Autumn has so much to enjoy with its vivid colours and surprises

As the temperature drops and the light becomes more golden, the autumnal garden holds many wonders.

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While there is always a melancholy for the passing of summer, there is still much to enjoy. It is the season of fruitfulness and this fruiting takes many forms from rose hips to berries as well as mushrooms pushing up through the lawn. And there is the fiery glow of deciduous trees turning crimson and orange before they shed their leaves in preparation for winter.

One of the delights at this time of year is the unexpected joy of autumn-flowering bulbs. Just when you think the season of flowers has finished, along come the slender stems of nerines, topped with starbursts of pink and crimson that sparkle in low light. These South African natives seem almost too tropical to flourish in our cool autumnal weather, yet they thrive here, best planted against a sunny wall.