The mulberry tree garden

The garden is a large urban garden. A very large garden. In the centre of it is a huge ancient mulberry tree, at the end a wild tangle of brambles. Parts of it are managed whilst other parts are left to run wild. Along one side is a tall brick wall over which people throw crisp packets and drink bottles and aerosol cans. At the end is a school and on the other side a GP’s surgery. Like all the best gardens it is a rectory garden.

party


September 29

The garden is still abundant with the green growth of summer. Some foliage is beginning to turn and there are still flowers feeding the bees. On sunny days like this insects hover in the air and there is a warmth and ease about the place, yet it will fade soon and the chill is beginning to deepen. What will the winter bring?


September 28

I was up early this morning and walking in the garden as the sun came up. Birdsong was very prominent in between the occasional growling and grumping of London as it woke up. I also experimented with a long exposure on my little camera, here is a picture of the rectory

rectory

September 27

A new cat in the garden today. A tabby which slunk off behind the medlar when I hissed at it.


September 25

It feels like autumn. Yesterday cloudy with scudding rain and the cold wind. Today bright and fresh and clear blue sky. The garden was full of little birds: blue tits, great tits, chaffinch and this willow warbler -- or perhaps it is a chiff-chaff

Warbler

September 21

A warm September morning. A magpie high up in the lime trees cackles like a Gatling gun and despite the warmth of the sun, the leaves are beginning to turn. The lime trees are turning copper and the Mulberry here and there is turning yellow. But there are still flowers, some of the shrubs are budding and hidden in one of the borders a late flowering myrtle tree still has flowers.

Myrtle

September 15

The last couple of days I have enjoyed walking around garden noticing the shapes and colours of autumn: the red berries of cotoneaster and other bushes, the first leaves falling and, most surprising, I discovered we have a medlar tree with one solitary fruit

medlar

September 12

The garden is not often full of people, but today it was the church patronal festival and the congregation decamped to directory garden for lunch. The children, of course, took to exploring the expansive space and were fascinated to find the mummified head of the dog/fox which is still rolling around the lawn behind the Mulberry tree.

children

September 8

This autumn seems very abundant. There is a heavy crop of berries and, today, a splendid mushroom on the lawn. Not exactly sure what it is, at first I thought a Cortinarius, but the spore print turned out to be white, so I think it must be a Tricholoma but which, of the many varieties, I don't know. The garden was also full of swarms of midge like insects. Although I don't think they were midges because they moved away when I approached them.

Mushroom

September 6

A cold windy day with the grinding of engines and folk music swirling in the breeze. The second crop of puffballs have arranged themselves in a fairy ring, you can see the ring in the unmown grass -- just a faint suggestion as if it was, indeed, summoned by magic spells. The bracken was removed some weeks ago from the old rockery but it is continuing to reemerge, it's tight little fingers unfurling into the familiar fronds


Bracken

September 5

There are still plenty of flowers in the garden, although I am unsure of the names of many of them. A rather straggly buddleia bush is still flowering and a perennial yellow flower is now in full bloom, it makes me think that its name is Goldenrod but I could easily be mistaken. And other less dramatic flowers poke out of our flower beds, making it feel like summer even though the wind is cold

buddleia

Sept 2

September has begun very mild and sunny, despite a distinct autumnal chill in the air. The garden is looking serene in this gentle weather. The Blackberry is in the sunny spots have all shriveled but in the shade in the wilderness there is still abundant fruit to be picked.

rotting
Daisy

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