The season is changing, and the allure of Autumn is in the air. The mornings are becoming cooler and soon, Autumns magic wand will cast a spell on the trees, turning them to rich, earthy golds and reds  accompanied by the susurrous sound of the rustling leaves.

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then Autumn would be the magic hour.”

Victoria Erickson

As the days become shorter, signs of summer are fading but, there is a new clarity in the light that I love about this season. There is more warmth to the colour spectrum through the shorter days, so the roses stand out with vibrancy and, at times, appear to glow.

‘No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face’.

John Donne

But not yet. It is still been quite hot each afternoon, and we have had very little rain, so the garden is dry. Nonetheless, I fertilised the roses in early February, so they continue to bring out spectacular blooms, and unlike any other time of the season, these roses are coveted. 
They are not heat-stressed or bleached by the intensity of the full summer afternoon sun, so they are fairly perfect and a welcome last hurrah.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

Albert Camus

I am amazed by the number of blooms the roses have produced over the past season, especially Just Joey, Peace, Pope John Paul, Princess Charlene de Monaco, Blackberry Nip, Lady of Shalott, The Endeavour, Claude Monet, Tangles, Spiced Coffee, Jubilee Celebration, That’s Life and Soul Sister roses. Judging by the number of times I’ve photographed these roses they are prolific bloomers and highly disease resistant if well-watered and fertilised throughout the season.

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”  

Charles Dickens

Autumn is my favourite season as a gardener; like Spring, it is full of promise. It is a time of recollecting the past, an opportunity to reassess, embrace change and prepare for winter dormancy. There is a real shift towards planning winter projects, and anticipate cosy warmth.

“And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves…”

Virginia Wolf

Gardeners everywhere are never satisfied always hoping for more success in the new season. Also, Autumnis a step closer to the bare-root rose season and the expected flurry of activity to correct what didn’t work last Spring, and to get started on all those improvements.

Everyone sees the unseen in proportion to the clarity of their heart

Rumi

After Summer, the garden is overgrown and a little wild, which is reassuring. One of my favourite perennials – Salvia leucantha, or Mexican bush sage– is out in full glory. There are two varieties of Salvia Leucantha’. The rich  ‘Purple Velvet’ and the pure ‘White Velour’ grow in the garden and are perfect companions for roses, especially in the white garden.

“Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.”

Delia Owens – Where the Crawdads Sing

The arching long spikes of this velvety salvia provide a unique textured backdrop that fills the gaps with a lively contrast of the flowers and lanced-shaped foliage. The grey-green leaves complement the other perennials like the English Lavender and Phlomis Purpurea.

“I am made for autumn. Summer and I have a fickle relationship, but everything about autumn is perfect to me. Wooly jumpers, Wellington boot, scarves, thin first, then thick, socks. The low slanting light, the crisp mornings, the chill in my fingers, those last warm sunny days before the rain and the wind. Her moody hues and subdued palate punctuated every now and again by a brilliant orange, scarlet or copper goodbye. She is my true love.”

Alys Fowler

Salvia Leucantha is a woody sage with white, purple or pink flowers on tall stems, and the calyces have a downy, velvety appearance. Apart from the beauty of Salvia Leucantha, this plant is easy to grow, happy in part-shade or full sun, long-flowering, hardy, fast-growing and very pollinator friendly.

“Another Autumn, another turned page..

Wallace Stegner

Proper Autumn chill and the first frosts feel a long way off, but in a cool climate region, you only need one cold morning to be reminded of the impact of the weather. Even so, I’m looking forward to cooler days because it is a fantastic season to spend outdoors gardening and waiting for the explosion of colour.

“I am like the autumn roses, I have never experienced spring,
I knew not how to love for years, and now I am late for joy“

An old Turkish Song

The word Autumn comes from the old French word ‘autompne’, originating from the Latin ‘autumnus’. It was first recorded in the English language from the late 1300s.

Autumn originally during the 12th and 13th centuries was known as haerfest. This name came from the full moon closest to the Autumn equinox – the harvest moon. It was a time where farmers would reap the rewards from their crops resulting in an abundance of produce. The pagans would decorate their churches with fruits and vegetables, sing hymns, dance and pray to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. The Harvest Festival is still today around the 22-23rd of September in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the same date as the Autumn equinox.

 A garden flourishes in the mind’s time of last season, next season, and now.  

The weather has shifted over the past few days and there is a feel of rain on the way. The clouds are gathering, the humidity is up, and the skies are grey. When there’s been no rain for a while, these signs are exciting, and chatter about weather is everywhere. It is an integral part of country life.
I look forward to the end of summer, removing weeds and overgrown grasses, deadheading and cutting back. The garden will never be perfect just slightly less unruly. I will forever be as one with Miracle Osler in her gentle plea for a little chaos.

. “Longing for a little shambles here and there”

Mirabel Osler

Content and Images Di Baker, March 2025 Orange Nsw

Title quote by Raquel Franco