Peace and Quiet

I thought that my friend Eloise might enjoy the little local arboretum I discovered last year. Like me, she has a good working knowledge of our local patch of Sussex, but this one had remained beneath the radar. Without the hard frosts I didn't see the brilliant magenta and crimson hues of last time, but was instead treated to golds and russets delivered in an ethereal light mist. Each tree has its own QR code and the first one we scanned goes by the memorable name of Ilex Vomitoria [its common name is Yaupon]. Native Americans brewed a black tea from its leaves for their ceremonies which was often followed by vomiting bouts. Europeans drew the conclusion that this was caused by the tea, but it was down to another cause and the tea is still on sale. 

As we retired to the village cafe afterwards we both remarked what a peaceful morning we had. It exudes calm and feels a very safe space. Somewhere to take a breather from the spinning whorl of our everyday lives and return with 'a spring in your step' as my friend put it🍂🍂

Arilx