Oranges, Reds, Bugs and Seed Heads

I couldn’t resist getting out in to the garden today, which felt like a bit of a novelty given the year we’ve had so far.  The sun was shining and with that the garden was glowing with hues of red and brilliant orange.  As I looked through the window I could see the blood red leaves and berries of Viburnum opulus and the caramel shades of the Cercidiphyllum, which I knew all to well would also be producing the most wonderful candy floss/burnt sugar scent.  I had been summoned and who was I to resist.
To get anything other than an overgrown mess at this time of the year is all down to luck I guess, as I’ve not really spent a second in the garden.  What with starting my new business and the dreadful weather conspiring against me, the garden has had to look after itself as any good weather has resulted in quick dashes to the allotment to try and get a little work done.  But this is no bad thing really.  Yes, a few plants have romped away and others not done so well but no real harm has been done.  Well, nothing that a quick tidy up couldn’t fix.  The thuggish Miscanthus have practically enveloped most of the space and are prime for dividing come the spring, but they are also just coming in to their best, adorned with wonderful seed heads that nod and sway in the breeze. I leave these all winter and their stature and grace really adds to the garden.  
Today I found what was either a solitary bee or a hoverfly (I’m sure someone will clear this up) sunning itself on one of the mammoth Miscanthus clumps and I couldn’t resist getting a few pics.  The garden is quite the mini-beast haven right now and with the amount of drying grass, herbaceous perennial stems and other bits and bobs lying about, it should make for a great place for them to overwinter.  I’m just hoping that the cold snap is selective and targets those marauding molluscs that have thoroughly enjoyed the damp conditions.
The trees that I planted a couple of years back are just coming in to their own now and they’re set to provide a veritable feast for the birds and fuel them through the colder times ahead.  Originally I bought what I thought were two Crataegus persimillis ‘Prunifolia’, in their naked state of course, but it turns out that I picked up one of the aforementioned and another Hawthorn cultivar that doesn’t have a patch on it’s cousin – oh well, variety is the spice of life and all that.
What with the ever impending frost on it’s way, I thought I’d leave you with an image of one of the last flowers remaining in the garden and a reminder that if you’re planning to complete an Autumn tidy-up any time soon please spare a thought for the wildlife that call your garden home.