As October comes to a close the season has stopped turning, it has turned. The grey, cold, dampness has arrived that will typify the next few months. There will still be sunny days, those lovely bright crisp days that need to be treasured; but the clocks have gone back an hour and it is dark so early now. The season has turned.
The grey plastic 'Varese' planter that was given to me by Stewart Garden has housed these petunias all summer. They are now, suddenly, past their best and need replacing with winter bedding. I realised why I do not really do seasonal bedding, its because I hang on to the plants to the last minute to get every flower from them that I can. I probably need to discard them earlier but I cannot quite make myself do it, not yet.
The pots on the table are now depleted as the more tender plants are now either in the greenhouse or in the conservatory.
The Courtyard Garden, which is also all in pots, is looking very green now and will largely remain so over the winter.
In the long wooden planted the dahlias and nasturtiums have had a cold night too many. They have started to wilt.
I always really dislike this stage with nasturtiums as they just go so unpleasant. They do not die nicely.
The the Prairie Borders the echinops skeletons will stand proud until spring when I will remove them. The grasses will not be cut down until then. They always look good throughout the winter.
The Medlar fruit are about ready for picking, so they can be allowed the blet ready for jelly to be made. I have not made any medlar jelly for a couple of years and so I think it is time I did so again.
There are signs of spring already: I am getting very excited at the prospect of Stachyurus Chinensis 'Celina' flowering next year.
and the Edgeworthia, that I always worry about over the winter, has lots of buds ready to start flowering when the time is right.
The Carol Klein acer is flaming better than I think I have ever seen before. It has had its best year yet. The sun was hitting it just right on the day I took these photographs.
It was a glorious sunny day, the autumn colours were being lit just right. This is the wisteria which has seed pods on it this year, which is quite unusual for this plant.
There are still flowers appearing on the astrantia, which is responding to the drought ending and having a late flowering.
The self-sown honeysuck has wound itself into the Leptospermum laevigatum and flowers against the blue sky.
and in the greenhouse the chilli plants are still ripening. I think they will stop doing so very soon but at the moment each one is cherished (briefly, then put in the freezer).
and the pond? It is still very low but it is more full than it was. It will be full again by the end of winter I am sure.
Thanks as ever to Helen for hosting this meme.
