Judy Allen

November seems to be all about leaves.   This year the colours have been especially beautiful - there are still a lot of green leaves on the trees,  but there are also yellows and golds, oranges and reds and even some that are almost purple.   The leaves, especially of course the golden ones, seem to be giving back the sunshine they’ve taken in all summer, and lightening the gloom of early winter.

And, of course, they are falling.  No wonder it’s called The Fall in the USA and Canada - a much better title than autumn.

Raking and sweeping them up is good in one way.  They’re really bad for the grass if left to lie there, and they are slippery on paths, especially if there is a lot of rain.  Also, they make wonderful, rich leaf mould to feed the plants next year. It’s less good in another way because all sorts of small animals are hibernating in them.   The worms and woodlice and springtails are fine if dumped in a corner in a bagful of leaves because they will help turn them into mould and compost.  But the frogs don’t appreciate being disturbed.  Male frogs usually hibernate in the mud at the bottom of ponds but the females like to bury themselves, usually quite shallowly, in earth or under a log or a leaf pile.  I disturbed one yesterday and she leapt out, squeaking.  I’m not sure which of us got the bigger shock. She sprang off to a nearby shrub and dug herself in under it, so I hope she can sleep peacefully there until spring.

The birds are eating a lot of berries but they are also getting more and more interested in the bird feeders and I’m having to fill them up more often.     The robin, though, has a better idea.  He (she?) has discovered that when I open the lid of the wooden compost bin there are always a lot of small worms and crawling things on the underside of it.   Now, as soon as I go into the garden, the robin appears and sings until I go to the bin - then he/she follows me and has a good feed.  If I’m a bit slow in opening the lid, he/she flies onto my shoulder or, once, onto my head, to hurry me on.