It was a drizzling mild morning. The flowerbed near by the conservatory in the botanic garden, a part of the Roath Park, was emptied and showed the dark brown manure, where some gardeners were working on. It was quiet. While having been walking toward the lake, I have seen only a few dog walkers.
(This tree is, however, no Japanese Maple.)
I haven't been to the park for years, but still remembered there was a Japanese plant area on the way to the lake. I would come here sometimes with my children and a playgroup when they were very young. The Japanese maple trees still stood there, but the all the leaves fell down. The leaves kept their vibrant red colour as it didn't take so long after the fall.
I didn't expect so much colours in the botanic garden. But the peculiar light purple colour was caught by my eyes.
Murasaki-Shikibu, Japanese Beautyberry! I had seen them, in fact, only in pictures.
Next to the Japanese Beautyberry, I found another Japanese shrubs, Nanten, Nandina Domestica. They are commonly called Heavenly Bamboo or Sacred Bamboo (in Wikipedia) although they are not the bamboo family.
This shrub is seen widely in every garden in Japan. My parents' house, my grandparents' houses, my friends' ....... this plant is so familiar. Nanten is evergreen bush and has berries in the winter. My mother would decorate the branches with berries for the New Year's celebration, and often put the leaves under or next to food on festive plates.
In the rain, despite the rain, they made me a little bit happy like being in Japan, my home country.
Some shrubs like thorns under big trees had still green leaves and red berries. Holly-like shrub had strikingly red and green holly-like but tiny leaves. I cannot find the name.
South Wales has usually wet mild winter. The autumn has just gone and left colourful gift behind. The winter brings the plants to rest and looks after them until the spring takes turn.
