Savoring the Twilight of Autumn, as explained by Nigel Slater
In the heart of a literary garden, the season of autumn brings a symphony of colours and natural changes. The search results do not provide specific details about an author's fondness for autumn leaves or their disposal methods, but they do hint at a deep appreciation for the fall season.
Last year, the beech topiaries lost their leaves to a stiff pruning in late autumn. However, this year, they may be left be. The horse chestnut trees' leaves are allowed to crumble to dust, enriching the root-packed ground underneath. The speaker expresses a hope for windy autumn days to watch the leaves dance and flutter on the breeze.
The leaves of the ornamental cherry outside the speaker's house are falling slowly, painting the ground in shades of butter and rust, but not the hoped-for reds and oranges. Among the leaves, conkers shine brightly. The speaker still picks up exceptional autumn leaves to press under the weight of a book.
The speaker collects leaves in a bag to add to his compost heap. The leaves take a while to break down, particularly their stems. The speaker dislikes the pesky stems of the robinia leaves, which lodge in the tines of the rake and take ages to break down on the compost.
On the other hand, the leaves from cherry, wisteria, chestnut, and jasmine are falling. The speaker loves the way the leaves of the beech topiaries tenaciously hold on all winter, providing a gentle brown backdrop for the snowdrops underneath, and their tendency to rustle in the winter wind.
The most dramatic leaf-fall is that of the fig tree in the speaker's garden, which comes crashing to the ground en masse and sounds like an avalanche. The trees have been suffering from Guinardia, the chestnut leaf blotch, for several years. Despite this, the leaves of the speaker's beech topiaries brown crisply but hold on to the branches throughout the winter.
Among the fallen leaves, a hedgehog might find a winter home. The speaker enjoys kicking piles of leaves before the street sweepers get to them or a hedgehog finds a winter home in them. The speaker has chosen the small trees in his garden with half-a-mind to autumn colour, and the amelanchier and the orange edges to the deep-green leaves of the witch hazel are highlights of the season.
Lastly, the speaker was able to see the native trees in their autumn colours during a trip to Japan last year, which inspired him to plant further two acers. The autumn leaves in this literary garden are not just a sign of the changing season, but a source of inspiration and a testament to the author's love for nature.
- The author's appreciation for the fall season extends to his home-and-garden, where he collects leaves from cherry, wisteria, chestnut, and jasmine, with the beech topiaries' leaves providing a gentle brown backdrop in winter.
- In the realm of fashion-and-beauty, the autumn leaves outside the speaker's house paint the ground in shades of butter and rust, while he still picks up exceptional autumn leaves to press under the weight of a book.
- Amidst the fallen leaves, one might find a home for a hedgehog in the heart of the author's literary garden, a garden where the season of autumn brings a symphony of colors and natural changes, serving as a testament to the author's love for nature and serving as an inspiration for new additions to his home, like the two acers he planted after a trip to Japan.
