‘It took so long to get in, we just turned around in the end and left’… commented a colleague on a failed trip to Westonbirt last weekend. ‘Well, they are on restricted numbers, so my bookings will probably shrink likewise’… commented a local landlord on visiting Stourhead.
So where will I get my annual dose of Autumn leaves this year? Or will it just become another victim of restrictions!
‘They are all different… I can see it now… blazing reds and oranges on this one… tinged yellow and brown on that one… the tree at the end already bare.’ Blinded by busyness, I never noticed that the trees opposite my house are all different species. In the full bloom of summer and the bareness of winter they have always looked the same.
I recall the deep red leaves of my potted Acer tree were the first to turn this year, and now the leaves of my blueberry plant have also turned scarlet red. On my run, the fallen leaves of those colossal trees opposite the shop have been creating a mosaic of colour for weeks, now I think about it.
Oh yes… and the ‘fire breathing dragon tree’, how could I forget that! When the strong wind and rain tore through its gilded gold, clay red and burnt orange leaves they all danced in unison, in the same way a Chinese Dragon is brought to life by puppeteers. The blackness of the night the perfect contrast to this fire ball image, illuminated only by an amber streetlight. Tucked away in a corner of a housing estate I cut through; it is the last place you would expect to find a tree of such beauty.
So, I guess I have been getting my fix of Autumn leaves. Every day as it turns out, not just in a one-off binge and I didn’t even have to drive anywhere or go through any complex booking procedure.
I just had to open my awareness to the beauty of what had been around me all along.