Golden autumn days

I have sat outside for lunch for several days  in the last week- I love it! 'Sandwich in the sun' could be the title of a book.

Inspite of the warmth of the sun , the air temperature is cold; the leaves are colouring yellow, tan, gold, bronze, russet and scarlet. The flowerborders and pavements are drifting with leaves.

Many of the flowers of summer are dying; I have begun to deadhead a variety of phlox which have cast fragrance over the garden for weeks.

I wonder why a number of gardeners have asked me specifically for some of the one above-maybe the pretty foliage? and how do I give them some?

The poker straight, cardinal lobelia still pontificates that it will not die off yet. So too do the roses which often hold their heads up into November.

The troughs of geraniums are still hanging on in

and the begonias actually seem to have enjoyed the whole summer and are flourishing in these first days of autumn.

Under the siver birch, the bed of marguerites are playing host to earwigs; these daisies never inspire me to flower arrange them because of the creatures they bring in to the house.

I stuck (literally- pushed in with my finger) some of last year's nasturtium seeds in the primula pots since there is nothing there after Spring but greenery for most of the Summer- and their reddy-orange trumpets have graced the patio for ages; I must remember to collect up the nasturtium seed heads for next year.

We have given up and put the central heating on morning and evening

but when will I finally admit defeat and fight the winter duvets onto the beds?
The hydrangeas,

honeysuckle

and buddleia are providing nectar for the last of the flutter-byes



But the glories of autumn are definitely on the way.........

Okey dokey I am off to watch television- D3 tells me I must watch the semifinal of The Great British Bake Off.