Trees (Autumn)

Although, as I walked down the drive for the paper this morning I appeared to be ankle-deep in leaves, and I hate clearing them up. (Last year's leaf pile is sporting some spectacular orange mushrooms, Catherine you're welcome to first dibs)

Still, autumn colours just about make it worthwhile. We went to Arley Arboretum on Sunday. A small, well-planned garden with a few acers and maples in full fall splendour. It reminded me very much of Canizaro Park (Wimbledon). The latter works better, being a slice of manicured countryside in London, whereas Arley seems a bit incongruous when the best viewpoint in the arboretum is of the part of the river Severn you've just walked 3 miles along to get to it.

And, of course, both pale into insignificance compared to a proper arboretum like Westonbirt. Which of course is as nothing compared to the full glory of leaf-peeping in Vermont of a Fall. Although, in truth such is the over-promotion of the Sunday supplements that I can assure those of you that haven't experienced it, that leaf-peeping in Vermont in the Fall, isn't even leaf-peeping in Vermont in the Fall.

When we did it, we decided that tree for tree we much preferred it up in Maine with the splendour of the pines, beaver, moose, and of course, lobster hot-dog rolls.

And much the same happened Sunday. The highlight of the arboretum wasn't a swath of acers in full iridescence. It was two fantastic Crimean pines, called "the organ pipes", (not very good) pictures below...


http://www.arley-arboretum.org.uk/the-arboretum/special-trees.html

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