Country diary: The glorious cycle of life is reaching its annual peak | Lev Parikian

West Norwood, London: Beyond the obvious vibrancy of attention-seeking flowers, there’s plenty to see in this modest haven

“No garden, however small, should contain less than two acres of rough woodland.” The words, if you believe the legend, of Nathaniel, 1st Baron Rothschild. But while he had 300 acres of parkland at his disposal, the south London gardener’s resources are more modest. The only woodland in our fenced-in rectangle is the Japanese maple dominating the corner by the shed, its canopy sheltering the pond – or “puddle”, as the baron would have it.

Some of the maple’s leaves are already red-tinged, but its time will come later in the year, russet colours heralding autumn. For now, the eye is drawn to jaunty orange geums, the papery delicacy of Welsh poppies, slender columns of purple toadflax catching the sunlight.

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