november morning

Jasminum nudiflorum (Swindon, 24th November 2016)

The last month of autumn; and by the end, with the trees almost leafless, it's autumn with a  distinctly wintry feel. It's time to start looking forward, not back.

And so, walking out to the gate this morning, with a self-satisfied glance at the lawn (speckled with a few leaves, but the grass no longer growing quickly), I caught sight of this new something-else  ...  a glow of yellow close to the ground....

Winter Jasmine is a Chinese species-plant; there are no hybrids or varieties.  Much of its photosynthesis takes place in the the four-angled stems, which stay green for several years, rather than in the, rather sparse, trifoliate leaves.  I suppose the advantage of all this winter adapation is the lack of competition from other plants. The garden is clear now. It won't be shaded out, even though it really doesn't get far off the ground. The stems are long and strong, arching down and rooting where they touch the ground. The jasmine has no fear of winter storms.  

Stems of Jasminum nudiflorum (Swindon, 24th November 2016)

Plane trees, now almost leafless (Swindon, 24th November 2016)