Finding Colour in November

Despite it's being my birthday month, I've never felt a particular affinity for November, with its dreary damp and chilly days. Once the leaves fall, we miss the vibrant colours that are on display in October. Nevertheless, during the warm sunny days that have occasionally appeared this month, we did find many colours (in addition to green) in our gardens. The ornamental cabbage below was a straggler donated by a friend who showed up with a bunch of seedlings in September and insisted I give them a home. Given the shortage of growing time, it was a question of "tough love" but the plant responded with glowing colour if not enormous size.

The holly bushes under a kitchen window produce shiny berries that attract the deer and also friends who raid the bushes for Christmas decorations.

Another treat today was discovering a very young oak seedling that had sprung up beside a hilly bed and which, when the leaves were back lit by the afternoon sun, resembled sections of stained glass.

The branches of cotoneasters are laden with bright red berries this month but they will soon disappear when the deer begin to forage on this bounty. Fortunately, for the time being, the deer and the ducks are busy cleaning up the windfalls from the old apple orchard. 

Members of the Chester Garden Club are reminded of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, to be held on November 21st. Annual reports will be circulated in advance and all members are encouraged to attend. The evening's guest speaker will be Sydney Dumaresq, who will give an entertaining talk on the subject of old houses.