Autumn Variety

Autumn clematis, sedums and asters

Autumn has begun with wonderful weather. We waited a good long time for it this year, but here is the sun and  I intend to enjoy every moment of it. Really it's the change over that is so interesting. It is warm during the day but gets dark and cool in the early morning and evening. There is a mixture of plants that have been out all summer and new autumn plants which will last for weeks. 

New Japanese anemones and bright red geranium which has been flowering for ages

I am waiting to plant out my new plants until I can be sure the slugs have all gone to bed for the winter. Which gives me longer to prepare the sites and get rid of the creeping buttercups that crop up everywhere in my garden. 

Two of the hundreds of slugs in the garden

Also out in the garden at present is the Geranium Rosanne, which starts late and goes on flowering for ages. I have two sedums that keep the borders happy for months, Purple Emperor which has really dark leaves and  deep red coloured flowers in one bed and Autumn Joy in another. 

Sedum Purple Emperor

They both attract bees and other insects and go on flowering for ages. The ever-so-ordinary asters attract insects like anything and I have two groups of them in different parts of the garden. 

This year I also have several flowers from the nursery which  decided this year to sell its 'over' flowers cheaply rather than putting them on the rubbish heap. I have done really well from this and am filling up the garden with annual and perennial flowers which all help to keep the creeping buttercup down.   At present I have two fuschias from them and three osteospermum.

Osteospermum

Finally,  here is a picture of the spider and its prey I found in the garden the other day. A bit of reality.