and the three of us had a lovely lunch together in the Coach House cafe. I really like this light that sits on a dresser in the corner.

Looking closer at the light.

Thank you very much for joining me.