Nerine bowdenii ‘Stefanie’, a lovely, pale pink form of this hardy species. #fairviewyearround

Hemiboea subcapitata BO 15-100, a hardy gesneriad from China providing late colour in a shady border. #fairviewyearround

Symphyotrichum ‘Rosy Veil’, a lovely, small-flowered ‘aster’ that will be smothered in flowers over the coming weeks. #fairviewyearround

Oxalis lobatus in the alpine house, Arum pictum ‘Album’ and Sternbergia greuteriana in the bulb tunnel. #fairviewyearround

An assemblage of autumnal colour, glowing in the late afternoon. #fairviewyearround

The autumn tints are starting. #fairviewyearround

The success of my autumn gentian trough (they haven’t died) has inspired me to plant a second trough. The AGS show at Loughborough was a good opportunity to pick up some plants. The planting mix is an ericaceous compost with added JI no3, hort grit and perlite. #fairviewyearround

Colchicums in the woodland borders. #fairviewyearround

Kirengeshoma palmata in one of the woodland borders, incredible waxy flowers. #fairviewyearround

Seventh talk of the month this evening, tonight I’m in Wilmslow. It increasingly feels like going on an expedition, especially when asked if I will have plants for sale. #fairviewyearround

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Harrington’s Pink’ is one of my favourite taller asters, a lovely rich colour and an absolute magnet for insects. #fairviewyearround

Ripon Walled Garden today, the borders are part of the developments made by Ripon Evolve students over the past few years, as part of their practical horticulture skills course. It’s Apple Day at the Walled Garden on Saturday 4th October, a good excuse for a visit.

Hamamelis virginiana colouring up nicely and flowering. This was the rootstock of a cultivar that died, however I let it grow and quite like it. #fairviewyearround

Wasps en mas enjoying a fallen pear, I wonder if they’re having a conference? #fairviewyearround

A lovely, sunny start to the day, but ice on the car windscreen this morning, winter is on its way. #fairviewyearround #fairviewverge

Euonymus alatus is one of the first shrubs to change into its autumn livery. A sunny day always improves the display. #fairviewyearround

Cyclamen mirabile in the bulb tunnel, such a lovely species. #fairviewyearround

Another Ray Cobb gift, the fabulous Arum pictum ‘Primrose Warburg’ (syn. ‘South Hayes’), with an interesting ‘fragrance’. Excellent article on the species at www.srgc.net/documents/ir... #fairviewyearround

The roadside verge with colchicums including Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’ and Cyclamen hederifolium. #fairviewyearround #fairviewverge

Colchicum ‘Harlequin’, an unusual colour combination. #fairviewyearround

Cyclamen graecum looking lovely in the alpine house, I think this may have originally come from Ray Cobb, anyone recognise the label? #fairviewyearround

One of the first flowers in the bulb tunnel, Sternbergia greuteriana. #fairviewyearround

Repotting in the tunnel has been delayed this year and so I have just weeded and top-dressed the pots with fresh gravel prior to watering. Things are waking up already. Every year I seem to end up with more pots. #fairviewyearround

Colchicum ‘William Dykes’ with a floppy Eurybia divaricata ‘Beth Chatto’. I rather like the effect though. #fairviewyearround

Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’ (back) a good doer here, not as floppy as Herbstfreude Group (front) loved by bees and butterflies. Still looks nice after the flowers fade. #fairviewyearround

Hoya carnosa in the greenhouse. #fairviewyearround

Rhodophiala bifida in the greenhouse. #fairviewyearround

In the late afternoon the red admirals are making the most of the fallen plums. At least a couple of dozen red admirals were seen. The big butterfly count that is now published, is at odds with the numbers seen in the garden here - butterfly-conservation.org/big-butterfly-… #fairviewyearround

The chief pest controller is asleep whilst on duty. This handsome tawny owl roosts in my Parrotia during the day and has become increasingly trusting when I am about. We had wood pigeons nesting a few feet away earlier in the year. #fairviewyearround

I’ve never had much success with autumn-flowering gentians, but last year decided to give them a try again. I’m delighted that the first flowers of Gentiana ‘Braemar’ have opened and so now planning a second trough. #fairviewyearround

The colchicums on the roadside are coming out thick and fast. #fairviewyearround #fairviewverge

‘Oullins Golden Gage’ has produced a bumper crop this year. I’ll be picking these for the next couple of weeks. #fairviewyearround

One of the plants that really caught my eye at the Four Oaks Trade Show was Salvia Melba Magic ‘Cherry Melba’ from Kernock Park Plants/Alpha Plants which will be released in 2027. One to look out for.

The colchicums are coming up rapidly on the roadside verge, they dislike the heavy rain though. #fairviewyearround #fairviewverge

The Echinopsis have put on a splendid show this year with 3-4 flushes of flowers throughout the summer. Just noticed that in one of the pots there is an imposter. #fairviewyearround

Impatiens arguta ‘Blue Dream’, another hardy, perennial busy lizzy for semi shade. #fairviewyearround

Colchicum x agrippinum in amongst the irises. This plant always catches me out as I never get the bed tidied up before the flowers appear, I then have to be very delicate. #fairviewyearround

Colchicums and cyclamen starting to flower on the roadside verge, after all it’s autumn tomorrow. #fairviewyearround #fairviewverge

Possibly the best flowering privet, Ligustrum quihoui. Valued for its scented flowers late in the season. I’ve not found it easy to propagate though. #fairviewyearround

Despite the lack of rain the garden is looking quite lush, it is always a worrying time of the year though when I see my wife heading into the garden with a pair of secateurs. One persons lush is another’s overgrown. #fairviewyearround

Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ at the side of the bridleway. #fairviewyearround

Such an exceptional year for fruit. Just started to harvest the ‘Discovery’ and later plums. Plums ‘Victoria’ and ‘Oullins Golden Gage’. 3/3 #fairviewyearround

Such an exceptional year for fruit. Just started to harvest the ‘Discovery’ and later plums. Apples ‘Egremont Russett’. Pears ‘Conference’, ‘Concorde’ and ‘Buerre Hardy’. 2/3 #fairviewyearround

Such an exceptional year for fruit. Just started to harvest the ‘Discovery’ and later plums. Apples ‘Discovery’, ‘Lord Lambourne’, ‘James Grieves’ and ‘Brownlees Russett’ 1/3 #fairviewyearround

Japanese anemones making a good show at the moment. An excellent example of a plant that if you want it, can be difficult to get established and if you don’t want it, can be difficult to get rid of. #fairviewyearround

Aconitum carmichaelii (Arendsii Group) 'Arendsii'. A fabulous late-flowering perennial, but here a bit of a flopper. Handle with care, it’s potentially very toxic. #fairviewyearround

The wonderfully exotic foliage of Arisaema candidissimum, one of the prettiest species. #fairviewyearround

I’m not sure what to call Phlox paniculata ‘Norah Leigh’ when she has lost her variegation. Still a pretty plant, some might say an improvement? #fairviewyearround

Purple loostrife, Lythrum salicaria, by the pond adding colour and food for insects. #fairviewyearround

Impatiens arguta ‘Alba’, a perennial busy lizzy that I grew from a single seed. Fortunately easy from softwood cuttings, these are plants in the nursery area. #fairviewyearround