As this month progresses the sunlight gradually sinks lower so that the effects of the light on the flowering grasses and the ever deepening foliage tints of many woody plants can provide some spectacular, if short lived, moments of great beauty.
Clear, warming sunshine and a blue sky can provide some magical moments where every plant seems illuminated and especially brightly coloured such as in the Long Walk (above) and the Lower Lawn (below).
The garden has some majestic trees such as the giant sequoia (above), which is amongst the first of the gardens plants to catch the welcome morning sunshine. While on a rather smaller scale this Pennisetum Cassian (below), appears to reflect every drop of light.
While the flat pads of the water lilies do not have much chance to reflect the light both the leaves and the last of the summers flowers bask in the days sunshine. While in the Long Walk (below), before the sunshine gets to this area the massed flowers of Pennisetum Piglet hang heavy with morning dew.
Taken from another angle along the Long Walk (above), the pampas, miscanthus, panicum, nandina and spindle tree provide an ever changing symphony of foliage, flower and form. Although yet not quite spotlighted by the mornings rays this spindle tree, Euonymus hamiltonianus, in the Decennium border (below), is already bright with its amazing pink toned foliage.
The Mill End borders are one of the first areas to benefit from the first of the morning sunshine and this cornus (above), seems to soak up and reflect every single drop of sunlight.
About the same time as the first of the morning sunshine gets to the Mill End it also starts to creep onto the Dry Meadow (below), lighting up the shaggy mounds of Poa labillardierei, the upright flowers of Molinia Overdam and the stiff evergreen foliage of Libertia grandiflora.
While not intended for display the plants being grown in the new field are scarcely less effective when caught by morning sunshine as they are when grown in the garden. Pennisetum in particular are great for providing sumptuous light displays (above and below).
On occasion if stood in the right spot, and then often only for a brief spell, the light seems to intensify to such a degree that the plants appear almost in negative through the camera lens; and at that moment the brightness of the display rivals that of any high street stores christmas light display.
