Dark thoughts

Perhaps it's the weather. All those overcast skies and leaden clouds make the dark-leafed plants come to life.

When the sun shines the sombre foliage disappears into a black hole, but when the storm clouds roll in and that strange half-light fills the garden it takes on a melodramatic glow. Just right for the late summer slide into autumn.

The cannas have been slow to get going because of the cold season but now they are relishing all the rain and producing late, vibrant flowers. The stripey maroon, orange and olive leaves of canna 'Durban' look like old fashioned school blazers and contrast strikingly with the honey-bush melianthus.

Purple-leafed vine 'Teinturier' was hidden last month by a violet clematis, but now it is beginning to show some autumn colour. The occasional scarlet leaf is like an exotic flower from a distance and the neat little bunches of blue-black grapes look tempting even if tongue- curlingly inedible.

The shiny holly 'Blue Angel' has adorned itself with crimson berries in a pre-festive season display. I know by Christmas the blackbirds will have gorged themselves and left nothing for my indoor decorations [but wire on a few beads and who's to know?]

And the 'Zwartkopf' aeoniums are so black-shiny and turgid with rain they look as though they will pop.