There are a lot of aspects of autumn which can make it a challenging time of year, especially after the long days of summer. It can be depressing when the nights start drawing in and you know the weather will inevitably become worse.
Yet there are moments of joy you can appreciate this season - including the changing colour of the leaves. It may happen every year but it never fails to impress when trees are transformed with vivid reds, burning oranges, golden yellows and every shade in between.
Across Greater Manchester are dozens of parks and outdoor places where you can see this spectacle for yourself. Oldham’s Alexandra Park and Stockport’s Etherow Country Park are particularly magnificent at this time of year.
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Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens in Didsbury is another popular spot, but south Manchester has another autumnal gem up its sleeve. Right beside Palatine Road in West Didsbury is Marie Louise Gardens. This 4.75 acre woodland park may be small, but it certainly packs a punch.
The garden was created by Josephine Silkenstadt, the widow of a cotton merchant, in memory of her daughter Marie Louise who died in 1891 aged 26. The gardens were given to the citizens of Manchester in 1903.
Today a voluntary group called Friends of Marie Louise Gardens help to maintain the park along with Manchester Council. The garden is full of different trees, including cedars, pines and fir, along with rarer varieties.
At this time of year the park is transformed as the trees don their autumn finery. Thanks to the dense arrangement of trees, it almost creates a golden canopy as you walk around the area.
There are plenty of benches
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