Green grows the rushes ho

This morning’s walk had the muted sounds of autumn, the drizzle like a pianissimo pedal, softening all the birdsong. It is my favourite season, but I remain disorientated here in the southern hemisphere. The leaves stay stubbornly on the trees, and all around is green and lush. I found myself hunting for a bare tree or a red or brown leaf. I finally found a non-native bush with a circle of pretty leaves around its base, so I scrabbled around and put most of them in my shopping bag. I will dry them at home then arrange them for the table. I am determined to have russets as the temperatures plummet.