Purple smoke bush in the rain.

Cotinus.

Haven’t been able to do much heavier pruning etc recently but decided to clear bushes on a couple of pathways where overgrowing vegetation is proving a nuisance, especially when wet. I just got my job done when the rain came on, again.

This is in the back garden. Lovely yellow flowers early in summer gave way, as aye, to these strong deep coloured leaves. I fail each year to prune this properly when late; I leave it as it’s the last of the strong colour in a fairly autumnal garden ….. which then turns almost immediately to leave mush on the ground.

The first folks to benefit from my pruning was our family who came for dinner. We’d a nice meal.