Garden Offices Blog

A Golden Transition

By Francesca McGlone on 2nd September, 2010

Autumn is undoubtedly a striking season. The warm, bronzed hues that are brushed across the sunset sky become an integral part of early evenings. The array of golden shades that displace the uniform greens and grip each leaf in colourful intensity, produce some of the most breathtaking scenes. However, although trees become predominantly eye-catching, they are not the only source of colour as autumn flowers such as Irises, Carnations, Delphiniums and Freesia splay petals that offer both perfume and pigment. The crunching sounds of leaves under foot, together with the smell of damp vegetation and an influx of cool air combine to produce an autumnal signature.

Although autumn leads us towards the winter months, it is actually a surprisingly fruitful period, as nature serves up a final feast of ripe pickings. This is further demonstrated by the Western depiction of autumn; a plump female, adorned with broaches of berries, clutching bunches of wheat and accessorised with vegetables strung through her hair. The image celebrates the abundance of food that the summer and autumn months have supplied. Apples, blackberries, blueberries, grapes and raspberries are all available in autumn. Thanks-giving in America stems from the idea of a harvest festival, in which nature's generosity was celebrated.

Poems such as 'To Autumn' by John Keats demonstrate the season's ability to inspire, as well as highlighting its distinct character traits; 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness', here the influences of summer heat and winter cold collide as the season straddles two converging seasons. Another line from the same poem; 'Thou watchest the last oozings hour by hour', here autumn;s display is viewed as the last remnants of summer, exiting in a blaze of glory.

A garden studio is located in a prime position in which to view autumn's developing spectacle in comfort. Animals such as squirrels, mice and hedgehogs use the time to prepare for hibernation, gathering food to store for the cold winter months. Decorated Shed garden studio's provide a snug space, in which to close out the cold elements that will begin to revisit us in the coming months, without shutting out the bronzed display that unfolds and grows more beautiful with every passing day. The garden can also be a space in which food can be placed for birds and squirrels, whose available food supply will rapidly diminish. This will welcome wildlife and enliven a garden, making it a hub of mesmerising activity.

As the nights draw in, a garden studio can offer a twilight area that is set apart from the main house; the moon's brilliance can be appreciated, together with the starry skies overhead, which could be further examined by a telescope, where a garden studio could transform into a make-shift observatory. Although shrouded in darkness, the garden can offer a new selection of life, such as darting bats and fluttering moths that actually create a beguiling display. Outside lights could also be strewn decoratively across the garden building, taking advantage of the inky darkness by illuminating the attractive edges that form each studio's stylish structure.

The onset of autumn need not be a time when optimism fades and the opportunities to enjoy the outdoors falls with the leaves. It simply provides alternative landscapes that change with light, colour and wildlife. Every season offers a different form of beauty. A garden studio allows individuals to make the most of nature's multifaceted character and changing guises.

Category:  Garden Studios