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October

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Pumpkins line up to dry. Hidden Valley Nursery, Old Souith Heale, High Bickington, north Devon, UK
Blue inflorescence of Fascicularia bicolor. Hidden Valley Nursery, Old Souith Heale, High Bickington, north Devon, UK
Morning sun illuminates the drive and the gravel garden full of grasses and herbaceous perennials including Stipa gigantea, miscanthus, eupatorium, bronze fennel and Aster x frikartii 'Monch'. Windy Ridge, Little Wenlock, Shropshire, UK
Box parterre contains clipped umbrella laurels and santolina with yew pyramids framing lawn leading into surrounding countryside across ha-ha, with tulip tree turning yellow. Private garden, Pulham, Dorset, UK
Perovskia 'Blue Spire' against panicum. The Buildings at Broughton, near Stockbridge, Hants
Gravel path leading into the central circular bed framed by miscanthus, rosemary, Stipa gigantea, salvias, Sedum 'Purple Emperor' and Calamagrostis brachytricha. Broughton Buildings, Broughton, nr Stockbridge, Hants, UK
Raised bed in the cactus garden includes large Agave americana, aloes, opuntias, red Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum, and yellow flowered Bulbine frutescens. Ventnor Botanic Garden, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UK
Purple berries of Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion'. Kingston Maurward Gardens, Dorchester. Dorset, UK
Seat surrounded by hebes, tiered Cornus controversa 'Variegata' and the autumn reds of Acer palmatum var. dissectum variety. Chiffchaffs, nr Bourton, Dorset, UK
Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' flowerhead. Knoll Gardens, nr Wimborne, Dorset, UK
Dragon sculplture forms a centrepiece in the Dragon garden surrounded by beds brimming with grasses and perennials. Knoll Gardens, nr Wimborne, Dorset, UK
Mottled autumn leaves of Cornus alba 'Sibirica'. Lady Farm, Chelwood, Somerset, UK
Multicoloured foliage of Rhus typhina 'Dissecta', upright Molinia caerulea 'Zuneigung', blackened seedheads of Digitalis ferruginea, and feathery miscanthus flowers. Lady Farm, Chelwood, Somerset, UK
Aster novae-angliae 'John Davies'. Norwell Nurseries, Norwell, Notts, UK
The Canal Garden with lines of sharply clipped yews at Mapperton Garden, Dorset
A tall, deeply serrated hedge of clipped yew forms a backdrop to beds in the Canal Garden. Black leaved Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' edges the gravel and sett path.
Dahlia.
Stipa gigantea on a misty autumn morning in the slate garden. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Box parterre contains clipped umbrella laurels and santolina with yew pyramids framing lawn leading into surrounding countryside across ha-ha. Private garden, Pulham, Dorset, UK
Pond with waterlilies and jetty, with beds of late flowering perennials and grasses beyond including asters and chrysanthemums. Norwell Nurseries, Norwell, Notts, UK
The Sundial Garden with late afternoon sun illuminating tree ferns, conical piceas and exotic herbaceous plants including salvias, dahlias and ricinus. Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Hants, UK
Circular bed of grasses and perennials including Sedum 'Purple Emperor' and Digitalis ferruginea against orange prunus and red oxide barn roof. The Buildings at Broughton, near Stockbridge, Hants
Hydrangeas on a misty autumn morning. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Hypericum Magical Beauty = 'Kolmbeau'. Windy Ridge, Little Wenlock, Shropshire, UK
Dragon Garden with beds full of grasses including tall miscanthus, Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' and Phormium tenax atropurpurea edged with Pennisetum villosum. Knoll Gardens, nr Wimborne, Dorset, UK
Stepping stone path through a bed in the front garden between dark actaea, Rubus cockburnianus 'Golden Vale', clipped variegated box, Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' and flowering grasses. Windy Ridge, Little Wenlock, Shropshire, UK
Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firedance'. Windy Ridge, Little Wenlock, Shropshire, UK
Dragon Garden with beds full of grasses including tall miscanthus, Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' and Phormium tenax atropurpurea edged with Pennisetum villosum. Central circular pond features dragon sculplture. Knoll Gardens, nr Wimborne, Dorset, UK
Cornus changing colour in the winter garden with black Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' and silvery Stachys byzantina. Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, UK
Early morning mist rises from one of the garden's lakes with rich red autumn colour provided by Euonymus alatus and the red stems of cornus with the huge, textured leaves of Gunnera manicata. Lady Farm, Chelwood, Somerset, UK
Centre circular bed in the rose garden with urn surrounded by a mass of flowers including amaranthus, dahlias, salvias and ricinus. Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, UK
Acer palmatum var. heptalobum. Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Ampfield, Romsey, Hants, UK
Herbaceous and grasses garden features large clumps of pampas grass, Cortaderia, phormiums, grasses such as miscanthus and herbaceous plants including dahlias, asters and Salvia uliginosa. Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Hants, UK
Mix of grasses, silvery Ballota pseudodictamnus and perennials seedheads including phlomis and Digitalis ferruginea, with apricot coloured house behind. The Buildings at Broughton, near Stockbridge, Hants
Frosty morning in the Sundial Garden surrounded by yew hedging and containing tree ferns, conical piceas and exotic herbaceous plants including salvias, dahlias and ricinus. Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Hants, UK
The Wild Garden on the grassy slopes below the Great Glasshouse, is full of heleniums, asters and small pampas set amidst long grass. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Cortaderia 'Sunningdale Silver' framed by red leaved euonymus, eupatorium and phlomis seedheads plus grasses including feathery flowerheads of miscanthus. Knoll Gardens, nr Wimborne, Dorset, UK
A boardwalk runs through the bog garden between large clups of moisture loving plants including Gunnera manicata, ferns and ligularia. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'. The Cors, Laugharne, Camarthenshire, Wales, UK
Recent planting combines grasses with bold perennials in colour themed borders of silver, cerise and purple. Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln', Sedum spectablile 'Autumn Joy' are backed by taller miscanthus including M. sinensis 'Morning Light'. Lady Farm, Chelwood, Somerset, UK
Grasses and herbaceous perennials including Stipa gigantea and Digitalis ferruginea in the walled garden. Broughton Buildings, Broughton, nr Stockbridge, Hants, UK
Slate edged pond surrounded by mossy lawn, with orange yellow Metasequoia glyptostroboides reflected in the water. The Cors, Laugharne, Camarthenshire, Wales, UK
Mossy trunk of acer catching its own leaves as they fall. Minterne, Minterne Magna, Dorchester, Dorset, UK
Box parterre contains clipped umbrella laurels and santolina with circular metal seat around trunk of tulip tree beyond. Private garden, Pulham, Dorset, UK
Aster ericoides 'Blue Star', AGM. The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens/Hampshire County Council, Romsey, Hants, UK
all images copyright Carole Drake