Darker nights mean less time for gardening, but they also offer an opportunity to get shots of certain flowers that show up well with a black background, like Verbena Bonariensis and Sedum.

1. Sedum
2. Verbena Bonariensis
3. Orange Hawkweed growing through Silver Ragwort
4. Veronica ‘Red Fox’
5. November sunset through Birch trees

It’s been amazing to have a week or two with very little wind, finally. And this week we’ve even had pretty mild weather as well with daytime temps 10-16C and some nights not going below 10. But there have been a few light frosts and today there was a very noticeable change in the garden with lots of the plants that had been green turning yellow and dropping their leaves. I’m still amazed they lasted this long, but also quite glad they are shedding (“Abscissing”, thanks Tralamander for the botanical term) because it means they will be less likely to get damaged under snow, and it’s now only 2 weeks away from when the 1st foot of snow fell last year (I am obsessed about the snow now).

Notable plants flowering still: Cosmos, Bacopa, Lobelia (after been chopped back in September it now has a very impressive 2nd flush of flowers), White Foxglove, Coreopsis, Scabious, Sweet Pea (though letting it go to seed now), Mimulus, Nepeta (but have now brought inside to try and keep it going), various small flowered geraniums, Viola, Dianthus, Chives (surprisingly), Erodium (a new favourite, had flowered for months and is never troubled by pests), Feverfew, Lychnis, Osteospermum, Orange Hawkweed, Silver Ragwort, Mallow, Crocosmia (mostly over though), Lamium and several Roses.

I’m sure there are more, I can’t remember them all, but every one has been a delight so late in the season.