Six things in the garden, on a Saturday. #SixonSaturday

It’s not quite advent, so still Autumn? The nights are very dark now, and the days have a liquidy watercolour light. Gloomy, but sometimes very beautiful. That light lit up a few late flowers for me this week, and also highlighted surprising colour as the garden starts to fold itself away for winter. First then, some of the colour. Welsh poppies just keep popping up and having another go.

Periwinkle creeps its way around the house walls, and has time to pop up the odd flower. I like the way this one cast a pretty shadow onto the wall behind.

I’m not a huge fan of winter heather. The garden hosts one diminutive little plant, small, but cheerful.

And now for some proper autumn shots. The gunnera is taking much longer than usual to wave goodbye to the growing year. Still not frosty, but the cool nights around 3 deg C are having an impact, resulting in an odd multi-coloured look. These leaves are close to going the journey to the compost heap…maybe this weekend!

The other day I spotted this lovely colour combination of the New Zealand holly juxtaposed against browned stems of the lysimachia, a very pleasing mix.

Last, but not least, shrub roses are having a go. Lots of buds on several of my plants, including this one. I hope the frost holds off a few more days so that this lot come into proper bloom.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Still no frost. I’ve been here 15 years and never seen an autumn this mild. There are therefore a few stragglers still going in the now very gloomy garden. First up this week, I grew ragged robin from seed this year, somehow managed to mislabel and thought I’d lost all the plants. But this week, my mystery plant came into flower. She’s ragged enough, yet beautiful. I’ve put her near the pond and will plant on into the margins when the flowering is over.

In the pond itself is a surprise new flower on the water hawthorn. Very late, but adding a welcome splash of white to the pond surface. I’ll leave the leaf clearing until this one has finished.

Clematis have certainly stopped flowering now, but the seed heads on this one will last until a strong storm blows them off. I’ll leave on for a while, as I’ve seen small birds making cosy roost pockets from their soft glossiness.

In the courtyard, one of the half-barrels hosts summer herbs. A flat-leaved parsley is still growing strong, no sign of tiredness yet, it looks lush and tasty, especially when wearing a scattering of raindrops.

Newly coming into flower are my winter wonders. This viburnum looks good, and some of the stems come into the house for winter flower arrangements.

Last, but not least, I’m never sure whether sowing autumn sweetpeas is worth the bother this far north. I sewed 2 trays from the seeds collected from this year’s finished plants. One has been nibbled by mice, but the other has new shoots. I’m not sure how they will winter but some new growth now is just what’s needed to keep me motivated through the long dark days to come.

Stay safe, keep growing, and don’t forget to view all the other Six’s on Saturday, via The Propagator, or on twitter #sixonsaturday.

Just past bonfire night. As we’re under Tier 2 restrictions, there were no bonfire parties. Cosy at home, didn’t really miss it to be honest. There’s brightness and twinkles in the garden, a surprising amount for November (no frosts yet). First this week, the last of the prunus leaves are hanging on, and look stunning against a blue blue sky.

I don’t know how to say Schizostylis, but these Autumn bulbs have popped up late this year and are cheering me up as I head onto the drive.

You’ve got to love a good hebe, they flower on well into Autumn, giving a few stems for a pretty vase and nectar for any bees that are still hunting for food.

I wasn’t sure about yellow bobbly buddleja in the past, but again, they just keep on trying to flower. This one is pretty much all that’s left in my long border now.

One more detail this week, perennial cornflower. This is one plant that does reliably respond to a good chop back after flowering. The little flashes of purple will stay until the first frosts (still not much sign, fingers crossed).

Finally this week, spiraea with a view. A misty morning set these stems off against the fields and woods beyond the garden.

Don’t forget to view other Six on Saturday blogs, via The Propagator, and look for #SixonSaturday on Twitter.