What a difference a day makes or October in the garden

It was such a warm day yesterday and has been a really wet miserable day today. I made the most of the weather yesterday and planted some daffodils in pots.  I also took the opportunity to have a look round the garden too. (The song 'What a difference a day makes' by Dinah Washington sprang into my head, hence the title of the post, even though the song is nothing to do with the weather, so here's a link to it on Youtube.)

 Autumn is certainly here, as can be seen by the Blueberries, here Northland...

...turning their fiery colours.  They have fruited really well this year and are such an easy to look after plant, as long as they are in ericaceous compost.  Mine don't always get rain water either - it depends how much is in the water butt.

A few last roses from 'Winchester Cathedral'.

 Buttery yellow leaves on Ginkgo Biloba Troll.

 Liriope muscari flowering away beautifully.

 My favourite grasses - Miscanthus Silberfeder.

 Cosmos Dazzler, doing what the name suggests.

 Aster (renamed something I can't spell, but having checked, it is Symphyotrichum, although it will always be an aster to me) Little Carlow, showing which flowers have been pollinated by turning red/brown - really helpful for the bees.

Aster (Symphyotrichum) novae-angliae September Ruby (I think).

Miscanthus Starlight - smaller but still beautifully formed.  I am really enjoying the autumn colours and hope they will stay for a few more weeks.

Star Plants of late summer/early autumn

 My star plants at the moment are my miscanthus.  I have three varieties - here are Starlight and Kleine Fontane at the back. They are elegant plants and bring movement to the border.  I have found them to be really well behaved too and they provide something to look at throughout the winter.

 This miscanthus Silber Feder is in the other border and is a stunner.  It is statuesque and keeps its flower heads all winter.  If I had a larger garden, I would have many more miscanthus, but I really enjoy the ones I do have.  (The fence panel will be painted black at some point, once the clematis growing in front of it has died down.  The miscanthus will show up beautifully against the dark backdrop).

Helianthus Lemon Queen is a perennial sunflower which has grown absolutely huge this year.  I divided it early in Spring and this seems to have given it a new lease of life.  It towers above me and gives a lovely burst of sunshine yellow. 

 The bees love it too, as you can see.

How about this for a colourful combination?  Cosmos Dazzler, which does live up to its name.  This is a single plant shoved rather unceremoniously into a pot, contrasting against the sunflower.  The cosmos took ages to come into flower and I nearly composted it, but it has redeemed itself now.  As well as 'living for the moment' in the garden,  I do look forward to the way the character of the garden changes with the seasons.