David

It was still early in the morning. Every few yards along the pavement there was another slug, all heading for the nearby long grass which would be their daytime refuge.

This acer was also growing in Bantock Park. The sunlight shining through its red leaves made them even more dramatic than usual.

The unopened bud gives little clue of the colour the flower will be. If it is a wild plant, then yellow. If descended from an escaped cultivated variety, a more striking orange.

The flowers are poisonous, like other parts of the tree. They are responsible for the old name: “the golden chain tree”.

The bluebells under the trees in Bantock Park had a definite pinkish tinge.

This plant, in a garden facing onto Compton Road, is like a small cascade of vivid red.