We don't always have Paris

Heuchera 'Paris' in happier times, with tulip 'Silver Parrot'

Heuchera 'Paris' has been one of my favourite plants in the garden for the past couple of years, with neat and tastefully variegated leaves and bright pink flowers (a more elegant plant than some coloured-leaf heucheras).  It is - or was - in a pot on the patio, with tulips ('Silver Parrot') underneath.  For the last few weeks it has been looking very sad, and I thought it was time to split it and discard the old bits.  It was only when I turned it out of its pot and saw the first vine weevil grub that the truth dawned - we no longer have 'Paris'.  It went in the green recycling bin; the remarkably healthy population of vine weevil grubs were picked out and put on the patio, where the robin was only too pleased to deal with them, and the tulips were replanted in fresh compost.  Another pot also turned out to have grubs in, so the same treatment was applied.  I really need to crack on with working through the pots, checking for grubs and dealing with the bulbs; fortunately the grubs don't seem interested in the tulips, crocus or alliums, so they should be ok.  I also need another heuchera!

Chrysanths, penstemon, sweet rocket and spindleberries

We are now into properly autumnal, and occasionally wintry, weather: some chilly, sunny days but more rain and some strong winds.  The dahlias are turning black so it will soon be time to cut them down and bring the tubers into the greenhouse.  There are still a few flowers in the garden, though, if you look closely: this week's posy is red and yellow chrysanthemums, a couple of blue penstemon and purple sweet rocket flowers, one or two spindly bits of sweet william and a few sprigs of spindleberry.  The autumn leaves are mostly all fallen, but the cotoneaster and berberis at the gate are making a striking final display of their leaves.

Autumn leaves on the big cotoneaster

The cotoneaster berries are attracting blackbirds and pigeons; the berries on the hawthorn at the bottom of the garden seem to be the preserve of the various thrushes.  We had a song thrush and a mistle thrush joining forces to chase off a fieldfare down there; they might all be migrants, I suppose, but it looked very much like a case of British berries for British birds!