The Garden in October.

I have purchased a new camera. Please be tolerant as I sprinkle this blog with posts featuring the product of my new toy. Its supposed to take photographs of a standard suitable for reproduction in newspapers. First up are three photographs taken in our garden today - 4th Oct. They disprove the generally held view that there is not much colour around this month - except for Michaelmas Daisies and autumnal leaves. The top photo is of two of my favourites - Rudbeckia and Alsteomeria. I really should have dead headed the Kniphofia in the background. A new camera does not a David Bailey make! Second photograph is of Cosmos Daisies, a really good annual that flowers til the frost, and looks a clean white no matter what the weather.

And finally (though there was plenty of alternatives) I chose a shrub - a Hydrangea. Some gardeners are a bit 'sniffy' about these shrubs, because they used to be everywhere. The 'mopheads' still are, especially near the coast. Some of the newer varieties are spectacular. Anyway, my 'sniffy' phase is over, and our garden is graced by about 50 Hydrangeas. This is one of the best.