Share Some Local Autumn Colour

I recently sent out a newsletter featuring the Woodland Trust’s Top Ten Woods for Autumn colour. I hoped it would inspire families to get out into the woods this half term. The list certainly got me yearning for a helping of autumn colour. If I am lucky this week I may get to visit one of those woods on the list Stourhead, not really a wood but a landscape garden.


However I feel I have been really lucky already. On Thursday I visited one of my regular haunts, RHS garden Wisley in Surrey with a group of gardening chums.


 

Its wide range of deciduous shrubs and trees give visitors a lovely selection of autumn colours and vistas. Also unlike some gardens, I have recently visited, the herbaceous borders remain intact ensuring that structure is retained through the garden.

I have been pondering as to why I enjoyed my walk around  such a well visited local garden much more than anticipated.  There is no doubt that the journey there is like visiting an old friend, conferring a level of certainty and comfort. However this time these feelings were tinged with surprise and delight when I saw familiar spots lit up in a different light and colour. 

 

But it may be that the word 'friend' is the key here.  Walking around the gardens with like-minded people and sharing expressions of delight when colourful and beautiful foliage was spotted was a truly enjoyable experience.  Was the sense of well-being I felt at the end of the day due to the walk in the fresh air, stunning vistas or chats with friends?  I'll never know that main cause, but it was the perfect combination.

But it may be that the word 'friend' is the key here.  Walking around the gardens with like-minded people and sharing expressions of delight when colourful and beautiful foliage was spotted was a truly enjoyable experience.  Was the sense of well-being I felt at the end of the day due to the walk in the fresh air, stunning vistas or chats with friends?  I'll never know that main cause, but it was the perfect combination.

This coming week we will be out on family walks in the woods and perhaps that visit to Stourhead.  We had a fantastic time there last year.  It will no doubt be a different sort of shared experience!  Hope you also manage to get out and see the autumn colours close to you.  You may not have to travel far.

Bluebells, Wellies and A Surprise in the Woods

Bluebell Wood

One of the best things about exploring outdoors is finding the unexpected.  A walk in one of our local bluebell woods was no exception.  England has been rather wet this spring so the children donned on wellies and waterproofs as a matter of course.  Though we were rather lucky as not only did it not rain, but the sun shone for us.

There is something very soul-warming about seeing bluebells.  Great fun was had racing through pathways surrounded by hues of blue on either side.  As interest waned in the bluebells attention then turned to the puddles – sloshing through them must be one the most universal childhood activities.  My husband commented that perhaps we should visit a local stream so the children could do some proper sloshing.

Kids in Wellies

Kids in stream

A couple of moments later at the bottom of the wood, lo and behold, we came across a perfect stream about 4/5 inches deep.  The children were in heaven and spent a good half an hour discovering how many sounds and different types of movements could be created between boots and water.  We then followed the stream  for a good ½ mile uphill pushing through the surrounding foliage.  Simple pleasures.  We never quite managed to find its source.

Kids in the Woods

It was one of those days that will be talked about ‘Do you remember the day we found that stream’ no thought of the bluebells. We will be returning.

That’s why I love exploring.