GINA PARKINSON feels the approach of autumn.

THERE is a chill in the air and the garden is beginning its slow decline into autumn. The flowers on the mophead hydrangea are turning pale green with pink edging and self-seeded climbing nasturtiums are a mass of rounded leaves through which poke bright orange and pale lemon yellow blooms.

Late-flowering clematis viticelli Etiole Violette bloomed earlier than usual this year and is beginning to fade, although at the top of the plant there are several buds that may open if the weather stays reasonably warm. It seems to have coped well with the dry hot summer we have had but its earlier flowering relative, Star of India, did very poorly and finally succumbed to mildew at the beginning of August.

This is usually a strong-growing specimen, but I think the dry weather at the end of winter and beginning of spring followed by the high temperatures in summer were not to its liking. It is planted quite near to a wall, which can lead to dryness at the roots and cause mildew.

In the beds, rich red and pink penstemons are flowering well as are the dahlias. Bishop of Llandaff is a tall clump of beautiful dark foliage that sets off the rich red flowers and a smaller, unnamed pink dahlia has filled a pot with long lasting colour.

Dahlias are best dug up and brought in when the foliage has been blacked by the first frosts, although warmer winters do give them a better chance of surviving in the garden. The only problem I have found with dahlias left permanently in the garden is their tendency to flower very late in the season.

Updated: 09:15 Saturday, September 06, 2003