Officially the warmest October since records began in 1766! A cool start to the month though, with gales, grey skies and heavy rain. A beautiful Indian Summer followed on the 11th, 12th and 13th, with fantastic weather for the time of year, and temperatures as high as 21°C (70°F). Still staying warm for the next few days, but with heavy, thundery showers on the 15th. The rest of the month remained warm, with sunshine and showers on most days. The 28th was a glorious day, with a clear blue sky and sunshine all day, but the 31st, although dry and bright, felt very cold with a north-easterly wind blowing for most of the day. Maximum temperature 21°C (70°F), minimum 7°C (45°F).

You've just got to laugh when you see these smiling Hallowe'en pumpkins! I spotted them in B & Q and couldn't resist them. They're made of terracotta, and have citrus candles inside. I think they will make great garden ornaments all the year round, not just at Hallowe'en!!

This is a lovely plant in flower in the garden this month. It is called Cimicifuga 'White Pearl', and it has these lovely spikes of white fluffy bottle-brush-like flowers. It is a hardy perennial, and grows to about 1 metre high. Late-flowering plants are especially valuable for adding interest in the garden at this time of the year, when the rest of the garden is winding down!

This is a super plant I discovered whilst browsing round a garden centre. It is called Saxifraga fortunei 'Crystal Pink'. The leaves are the most beautiful marbled pink and green, and I'm sure it will prove a little gem of a foliage plant in the garden. All I have to do now is to find somewhere to plant it!

Another new aquisition this month is this Euphorbia. It is E. wulfenii 'Silver Swan', with these lovely pale grey-green leaves edged with white. I love plants with different foliage, and this one is certainly different for a Euphorbia, and will look really good planted next to a plain green leaved plant. It is a much lower-growing plant than the usual variety, reaching only about half a metre in height. Must have a scout round the garden and have a look for a suitable spot.....

I love Rudbeckias at this time of year. They always give such a colourful show! I especially like this one, Rudbeckia laciniata 'Goldquelle' which has very double, yellow flowers, with the centre petals flushed lime green. It is a hardy herbaceous perennial, and is in flower for about 3 or 4 weeks. The flowers are good for cutting too, and last well!

I am very fond of these colourful plants, Schizostylis coccinea, also known as Kaffir Lily. They grow from rhizomes, but they are not desperately hardy, so need a sheltered sunny spot. They prefer damp conditions, and I have this clump in the bed surrounding the little pond on the patio, which is south-facing. They are very colourful at the moment, where I can see them from my back door!

Fuchsias give such good value, coming into flower around June, and remaining in flower until the first frosts - that's 4 or 5 months worth of flowers! They are especially welcome at this time of year, when there's not a vast quantity of flowers in the garden. I have lots of Fuchsias, and at the moment 'Annabelle' is one of those which is at its best. It appears to be hardy in my garden, and it's planted in a large tub with a cone of Ivy, and another Fuchsia, 'Dancing Flame', also hardy in my garden. They don't get any special protection over winter, and they come up each spring to give a lovely show. 'Annabelle' is a double white Fuchsia, with a pink flush - beautiful!

Butterflies seen this month - Peacock, Fritillary, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Ringlet and Gatekeeper.

Birds seen (s) or heard (h) in or around the garden this month - Blackbird (s), Blue Tit (s), Bullfinch (s), Chaffinch (s), Collared Dove (s), Crow (s), Goldfinch (s), House Sparrow (s), Long-tailed Tit (s), Magpie (s), Robin (s), Rook (s), Seagull (s), Starling (s), Thrush (s), Tree Sparrow (s), Wood Pigeon (s), Wren (s).

An eye for an eye only leads to more blindness.
Margaret Attwood