Colours of autumn at the National Arboretum - picture essay

Guardian photographer David Levene visited the National Arboretum at Westonbirt as autumn comes to a close to capture the fabulous changing coloursWith more than half a million visitors a year, Westonbirt is especially popular in autumn. Housing one of the most important plant collections in the world, with over 15,000 specimens and trees from all over the world, it is a beautiful place to visit while exploring rare and interesting plants. It is home to five national collections: maple species, Japanese maple cultivars, lime, walnut and bladdernut, and is arranged for aesthetic appearances rather than scientific or geographic criteria.Due to climactic conditions the display of autumn colours has been slow to progress this year, particularly in the south of England. Continue reading...