Autumn
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
John Keats, 1820
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| The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is beginning to put on a splendid display. |
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| The persimmons (Diospyros spp) decorate the bare twigs of their tree. |
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| Myrtle (Myrtus communis) berries make a beautiful show |
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| The bergenias (Bergenia cardifolia) make a splendid show. |
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| The African yellow daisy (Euryops spp) brightens up even the dullest day. |
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| Nasturtium leaves love catching the raindrops. |
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| Ripening grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) promise sweet delights in mid-winter. |
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| One of the least demanding and most rewarding of fruit trees: The tamarillo (Solanum betaceum). |
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| A discarded fig leaf leaving branches shamelessly bare... |
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| One of the last yellow tea roses, braving the cold and wet weather. |
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| This one is rather sad... |
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| Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves choosing a watery grave. |
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| Beautiful, bright blooms of the Camellia sasanqua are at their best now. |
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| The humble Viola tricolor rarely stops blooming. |
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| Irish strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) flowers, soon to be succulent prickly berries. |
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| Succulents always look good whatever the season! |
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| The chrysanthemums are just about finishing their display now. |
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| It's a beautiful season... |