October gifts

 By September the front of the south facing border was taken over by zinnias, calendula and cosmos, the zinnias showing the light dusting of mildew they often get at the end of the season.

 After languishing for most of the summer the nasturtiums decided to take off, trailing through the garden, covering perennials which have stopped blooming. Also, making a nice color contrast, fluffy blue Ageratum which appeared in September, self-seeded from last summer's planting.

 I love the combination of this ornamental grass with huge red zinnias.

  Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with Helenium

and with the annual, amazingly prolific and long-blooming sulphur cosmos.

 I planted this Clematis 'Jackmanii' in June and it finally bloomed in October!

At the end of the path is a piece of Hudson River driftwood I found last winter. I stood it up on a post sunk into the soil in a bed of Hosta in dense shade at the back of the garden.