![The half hour after sunset is a lovely time in the garden. Picture by Fiona Ogilvie. The half hour after sunset is a lovely time in the garden. Picture by Fiona Ogilvie.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/yLeFMnh28MAxupuQMFvs9Q/d57875d7-6dfe-4250-9871-eee7501edbe5.jpg/r0_0_2992_2021_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Friday was winter's shortest day.
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Sun rises on the coast at 7am and sets just before 5pm, maybe a few minutes later further west.
Early dusk in June is a lovely time to be in the garden, especially when the wind drops.
Grab a warm jacket and some secateurs and enjoy the last half hour of daylight.
Please do it, it's magical time - you can easily be back in time for the Antiques Roadshow at 5.30pm.
Walking round yesterday evening, I was amazed to see how the leaves were hanging on to our English oaks (Quercus robur).
Our oldest tree was planted by the previous owners in the early 1960s and it's always the first to lose all its leaves. Meanwhile the seven seedlings Bill and I planted 20 years ago in a circle near our front drive are still in leaf.
Our oaks bear big crops of acorns which the king parrots from high on the ranges above us love.
I try to snip off emergent seedlings - if I do it early enough, the acorns won't re-sprout.
Back in the garden, my biggest smoke bush, Cotinus 'Flame' is still holding on to its spectacular red and amber autumn foliage.
'Flame' is my largest smoke bush (up to four metres) and its spreading, branches make an impressive backdrop to a shrub border, the feathery plumes of smoke-like flowers making for a long season of interest.
'Flame' colours best in full sun and like all Cotinus species is frost hardy and drought tolerant.
Around the corner from 'Flame' I was surprised to find the leaves on my Mexican mock orange (Philadelphus mexicanus) had turned yellow.
This shrub is normally evergreen and a companion that I planted at the same time nearby is still green. I hope the yellow leaves aren't a sign of anything sinister.
A small purple berberis, B. 'Little Favourite' is holding its wine-red leaves, perfect with ornamental grass Miscanthus 'Yakushima Dwarf' (1-1.4 metres), one of those rare chance but successful combinations.
Foliage of a recently planted V. opulus 'Norcutt's Variety' has turned pink and gold, but as yet there are no scarlet berries. Deep red Chrysanthemum 'Bunyong Bronze' alongside is another chance but happy combo.
I planted them far too close together, ahem, so I'll move 'Bunnyong' when its flowers finish.
I was next distracted by a heavenly smell which I tracked down to the first blossom on my wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox).
I have a great affection for this shrub as I grew it from seed from a friend, and I was thrilled to see several clusters of seedpods from last year's flowers.
I snipped some off and will have a crack at germinating them. My bush took seven years to flower, but patience is the gardener's text. The seeds are easy to handle as they're quite large but they need soaking for 48 hours before sowing.
Back near our front drive I discovered that a yellow flowering gum (Eucalyptus woodwardia) from Port Augusta Botanic Garden, that I planted in 2015 (see The Land, June 15, 2015), was covered in tiny flower buds, a treat in store.
Walking home as daylight faded, I found myself thinking of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard:
"The curfew tolls the knell of passing day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea.
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me."
Winter might be the garden's quiet time, but its rewards are great.