by M.T. O’Donnell
Autumn has a habit of being overlooked. Spring is the season that usually steals the limelight, with its new shoots, fresh leaves, and gardens bursting back into life after winter. Yet many experienced gardeners will tell you that autumn is every bit as rewarding. The colours are richer, the light is softer, and there is a quietness to the season that invites you to slow down and notice that beauty is found as much in fading leaves and sculptural seed heads as it is in perfect blooms.
There is something rather special about Glasgow’s West End at this time of year. The mornings become cooler, the sun sits lower in the sky, and familiar streets take on an entirely different atmosphere.
The change of season may be subtle; the colours are anything but. Trees that have quietly provided a green backdrop all summer suddenly become the stars of the show.
Green Turns to Gold
Mature acers glow crimson behind sandstone villas, rowan trees sparkle with clusters of bright berries that provide an important food source for birds as the seasons change, while Japanese maples turn brilliant shades of orange and crimson.
Foliage comes into its own at this time of year as Virginia creeper transforms tenement walls into cascades of scarlet, heucheras glow in jewel-like colours, evergreen ferns provide structure, and ornamental grasses catch the low afternoon sun. It is a reminder that gardens do not have to rely on flowers alone to be beautiful.
Autumn is one of the best times simply to enjoy a garden rather than constantly working in it, even if your outdoor space consists of little more than a balcony planter or a few pots outside your front door. Summer’s frantic watering and deadheading give way to quieter pleasures such as collecting seeds, taking cuttings to make more plants for free, or sitting outside wrapped in a jumper while the last warmth of the afternoon sun lingers.
Walk Among the Leaves
Perhaps that’s why so many gardeners love this season. Rather than chasing perfection, autumn encourages us to appreciate change. Seed heads catch the morning light, ornamental grasses sway in the breeze, and hydrangea flowers gradually fade through beautiful shades of white, pink, and burgundy.
Fallen leaves briefly scatter pavements and garden paths before being gathered up, or better still, collected to decompose into wonderful leaf mould, reminding us that nature is constantly changing.
One of the greatest pleasures of living in the West End is that you don’t have to own a garden to enjoy one. A stroll through Kelvingrove Park or the Botanic Gardens is an obvious autumnal treat, but some of the finest seasonal displays can be found simply by wandering through the streets. Before retreating indoors as the evenings begin to draw in, make time to walk around the West End. Look up into the canopy of the street trees, admire the front gardens and balconies that brighten the area, and notice the rich tapestry of colours unfolding around you.
Spring may be the season of new beginnings, and autumn often thought of as the season when gardens fade, but here it may just be when they are at their most beautiful, when the West End truly shows its colours.
