After flowering non-stop since June, and still sporting an odd bloom, climbing rose ‘Parkdirektor Riggers’ is now covered in hips, creating a striking silhouette even against today’s grey sky. Such an undemanding rose, it is never deadheaded and will be severely pruned sometime early next year ready for another easygoing year.
Nearby, dog rose Rosa canina in the ‘mid-hedge’ that dissects the woodland edge border also sports hips, brighter and shinier but possibly in a lesser quantity. Planted when this border was first created back in 2003 or thereabouts, the hedge (dog rose, hawthorn, guelder rose and hazel) is kept strictly under control and cut back to a little over average adult height every year, so these hips will soon be gone.
In the woodland edge border itself are the brilliant orange-red berries of the stinking iris, Iris foetidissima, the seedpods having split open to reveal their striking innards, drawing attention to a plant that is barely noticeable during the year, even when flowering.
Similarly bright are the berries of Arum italicum, now lying horizontal against the undergrowth, the stems having partially rotted and failing in their attempts to hold their heavy heads high. It is good to see their distinctive marbled leaves, regular components of posies and vases, emerging again.
Varying the colour palette of these autumnal fruits, crab apple Malus ‘Golden Hornet’, a small tree in the shrub border, sports yellow crabs, unloved by birds and destined to rot gradually on the tree till the gardener laboriously picks them off to stop them detracting from early spring blooms on nearby plants:
Its better-loved and better-behaved neighbour, Malus ‘Evereste’, instead covers herself in crabs the colour of peaches, a joy to view from the kitchen windows and, if you ask the blackbirds, a joy to eat. I could make jelly from them but don’t, preferring to enjoy them as they are over the winter or until the birds have eaten them all, whichever comes soonest.
That’s my fruity six for today, so I shall now pop across to visit the host of this Saturday meme, Jon the Propagator, to see what others have posted.
Rambling in the Garden 
Pretty fruits. Love the rose hips..
👍
I like the sound of Malus ‘Evereste’.
Lovely crabapples. I like to see all the brilliant fruits as well as the blossom, and I’ve wondered sometimes whether we bloggers should have a seed, fruit and berries monthly theme. If there is one, I’ve never found it.
Might be very seasonal though? Perhaps you could start one…
I’ll think about it. Might be possible now I’m blogging on a more regular basis again. 🙂
Fruits, as you describe, tend to be overlooked, but add so much to the autumn landscape and colour spectrum. When you cut your roses soon, will you do anything with the hips? The seeds of marbled arum in the walled garden borders of Wimpole are one of the most talked about features in September/October. They are stunning, be they vertical or horizontal, aren’t they? Great Six, Cathy!
There aren’t a lot on the dog rose, and Parkdirektor won’t be pruned till the new year, by which time the remaining hips will be shrivelled, but will no doubt have appeared in the odd vase or two over winter. I have made syrup in the past, but it didn’t really get used
We planted a Malus ‘Golden Hornet’ about 35 years ago because we loved the colour of the crabapples. At the time, it was always criticised for the fact that the fruit soon turned brown but we have found that the blackbirds, especially, simply love the fruit and feast on it so the brown was never a problem.
The Irish blackbirds must have different tastes! 😁
To spy such bright berries even amonsgt the low lying plants such as Iris foetidissima is a joy this time of year.
Yes, they are astonshingly bright 😁
Berry nice!
Cathy how much beauty berries and fruits give to your garden this time of year! I love rose hips on roses. The best of the stinky iris are its lovely berries. Arum italicum berries are fabulous – I really like them. The color of the Malus “Evereste” is divine and that the blackbirds eat them is fantastic as you see them from your kitchen: I love them. Cathy I hope you and the golfer are in good health: take good care of each other. Have a great week. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
Yes, the berries and crab apples really glow on a grey day. We are both well, thank tyou, ans hope you have made some improvements in your own health
Cathy thank you so much for your kind words. The depression is just as bad, but I force myself to do things to try to get out of the hole I am in. Thanks again for worrying about my health, you are a friend. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
It must be hard trying to dthings that you don;t really feel up to, so well done for pushing yourself, whch I hope will aid your recovery
Cathy thank you very much for your encouragement. But if I don’t try to get out, no one is going to get me out of the deep hole of depression in which I find myself: I get my strength thinking that my dear Mother cannot see me like that. Cathy take care of yourself, I know how bad you are going through in the UK with the shortage of food in supermarkets and also with the rise in COVID. Many moods. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.
Is Iris foetidissima planted intentionally, or merely naturalized. There is a similar iris here that I thought to be native, but could have been naturalized. It might even be the same. (I learned it as Iris foetidissima, but was also told that it is is native, which Iris foetidissima is not. It can be one but not both. have not confirmed the identity.)
Yes it was planted intentionally Tony, and has spread a little – and is native in parts of the UK