A lot of red at Coombe Wood.

It wasn't very bright this morning but the sun did peep out a few times. 

The plants in the flowerbeds near the entrance have already grown a bit or else the gardener has squeezed some more in because there's less soil showing than last time.

A bright vine leaf. 

Red acer

This little acer has already shed most of its leaves. 

The acer at the top of the path is changing colour but still has most of its leaves. I met the gardener here - he was clearing litter. We stopped and had a conversation about banana flowers and acers etc.

 Zebra grass with crinkly seeds spraying out like little fireworks.

I was seranaded by the delightful chirruping of birds for most of my walk this morning. After a while I could also hear a machine in the distance. Possibly the gardener using the leaf blower?  

Little red acer. 

Further over - another red acer which has lost a lot of leaves.

Looking through that red acer to another little deeper red one. The purple callicarpa berries are behind the acer at the front.

Looking back to the trees beyond the prairie beds - two red trees overlapping.

The leaves on this little acer are blushing subtly but the stems are vibrant pink.

The banana plants have been cut down and the stumps have been surrounded with straw and wrapped with their protective winter coat. I found out from the gardener today that these banana plants are Japanese bananas (Musa Basjoo). Online information about whether the flowers are edible is very mixed so I don't think I'll be tempted to try a little bit of the flowers I came home with on Friday.

 Such an colourful corner leading into the woods.

Little red acer with a cascade of leaves

And on the right, higher up and quite easy to miss if you're not looking for them, there are some very colourful leaves.

Through the wooded area - trees thinning. 

One of my favourite acers in the distance. 

I spent quite a bit of time wandering under this tree looking up through the branches marvelling at the richness of the colours.

Under the big acer there's a much smaller dark red one. One of the orange leaves had fallen onto the dark red leaves showing the contrast of colours. 

Looking upwards again.

 
And down (hard to know where to look!) where a carpet of low growing ivy makes a lovely background for the fallen leaves.

The sun came out briefly lighting up the leaves. 

 Tearing myself away - past beech trees. 

Another little red acer. I love the way these splashes of colour are dotted around.

One of the pathways was covered in pale yellow leaves.

Around the corner another big red acer. I spent quite a while here too looking up through the leaves.

Two big leaves from other trees nearby had landed on this wonderful red acer making interesting patterns. There's a big oval one at the top of this photo and a jagged one at the bottom of the photo (once again so technical - I have no idea which trees these leaves come from - must look them up).

Another acer - very slender leaves. 

Yet another bright red acer and this one has loads of winged seeds on it.

 Spindleberries - many more are opening now. 

Salvia - Hot lips - still bright and cheerful. 

 Interesting way to change colour!

 Flamboyant fuchsias.

It's very easy to see how far the vine has scrambled up through the trees now that the leaves have changed colour so much. The bunches of grapes hanging high in the tree are shrivelling now.

The hops look quite droopy. 

As I passed the pond I happened to be looking in the right direction to catch sight of a large dark fish as it jumped up and splashed back into the water creating ripples that spread right to the edge of the pond.

All calm again. 

Thank you very much for joining me.