Soft September rains have given the gardens at Paxton House a much needed rehydration boost, but if the imminent arrival of Autumn gives you a gloomy feeling, a visit to our vibrant flowerbeds will remind you that Autumn has its own delights. The minute September started, the cheeky pink cups of autumn crocuses – Colchicums – began to push up through shady corners of the beds.  Their nickname, Naked Ladies, seems very apt since they dispense with the normal decent covering of leaves (those belong to Spring) and send up just their bare pink flowers on long wavering white stems.  Seek the earliest autumn crocuses at Paxton by the pond under the big birch tree, a spot they particularly like because there is space for their strappy leaves to spread in Spring and they get enough light but not too much exposure to sun.