ACER, BAMBOO, NASTURTIUM
This one’s all about the foliage: shrubs, vines, grasses with a few seedpods and the last flowers of the season.
OCTOBER
INGREDIENTS
Acer palmatum ‘Katsuro’ (Japanese maple)
Bambusa vulgaris (bamboo)
Lathyrus latifolius (perennial peavine)
Sanguisorba tenuifolium (burnet)
Rudbeckia subtomentosa (sweet coneflower)
Chrysanthemum ‘Avignon Pink’ (chrysanthemum)
Abelia chinensis (Chinese abelia)
Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)
Eleagnus (silverberry)
Rosa ‘Cornelia’ (rose)
Molinia (purple moor grass)
Panicum ‘Warrior’ (switch grass)
Hypericum (St John’s wort)
Tropaeolum majus ‘Ladybird’ (garden nasturtium)
Solanum - unknown variety (tomato)
VASE
Concrete pestle bowl
Kenzan
Chicken wire
NOTES
At this time of year the leaves on all the deciduous plants in the garden are displaying the most incredible colours. It's a beautiful sight for us to enjoy but of course there is a scientific reason - as the light levels start to drop during the winter months the plants are no longer photosynthesising (producing energy for growth) and chlorophyll, the component that makes the leaves appear green, is leaving, which is why we start to see those yellow and red pigments instead. Leaf senescence is a natural part of the life cycle of plants - if only we viewed the aging of ourselves with such admiration!