The garden is definitely beginning to decline, and we are just one good hard frost from it being all over. But I’ve got a couple last minute wins to celebrate

This first is this little guy.

He’s a Checkered Skipper, and I’ve been chasing him (or a relative) all summer trying to get pictures. But I always seemed to see him when I didn’t have the camera, or was otherwise engaged with something. He’s very small (that’s a Cosmos bloom he’s sitting on), and fast.

But about a week and a half ago, I saw him, ran in, got the camera and managed to get a couple pictures.

It was a fairly warm afternoon and he must have been out taking advantage of the last days.

At the same time, in the same garden, I came across a NEW butterfly to add to my collection.

He’s a Common Buckeye. But they can’t be that common, because this is the first time I’ve seen one in the garden. He was easily three times the size of the Skipper.

Like the Skipper, he seemed to be taking advantage of the last few flowers.

Since then, the nights have been appreciably colder and the butterflies are all gone (even the Cabbage Whites). There’s still a bee or two around if the afternoon gets warm enough, but soon enough they will sleep for the winter.

And the last wonder is one I’ve been waiting a few years for.

This is a flower called Monkshood (also known and Aconite or Wolfsbane. I planted it last year (or maybe the year before) in Willow Grove, and while it grew well enough – it never bloomed. I was starting to think I needed to find a new spot for it.

I’m thrilled to finally see it in flower, and hope to see more next year!

But I went out the other week and noticed it was budding up. I wasn’t sure if it would manage to bloom completely before the cold weather hit – but there it is! Most Monkshood is a solid blue-purple, but this one is a hybrid, giving it a lovley bi-colour.

The gardens aren’t quite done yet – though there’s frost damage all around the garden, there are still flowers hanging on to the bitter end. But it won’t be long now… fall is well and truly here and winter won’t be far behind. And now we wait for the wonders of another summer.