"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower"

I made a brief visit to Mildenhall and there was a stunning Ginko biloba tree, on the corner, just by the zebra crossing, across the road from Wilko. All its leaves were bright yellow - its transitory autumnal apparel. For most of the rest of the year the leaves are a dull green and the tree probably goes unnoticed. The big clue to its identity is the unusual fan shape of its leaves.

Ginko biloba leaf, bright yellow for a week
or two in autumn but a plain green for the
rest of the year. Such a distinctive shape.

Its not a classic year, I don't think, for autumn colours but the leaves have hung on a bit longer here because it has not been very windy and there has been hardly any frosts. The leaves are making their way down now but I won't start raking them up until they have all fallen - I only want to do the job once. I am not too fussed about fallen leaves but there are some area where they form a thick blanket and cover the grass where the sheep graze. This is where I concentrate my efforts. The raked up leaves produce wonderful compost in time so it is doubly worth the effort.

There are some delightful autumn colours around, nevertheless. One particular highlight which reliably stands out each autumn is a Cotinus 'Royal Purple'  a short distance from our kitchen window, pictured below.

The title quote is sometimes banded about at this time of year although not to the same extent as the mellow fruitfulness-es. It comes from Albert Camus in his rather bleak play The Misunderstanding. On its own it is beautifully apt for autumn. However, within the context of the play it is not simply a poetic observation of autumn leaves but an oblique reference to false appearances and deceit - as you might expect from Camus.