At this time of year many plants have finished flowering, but thanks to a few packets of seed (courtesy of the Cottage Garden Society seed exchange) and a couple of lovely perennials, my garden has a different and rather nice autumn colour theme.

Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’. I have had this perennial for 3 years. Every year it looks more lovely, and particularly so with red orach growing next to it.

Red orach also looks good with Eschscholzia californica. I obtained both of these seeds from last year’s Cottage Garden Society seed exchange.

(Join the Society now (just £12) in time for this year’s extensive list to choose from, sent out with the December magazine. Members are entitled to 12 packets of seed for just the price of P&P).

Sedum Jose aubergine, one third of the gorgeous sedum collection from Hayloft plants, looks well with Meconopsis cambrica, the Welsh poppy. This I grew from seeds collected in Mum’s garden last year. She was a cottage gardener too!

While my favourite, Amaranthus caudatus or love-lies-bleeding makes a fabulous addition to decorate my veg beds along with self-seeded marigolds.

And finally a newby, grown from seed this year, courtesy of Suttons seeds: Antirrhinum ‘Day & Night’.