Autumn colours
Now that autumn is here, there are lots of changes in our gardens, and lots of new colours to discover!
Amazing leaves
Are you starting to notice the leaves changing all around us?
When the temperature starts to drop in autumn and there’s less sun, leaves stop making food. When this happens, they start to lose their green colour which is needed to make food, and they later start to fall.
This reveals the leaves' real colours – oranges, yellows, reds and more!
Your colour checklist
Take a look outside, can you find a leaf that matches each of the colours? See if you can spot them all.
- Brown
- Orange
- Red
- Purple
- Yellow
- Green
It’s not just leaves that start to fall in autumn
It’s the perfect time of year to look for seeds too! Seeds come in all shapes and sizes.
Here are a few of the main ones you’ll see at this time of year.
Acorns
Tree: Oak
How they work: They start growing where they fall or are carried away by wildlife
Quick fact: In Korea, people use acorns to make jelly
Chestnut
Tree: Horse Chestnut
How they work: They drop from the tree and pop out of their spikey cover
Quick fact: Roasted chestnuts are a traditional part of Christmas dinner
Sycamore
Tree: Sycamore
How they work: Their helicopter shape helps the wind blow them away from the tree
Quick fact: One tree can produce up to 10,000 seeds in a season
Busy wildlife
All these falling leaves and seeds are great for garden wildlife. Hedgehogs use the colours to hide and stay safe.
Falling nuts are loved by squirrels! In autumn, you’ll see squirrels collecting the nuts. They’ll hide them in secret spots that they’ll visit during winter.
Have you ever seen a red squirrel? You’re very lucky if you have because they’re quite rare. You are more likely to see a grey one. That’s because grey squirrels are taking over their homes and spreading diseases to red squirrels. That's why lots of people are trying to protect them.
Autumn is one of the most colourful times of the year. A great time to enjoy your garden or go on a fun adventure walk in the countryside.
While you're on a walk, look out for all these autumn objects:
- Mushroom
- Leaf pile
- Pinecone
- Acorn
- Spider web
- Berries
- Feather
- Pumpkin
- Puddle