Autumn has come a touch late as the mild weather has made a determined effort to keep trees and plants looking remarkably green, the grass lush and lots of flowers in bloom.
Some trees are starting to turn colour, although around two weeks late, and when the sun manages to shine the countryside lights up into a jigsaw of green, yellow and brown blotches, although the wind and rain has sent some leaves flying. Sycamores and silver birches are starting to blaze golden yellow and beech woods are beginning to glow yellows and browns. Even more dramatic are the first hints of orange in rowan leaves, and wild cherry trees are just starting their psychedelic artwork of yellows, oranges, pinks and scarlet.
Especially striking at this stage in autumn is how the leaves facing the sun tend to change colour first. Bright sunshine brings out the best colours by helping to get rid of the chlorophyll that makes leaves look green, and when the chlorophyll disappears it allows the yellow and orange pigments that are usually masked to make an appearance. Sunshine also helps turn sugar in some tree leaves into red-coloured anthocyanin pigments, best known in the flaming maple leaves of Canada and New England.
The best weather for autumn colours are cool nights, bright sunny days and dry conditions, but these are all in fairly short supply at the moment, so dramatic colours may be in short supply over the coming weeks.
