"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots....

 ....... may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."  -  Nathaniel Hawthorne

Aster (Symphyotrichum) novae-angliae 'Septemberrubin'

Behind the scenes - With the temperatures forecast to get down to 0C at the weekend it's definitely time to get the bubblewrap on the greenhouse and the last of the tender plants under cover for winter.

With the last of the broken glass from the tree incident 2 years ago replaced and brand new bubble wrap my green house is looking very snappy for winter.

The last lot of bubble wrap was finally beyond its best in the spring. But it's lasted 30 years, so absolutely no shame to it. That's value for money

New bubblewrap for the greenhouse

Hubble bubble, its annual apple chutney time - despite a lack of apples from our own trees in the nursery this year, we got some cracking apples from Jamie and Natasha when we were visiting a couple of weeks ago. 3 large kilner jars of apple chutney for the coming year to share, makes great christmas presents

Glorious colours in the nursery gardens this week. The Silphium laciniatum was glowing in the sun and contrasting perfectly with the Euonymus behind it. The Silphium isn't big enough to propagate yet, but I've been enjoying its fabulous leaf shape through summer and now the glowing yellow autumn colour. Butterflies are still about enjoying the asters, these were on Aster 'Coombe Fishacre'

Butterfly on Aster (Symphyotrichum)
novi-belgii 'Coombe Fishacre'

Silphium laciniatum

Behind the scenes - another autumn task done today. Team effort thanks to David and Fiona strimming and raking up the grass in the orchard I then ran over it with the lawn mower and weeded the boxes around the base of the trees. Looks so much better now and ready for winter

If you've followed this page long enough or visited the nursery you'll know how much I love ornamental grasses and how much they add to borders or pots. From late summer into autumn and on into winter grasses provide interest as they flower, the movement in the breeze and autumn colour as they change with the seasons. The flowers of taller varieties of Miscanthus, Molinia and calamagrostis are particularly noticeable and you will see many in the nursery at the moment! So many to choose from. Here are some of the the Miscanthus in the autumn late afternoon sun!

What a glorious first year its been in our garden. But with the first frost this morning the nasturtiums have had their last hurrah and plants will start to retreat into their winter hibernation. A bit like me

First frost of the season, chard

First frost of the season, strawberry

First frost of the season, rocket

First frost of the season, goodbye nasturtiums 

Behind the scenes - Time to get the Gunnera cut back and under its tent of leaves for winter

On mOnday we spent the day progressing the mammoth shelf building odessay and after a day of shelf building and painting, a late afternoon walk to tire out Maisie Mouse, like that's going to happen!

On Monday Maisie and I had a walk along the river, across the viaduct and up through the woods, one of my favourite walks. Enjoying the dry weather before the rain and wind come in later in the week. An afternoon spent in my garden tidying up the last of the summer colour, the frosted nasurtiums and annuals that have gone over, bulb planting and getting ready for autumn.

Succulents now inside for winter

Garden supervisor

Persicaria amplexicaule 'Atrosanguinea' and corn marigolds

Stipa tenuissima and box

Hedera helix 'Buttercup'

Ilex Golden King

Cornflowers

Snapdragons

Bulbs potted for spring

Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

Aster (Symphyotrichum) novae-angliae dark pink

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